COVINGTON, Ky. — Kate Black’s has a degree in Fashion Merchandise Marketing and she’s on a mission to help people. 

Black is a styling services manager for Dress for Success Cincinnati. She helps to style and empower women in need of professional attire. The studio operates out of Ohio and also partners with other organizations in the area, including the Life Learning Center of Covington.

Dress for Success Cincinnati’s executive director Lisa Nolan said they’re looking to set up a satellite location at the Life Learning Center. The center’s director of care continuum and employment Laurie Hoppenjans said she hopes to see a more permanent fixture inside of Life Learning Center.

“We are going to try and look for funding and resources to help us achieve this on-site presence with Dress for Success,” Hoppenjans said.

The funding would allow for a stylist representing Dress for Success to work inside of the Life Learning Center.

“We don’t have that individualized attention. We have the resources here. The local community is so generous to give us the donations that we have so many nice clothes here, but why we love our partnership with Dress For Success is because they come in and make our candidates feel special and thought about,” Hoppenjans said.

It’s a collaboration that’s just getting started. Black said her job is to be a confidence booster to those in need of work clothes looking to make it through that first interview or other career opportunities.

“I see women every day that come from tough situations and they’ll be really shy coming in the studio and they get an outfit they love and they are literally dancing in the dressing room and it’s so much fun. It gives me goosebumps every single time,” Black said.