Inside a Midtown studio on a hot July afternoon, Atlanta-based stylist Kenzie Welch chats with her client, Savannah West, while Beyoncé blasts in the background. Welch, her assistant, and her husband move briskly between cameras and lighting gear to style West — to see her — in a way that goes deeper than clothes.
Welch is the creator behind @stylingwithkenzie, the TikTok account with more than 1.3 million followers and nearly 25 million likes. Her viral makeover series doesn’t rely on angles, drama or filters. It relies on trust.
“It really is life-changing for people,” Welch says. “They think they’re coming for a makeover, but like, they really shape and change me in a lot of ways too as a stylist.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Impact, not influence
What makes Welch stand out in a space dominated by sameness is her insistence that good style isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about returning to yourself. She’s part big sister, part fashion therapist, and something entirely different from an influencer.
“I struggled at the beginning to understand my place in the social media space because it’s so aesthetically driven,” Welch told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s all about being a personal influencer — your life, your image — and I knew I had a calling that was deeper and more meaningful than just who I am as a person.”
Her clients aren’t models or celebrities. They’re teachers, new moms and people looking to reconnect with a version of themselves they haven’t seen in years.
“I wanted to be known for what I’m able to do and help other people with, rather than just like that I live in a certain house or drive a certain car or look a certain way,” she says. “That, to me, feels very vapid.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
‘Now, I’ve seen the shift’
Welch’s mission of empowerment resonates with her clients, like West — a new mom learning to style herself in motherhood.
“I always feel good and I’m always happy and I always feel vibrant,” West says. “But my outfits just don’t translate and now, I’ve seen the shift.”
To help her find herself, Welch didn’t hand West a brand-new wardrobe. Instead, she gave her the confidence to work with what she had.
“The first thing I’m going to do is look into my closet… and try to style it better,” West says. “I’m going to go home and play dress up in my clothes.”
A safe place for everyone
Welch’s styling philosophy is rooted in grace over pressure. She’s quick to remind clients (and herself) that not every day needs to be a runway moment.
“Not every day is going to be a slay,” she says.
She’s also not chasing trends for trend’s sake. “With influencer culture… there’s such a pressure to look a certain way and, like, dress in a certain way,” she says. “You don’t have to do that — just be yourself.”
Whether you’re a student headed back to school, a parent in the pickup line, or just a person in a style rut, Welch has the same advice: start where you are. A good outfit doesn’t have to come from a department store. It can come from your own closet, a thrift shop or a well-made white tee.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“Spend a little extra money on a good quality T-shirt and you’ll have it for at least three years,” she says. “You’re not going to get that look that looks elevated if you go and buy a really cheap T-shirt.”
Where to shop in Atlanta, according to Kenzie
For high-end pieces, Welch swears by Tootsies in Buckhead. “If I could just pick one place to go shopping that day, it would be there,” she says.
For something more budget-friendly, she loves COS — H&M’s more refined sister brand. And when she’s leaning into maximalism (which she predicts will return in full force this fall), she turns to Ganni, a line known for bold silhouettes and playful textures.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Style as self-reflection
Welch’s favorite moments are the ones that challenge her to see style differently, like a recent makeover for a client who uses a wheelchair.
“She had said to me, ‘You know, I have to wear shoes that have a back on them,’” Welch recalls. “It didn’t even occur to me that that was something to think about.”
That moment, she says, expanded her thinking, not just about accessibility, but about what style really means.
“With every single client I work with, I feel like I’m strengthening my knowledge of style and learning new things.”
Real style, Welch believes, doesn’t require reinvention. It requires reflection.
“You’re not wearing a costume,” she says. “Fashion is an extension of who you are.”
And in Welch’s world, being yourself is the ultimate slay.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
