"Jason Bolin was not going to get it," says celebrity stylist J. Bolin. He sits behind a desk in the front office of Sterling Photography recounting his amateur beginnings.
"I started pronouncing my name as Jhay Boleen. I thought my name was not fancy enough. I felt like it needed something, an accent, a hyphen or something," he says laughing.
Ten years later, he is simply known in the fashion industry as J.Bolin. No accent. No hyphen.
The 32-year-old from Natchez has dressed reality show divas like NeNe Leakes, actors such as Boris Kodjoe, even Erica and Tina Atkins-Campbell of the Grammy Award-winning gospel group Mary Mary.
Bolin's love of unique prints, his eye for details and affinity for lush, bold colors leads one to assume he always wanted to be a stylist. But, his degree in industrial technology from Alcorn State University suggests otherwise.
Hailing from a family of carpenters and a legacy of Alcorn graduates, Bolin followed suit. "My dad, my uncles, my grandfather all of them were so gifted in building homes literally from nothing to million dollar mansions. Impeccable, they're excellent at it," Bolin says.
"They assumed I was going to pursue this. I did end up going to Alcorn for that," he states proudly.
A pair of chic, red thigh-high boots divert his attention to the computer in front of him. He is online shopping for his client Sarah Jakes, daughter of Bishop T.D. Jakes and author of "Lost & Found, Finding HOPE in the Detours of Life."
Bolin was not exactly enthusiastic about pursuing a higher education. "I hated school," he says, while surfing online boutiques. "I loved people, loved socializing and loved having a good time. But I did not enjoy the idea of sitting down and learning something."
His heart was not in blueprints and granite countertops, but neither was it in tartan prints and pocket squares. "I never knew I wanted to do anything in fashion, ever. I always knew that I would be in the entertainment industry or that I would pursue it. I never knew how, never knew what to do and never knew what aspect of it," Bolin says.
Growing up in a Christian household, Bolin believes God gave him a spirited push towards the red carpet.
"I was working at Tougaloo College, and they wanted me to start a modeling squad at the school. The students were like, 'Mr. Bolin we love the way you dress, you should start up a fashion squad at school.' So, I did it and I called it J.B. Style Models and I had 50 students who were my models," he said.
Needing clothing so his models could "rip the runway," he reached out to local department stores in and around the Capital City.
Bolin explains, "All the stores would tell me no. They were like, 'We've never heard of you before. So, we're not going to give you thousands of dollars' worth of our clothes to put on models and we don't know who they are,' " he says.
Undaunted, Bolin styled his models using the clothes from their own closets. "I was terribly, horrifically, bad at styling then. I had girls in daisy dukes and yellow fishnets coming down the runway," he says candidly.
Bolin, who is married and the father of a 6-year-old son, Denim, often laughs when speaking about his inexperience.
"I started educating myself. I like to call myself having a degree from Barnes and Noble. I couldn't always afford the books, so I would go there and study magazines, books on fashion shows, how to be in the fashion industry," Bolin says.
Utilizing MySpace, Bolin started networking.
"The first person I reached out to was Thomasina Goo Goo Atkins, sister of Mary Mary. She was their background singer and stylist at the time. I saw a silhouette of a bust form/mannequin on her page. I knew that represented fashion of some kind. So, I reached out to her and asked, 'What do you do?' and she told me she was a fashion stylist," he says.
Atkins became a mentor for Bolin, allowing him to assist her with clients on occasion. Remembering his first encounter with Mary Mary, he says "I took my last dime and drove to Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I had some shirts made for them (Mary Mary) because I was attempting my own clothing line to make some side money. I took two shirts and both of them told me no and they hated it," he confesses.
The buoyant Bolin used the criticism to grow and improve. Six years later, impressed with his styling displays on Instagram, Mary Mary, requested his services personally.
"They called me to style them for the Stellar Awards. They were hosting and performing. I had to come up with three looks for each one of them," Bolin says. He continues to work with the gospel duo.
The image consultant distinctly embodies resourcefulness and determination.
"If someone was having a concert, I would contact the producer of the event and ask could I come and set up a showroom or boutique for the artist to view. I did that every single show," Bolin says.
When singer and American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino came to Mississippi, he convinced security to let him in her dressing room. He then filled it with his personal styling selections for the singer.
"They kicked me out of Fantasia's room and told me I could use this small, dingy bathroom. I had some sheets in the car and I used them to cover the floor. I draped them over the stalls and the mirrors. I then laid out the shoes, clothes and jewelry. I set it up just like a boutique," Bolin says.
Once Fantasia saw the display, she bought every single item.
Bolin employed the same technique with Chrisette Michele in New Orleans.
"I was sitting in her room, and the handlers said I had to leave," Bolin says. But, he managed to stall until Michele made her entrance.
"She came in the room all dressed up, with these big shades on, this big coat, and I thought, 'OMG, she is such a celebrity,' " he says.
Once in the hallway, Bolin patiently waited outside her room. A few moments later, Michele was inviting him back inside. The two of them immediately clicked.
Bolin's roster has grown immensely.
Launching www.StylistJBolin.com, Bolin offers his own exclusive attire for the everyday woman and styling packages for everyday people. He also displays the garments of up-and-coming designers. "This is the home for fashionable, wearable and versatile," Bolin says.
Yes, he is in love with his job but he is not captivated by the glamour. It takes an incredulous amount of energy, ceaseless ambition, long hours and constant travel.
He is also realizing that flying in and out of Mississippi is becoming increasingly difficult, compelling him to mull over the idea of relocation.
"When someone is battling between booking a local stylist in their city vs. bringing me there and they have to deal with expensive flights, they are going to choose the local stylist," Bolin says.
Travel can be vexing on his family life as well, but he and his wife, Nicole, realize they are not the average family.
"Our vow is that we will never let the industry interfere in our relationship. She doesn't call me J. Bolin, has never called me J. Bolin and she doesn't care who J.Bolin is. She doesn't care about the industry. She's a school teacher who loves being a wife, mom, sister, daughter. She just enjoys that life. It's a great balance for me. I love having that to come home to."
Contact Rachel James Terry at racheljamezz76@yahoo.com.
