MEET E.K.
Elizabeth Kasyanyuk is a stylist, visual artist, and designer based in Nashville, TN, and founder of the ethical fashion brand and creative platform Rendered Free.
Elizabeth’s love of art, culture, and travel inform her design approach. Her curatorial eye, attention to detail, and creative background set her apart as an innovator in an ever evolving industry.
ABOUT ME
I grew up captivated by many different things. I am a visual learner and communicator, and truly a combination of my parents. My father is an engineer and astronomer, and my mother is an artist and a teacher. My exceptional mom put markers and books in my hands at age two, and my dad taught me about the stars, geology, and ancient history. I grew up searching for fossils and dinosaur bones, making collages, drawing, and marveling at the fine tuning of the universe through one of my father's telescopes. My exposure to multiple fields and subjects has allowed me to develop a deep appreciation and passion for many genres of creativity.
This desire to curate, organize, and compile has been in me as long as I can remember. Whether it was creating meticulous look books from magazine cut outs, or setting the breakfast table, or pre-planning my vacation wardrobe as a young girl, I have always been imaginative, organized, and believed that the most ordinary of days were opportunities to art direct.
Styling work for photo and video is visual communication showcased through layers. It is painting in 3D. You are working with colors, textures, playing with perspective, line, form, and shadow — the story is written with light, objects, and living beings.
I love the concepting and research phase for a shoot, But sourcing and styling is my favorite part. I spend time perusing vintage shops, estate sales, book stores, antique malls, and resale boutiques.
Items and garments come together gradually to build the visual world I set out to convey. I am intrigued by classic, timeworn items and adore lived-in garments that preserve the memory of bygone eras.
To truly appreciate fashion, it helps to have an understanding of visual arts, culture, and a strong sense of history. The mixing of eras, current trends, political statements, availability of materials, and referencing styles while still modernizing them, helps fashion tell a story in a way that few art forms can.
I enjoy mixing vintage pieces with modern wares and classic silhouettes. I am always searching for one-of-a-kind things with a story to tell. It is magical to look at an item or garment of clothing and know just how it will come across in a photograph in partnership with the right lighting and editing.
A stylist should always take risks. A stylist should trust their instincts while remaining creatively flexible. A good stylist always compliments the photographer.
Together, the narrative is created.