Sometimes you’re building a probe to Venus when you realize you’d much rather pursue a career in fashion—just ask Sierra Rena. The 22-year-old stylist, model, and creator was interning for NASA her senior year of high school, elbow-deep in an aerospace project, when she began to fantasize about something more glamorous: “My grandma’s been a seamstress her whole life... I think fashion is in my blood.”

Rena’s inherited artfulness set her brand in motion during her freshman year of college. As she sewed pants from blankets during Zoom class at University of Maryland, styled small artists for album covers, and gained traction for “fit pics” on Instagram, she chose to leave dreams of science behind for fashion, reasoning that a career in aerospace was better suited for someone less in love with dressing and getting dressed.

Then, at 20, she moved to New York. “I was really only moving out there to pursue school [FIT],” Rena explains, “but then I sort of just started being in the right rooms, getting invited to brand events, and in October of 2022, I style-assisted my first shoot.” She was invited to a casting for a streetwear brand Bstroy for their collaboration with Givenchy, giggling as she recounts the potential modeling opportunity: “I was like ‘I’m not a model—I’m five-four!’ But my gut said, ‘Sierra, just ask to style-assist the shoot.’” All the what-ifs disappeared after the right people watched her work.

Rena describes her role on that first Givenchy x Bstroy shoot—running around, being on a call sheet, sailing through a 12-hour-day—as a life-changing I-can-do-this moment. “It felt natural to me.” The New Yorker found herself in high demand afterward, barely grazing the seemingly intractable assistant phase before claiming her spot on top. “I just started getting lead after lead and now that’s sort of what it’s become. I’ve styled SZA, Tyla, Coi Leray... it’s been crazy.”

Though swift success can pave the way for an inflated ego, Rena is too grounded for that. She expresses gratitude for every opportunity, alluding to “the grace of God” when she speaks of the DM she got from SZA halfway through the ‘24 Grammys saying, “Hey can you style me? It would be so dope.”

It was dope. SZA’s outfit for Dreamville Fest may have been her and Rena’s friendship love child—a youthful ensemble of eccentric patterns, sexy flesh-hugging fabric, and accessories that pay tribute to the musician’s sincerity. Each piece has its own story: a jacket from a small second hand streetwear shop paired with a vintage Galliano long sleeve, layered atop Jaded London booty shorts, to name a few. Rena takes into account not only how the artist looks but how they feel. Physical freedom is mandatory, especially for active performers like SZA. “You have to think: What is she doing in that outfit? Can she spin around, drop in a split? Who is she on stage?”

R&B artist Ryan Trey joined the stylist’s assembly of clients in early 2024. “Before I started styling him, he would always tell me he had no confidence, but he’s so different now— it’s beautiful to watch him radiate as he interacts with fans.” Rena’s consistent working relationship with Trey has reinforced her dream of finding one client to grow with, to shape, and to be changed by. “I want a female artist that I can really just transform into a fashion mogul, an icon who’s known for our looks.” Rena sees that fulfillment will come from a mutual changing-of-lives: hers and the mystery client that waits for her down the road.

Who is Rena’s dream client? She answers, “I always acknowledge the character traits I value rather than the specific name of an artist. I want someone collaborative, someone patient, someone who’s open to anything.” 

As a young leader surrounded by industry veterans (“my assistant’s been in this way longer than I have”), Rena pays tribute to her work ethic while honoring the efficacy of lived experience. Her confidence mingles gracefully with her cheerful compliance to learn from every job, every mistake, everyone working with her or for her. “I think it’s just so important to have eyes on set from all different types of generations. Every single stylist has a different background. “Just think about it,” she urges, “everyone experienced a different type of style when they were in high school—that’s invaluable.”

Rena does not want to be replicated (or easily digestible). She spends time—a lot of time—digging for pieces she loves, often finding herself plummeting down Grailed rabbit holes. On the contradictory nature of trends and personal style, she considers, “It’s really cool when I can make someone question what I’m wearing... trends take away from experimentation.” But the stylist is also unashamedly relatable. Zooming in from her New York apartment, she reflects on her own (rare) moments of susceptibility to the city’s ever-changing default outfits. It can happen to anyone. “This dress that was trending a couple months ago? I bought it. I’ve never worn it.”

Rena understands the importance of a good old creative outlet. Hers: streaming on Twitch. “My friends were like, ‘Sierra, no stylist is on Twitch right now talking about fashion and runways, deep diving into their career (all while playing a game).’” The live streams are a gift to herself, and a subsequential gift to her followers. “Streaming is a personal project that I feel like I’m going to be investing a lot of time in. It allows me to healthily get away from fashion— talking about fashion and actually working in fashion are two whole different things.”

Twitch streaming also allows Rena to whittle away at the untouchability of being a content creator, a persona rather than a person. “I think it’s really important to humanize myself—people have these parasocial relationships with the influencers they follow.” She pauses. “I want to market myself, my ideas, my style, and the natural things I go through.”

Artistry can be curbed by archetypical content on social media, and the stylist, model, and designer hopes to move forward distraction- free. “I want to showcase videos on my platform that demonstrate my knowledge of fashion with a strong narrative... very cinematic and high production.” For Rena that means filming interviews with fashion icons, styling sessions, BTS at runway shows, and informative content like what to keep in your styling kit when you’re on set. “That’s the stuff I’m really proud of,” she says.

As for the oncoming season, her fall winter obsessions include layering, high heels, and rest. Though she never fails to mention her devout love for working, Rena admits she has possibly been doing too much of it. “The past six months have been crazy... and rest, rest is so important.” Whether she’s hibernating and dreaming (of partnerships with brands like Martine Rose and Y/Project—“I love them, bad”) in the calm of her Brooklyn apartment or flying cross-country to abruptly deplane and style one of pop culture’s most outstanding musicians, Rena is determined to “live in her twenties.” So she has chosen fashion, a career in which she’s able to remain satisfactorily present regardless of the pressure, the missteps, the intensity of each chapter. Doing your own thing—an overly casual description of a near-impossible feat—is a skill Rena has, and the true reason she will never be replicated.

Photographed by Fe Pinheiro

Styled by Sonia Bedere

Written by Anya Wareck

Hair: Jason Thomas

Makeup: Antoine L’Hebrellec