Elevating Faith Thread By Thread: Jiovani Cervantes

“I want to bring and achieve style and confidence in my client, but with just enough of an unconventional twist, turn, or risk.”

Wardrobe stylist Jiovani Cervantes uses three points of inspiration for his wardrobe choices: silhouette, functionality, and unconventionality.

For silhouette, he looks for the variety of shapes the fabric or material can create while on the body.

For functionality, he looks to discover the craziest of shapes and the craziest limit of styling possible, while still keeping the wardrobe wearable and functional. 

“I am not a fan of sacrificing comfort for style at all, not by any means,” the stylist of 7 years explained. 

For unconventionality, Jiovani looks outside the box. He looks for ideas that are non-conforming, as he wants to work on original concepts, and not on styles that have been created numerous times. 

“I like to work with garments that are just outside of the box;" he said, "and it makes you have to take a second glance, just to make sure that what you have seen was right.”

Jiovani started styling clothes while attending middle school. He grew up in a small town where fashion had zero priority in the lives of his neighbors. That indifference spurred young Jiovani to pay extra attention to his own daily clothing choices.

“I wanted to stand out in my style and wardrobe; and in that town, it was very easy to do,” he recalled. 

His middle school friends were intrigued; and they asked Jiovani to style their clothes and create their weekly outfits. Jiovani’s knowledge was admired; and he styled his friends’ clothes until his senior year of high school. 

“My peers wanted to feel cool, look cool, and talk to the popular girls," the stylist reflected. “The fashion gave them that boost.”

Jiovani’s impressive talent continued growing; and within a short time, he had built himself a professional client base. He spends his days on photo shoot sets and at wardrobe fittings; and every day, he extends grace, compassion, and kindness to those around him. 

“That’s my heart to treat others with positivity,” he shared. Jiovani attributes this communication style to his Christian faith.

That same faith also influences the clothing he chooses for his clients. “I aim to keep my clients dressed modestly; and their jewelry light and humble,” Jiovani said. “We don’t show too much skin and there is no over-the-top exposure. But we do take risks.”

Jiovani specializes in a niche that he categorizes as: Polished, Elevated Grunge. A memorable photo shoot with talent Gianna Cooper cemented his vision into the world. 

The artist and Gianna met as restaurant co-workers, and often chatted about their creative passions. They realized their skills aligned, and vowed to one day work together in a creative space. They both left the restaurant business; and a year passed before they reconnected. 

“Our collaboration was special because we were finally working together after a year,” he said with a smile. “But it was also special because Gianna let me direct the shoot; she let me take the direction of the styling wherever I wanted.”

Jiovani continued, “Gianna was the first person to let me showcase my specialized niche and aesthetic into the world. She allowed me to show a part of myself to the world through my work.”

He humbly shared that the shoot came out amazing with phenomenal results; it was later published in the Hazelberry digital magazine. Jiovani stated he couldn’t be more grateful for everyone involved. 

His team was integral in its success: style assistant X; photographer Zoe; and makeup artist Dominique. (Jiovani gave a special shout out to Dominique for creating the visual compilations on www.jiovanicervantes.com - his website.) 

His references and inspiration for creating looks comes from Rick Owens, Issey Miyake, and Vivienne Westwood’s work from the 80s and 90s.

The stylist’s creative goal is to find the balance between something the client loves, feels confident when wearing, and has the perfect, just right amount of risk or unconventionality. 

Jiovani beautifully and masterfully creates designs, looks, and wardrobes that allows the clients to still feel like themselves; but with his added talented twist of creativity and innovation. 

*Photos courtesy of artist