Melynda/Couture Zen is the best of the best. She helped transform me. I get compliments almost every day and usually multiple times a day on my outfits, in all types of places from the grocery store to The Grammy's. Talk about a confidence booster! My most casual laid back outfit today is better than my best outfit was before I met Melynda. I really didn't know what to expect. I just knew that I never really had a sense of style and I had one too many days or moments of poor wardrobe choices/outfits. Melynda has a great eye for design/style in all facets of it. She knows when something is made the right way with quality fabric, stitching, etc. She walks into a store and finds the most unique items. She will teach you along the way what works, what doesn't work, why, and how things are supposed to fit. I had the fit all wrong before Melynda. It was pure chance/luck that I purchased and wore an item that fit properly or landed an outfit that actually looked good/cool. It happened, but not often. We completely transformed my wardrobe, me, and my confidence. She starts with going through your closet. We got rid of so much stuff. There's lots of shopping sessions. Then you hit the tailor. Lots of tailoring. My new view on fashion is, you find the right item(s) and most of the time you go to the tailor. Why would we not...it's not like designers are making clothes for my exact body... After that she comes by and makes a style guide. She lays everything out and shows you what a capsule wardrobe looks like. With everything we bought I have nearly as many outfit options as you have chess moves in a game. Melynda is the real deal all around. She is an experience stylist. She owns a vintage & modern clothing shop in DTLA. She has styled for stars in music videos and movies as well as non-celebrity folks like myself. She designs her own items. She makes bespoke suits. She has relationships with stores. She knows quality. To boot, she has a great personality and vibe which enriches the whole experience. I recommend Melynda to all humans. If you've never had a stylist, get one. You can't go wrong. If you're looking for a stylist, look no further. Melynda/Couture Zen are where it's at! read more

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I came to visit family in LA for one month and decided to update my wardrobe and reached out to Melynda through a recommendation on ChatGPT of all places! She was wonderful, she helped me find my style through a questionaire and a pinterest board. We shopped like crazy and pushed my beyond what I thought were my shopping stamina boundaries. But she was also very relaxed I did not feel pressured in anyway which was good for me. I spent a little over my budget but I know have a spectacular new wardrobe and the confidence and knowhow to implent it thatnks to Couture Zen. I fully reccomend this service! read more

Couture Zen - Personal Shopping Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Melynda is like an angel. I went to shop quirk with my friend for moral support and to help pick clothes. Everyone was so nice and Melynda picked this Theory blazer she helped me style with a dress. I am not kidding when I say this blazer changed my life. I left with a good start on an entirely new wardrobe. Everyone was so nice and kind. Melynda was so patient and kind and really REALLY good at styling. Before we lost our house to the fire I was sort of in a fashion rut. So she got me out and got me new clothes and a great fun day that made me look forward to the next instead of being miserable with no clothes and no hope!! read more

BOLD. DEFINITELY BOLD!! I worked with this Melynda a few days ago and I must say, she is very daring. Being a stylist myself, I know how easy it is to be comfortable and be too scared to take risk.. well not with Melynda! I'm really use to something edgy or hipster-ish but she made me look so chic! She threw me to the wolves! " Put this on! With this! This and that!" I was very pleased with her fashionable sense. She obviously has an eye for fashion. Working with her was a easy process. She lined up a photoshoot, with a photographer and makeup artist for my boyfriend and I. We did 3 outfit changes within a few hours.. AND a small video. We are still waiting to see it, we are super excited! The pictures were delivered to us within a few days and we loved it! It's very different but in a good way. Getting styled by Melynda was very fun. We met at her loft in DTLA, which I must say... is gorgeous! Her apartment inspired me to do mines better! Definitely teaching myself to be more daring! Over all, Melynda was great. She had coffee for us, was super quick and also very attententive. Would recommend her to anyone who's looking to be BOLD! read more

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I met Melynda through a mutual friend and my first impression was "wow she's really stylish". As an actor, I was drawn to her expertise especially when I learned that she was a stylist. I knew I had to work with her. I contacted Melynda for a photoshoot and she more than delivered. From coming up with ideas of how to brand myself, curating outfits and coordinating looks, she helped me craft a truly amazing visual aesthetic. These are some of my best headshots to date and they truly help capture who I am as an actor. I highly recommend Couture Zen styling services. read more

Being in the middle of some life transitions, my wardrobe was in desperate need of an upgrade. Melynda fully flipped my closet and we got lots of unique clothes that fit my own personal style. The first day we went through my closet and took out pieces I didn't love or didn't fit properly. Some items we kept for tailoring, but most of the ones I didn't like were donated. Then we went shopping at Crossroads, which was great, I tried on so many things, even some clothes that I didn't know would look good on me! Melynda also showed me how to figure out which garments are good quality and which were not, which will be helpful later. We ended up buying a lot of things (according to my standards), but we still only ate up 1/3 of my overall budget, which was impressive to me. The next shopping/styling session ws a month later when I was preparing for a trip. This time I gave her some constraints for what I was looking for, and she delivered. We went to Target and got some really nice basics, then we went to Wasteland and found some really nice pants. Melynda found great quality stylish clothing every step of the way, and I really like what's in my closet now. Personally, I feel like I can wear these clothes for the next 10 years and not have to buy anything new. People on the street and in my community always compliment my style now, it was well worth the time and money spent in my opinion. If you're in need of a personal stylist to bring out your unique personal style, Melynda is one of the best for sure. I would 10/10 recommend her for personal styling. read more

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Stay away from this place, i'm a professional Actor and I don't recommend you at all to contact this unprofessional office and his Fashion stylist Melynda Choothesa if you need a costume or clothes, i signed a contract and i paid a deposit of a lot of money $1,282.00 last year in November to receive my costume at the the end of December of last year and The stylist of this place Melynda Choothesa told me i would receive my costume and clothes in 3 weeks now it's been more than 4 months! And i did not still received my costume and clothes and when i tried to contact with emails, messages and phone calls the stylist Melynda Choothesa she answered me in late and many times she did not answered me at all after i paid all these money, and after i tried to call her many times and text her she did not answer me and i tried even to go to this office where the first time she took my measurements but i never found her again to ask her for a refund, my bank had to contact the bank of this merchant for a refund and i'm still waiting for a refund! Stay away from this unprofessional place and people, i'm a professional actor and i had to cancel my important project because these unprofessional people did not send me my costume after i paid a lot of money, and i have even to wait to receive my refund, stay away from this place don't loose your money and time. read more

As a photographer I'm always looking to create new things with my clients and often times finding the right wardrobe seems to be the toughest part... I've worked with Melynda on a few projects now which started early last year, and since then I can say that she's easily one of the best stylists in the city. from her attention to detail to on-set creative direction, I've had nothing but great experiences with her. If you are a creative looking to add an extra "umph" to your project and need styling, I highly recommend checking out Couture Zen. read more

I had just signed a modeling contract & needed to level up my style when I found Couture Zen. Prior to that I wasn't confident in my style and knew I wasn't expressing myself nearly enough through my clothing. Couture Zen was able to revamp my whole wardrobe in clothing that actually resonated with my personality. My experience with her has been life changing and she is the only person I go to now for all my style needs. Thank you!! read more

Melynda is an absolute legend. I came to her with a seemingly impossible task: style an entire 90s themed wardrobe for an indie band on a very slim budget. Unlike other stylists with her qualifications, (she's styled a long list of A-list actors and musicians), she jumped at the idea of a challenge. She spent countless hours with us to determine our unique needs and help us develop the aesthetic to match our narrative. She dug deep into LAs secondhand underground to find hundreds of outfit combinations. She helped us uncover the hidden gems in our own closets. And she spent an entire day teaching us how to put together literally THOUSANDS of different outfit combinations. She is clearly sooo passionate about what she does and she went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed for photo shoots, every day looks, and tour. The topper is she is an absolute pleasure to be around: warm, friendly and fun! We will be going back to Melynda for all of our future styling needs. read more

Melynda is simply amazing. I love working with her. She's transformed my wardrobe and my attitude toward clothes and shopping. Highly recommend to anyone and everyone!! read more

Stylist/Owner responded to my review blatantly leaving out important facts. We asked her for over a year when we could retrieve our things that didn't sell, she flakes and postponed and insisted on keeping the items in storage as they were selling. It wasn't until police got involved that things were finally returned. Melynda then refuted her statement of admittance of what was owed to us and challenged us to go to court if we "believed" we were owed anything. Still has not paid us for our things that sold and it is baffling that she would call our many attempts at collecting our debts owed as "harassment". Do not work with this stylist who who has lied and stolen our things. read more

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She's the best! I model for a living and decided to redo my book. I had no idea where to start with styling, so I hired her and she made my photos look so legit! Right out of a magazine. She even scheduled in time for a fitting before hand. Super sweet and would definitely recommend to a friend! read more

Melynda was a pleasure to work with. She helped style a shoot for my sustainable fashion line, glōu. As the designer/owner, I had a definite vision & expectations of the creative direction & was initially hesitant of some of Melynda's bold suggestions. However I am so happy I let Melynda take full reign of the styling as I am incredibly happy with the results! She did a fabulous job tweaking each of my pieces to make them look more editorial & high fashion. Melynda was determined to bring out the best in each garment, and it was a joy to see what she would come up with next. Melynda is a professional, a passionate artist & a hoot to work with. I would recommend Couture Zen for your styling projects, and look forward to working with Melynda again soon. Cheers Avanti read more

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Fashion, and style has admittedly always been beyond me. Unfortunately, due to the nature of my business, I'm required to put together and maintain a large profile of full-body photographs in my portfolio. In comes Couture Zen! I worked with Melynda(Tell her Jose sent you), and could not have been more pleased. Not only did she have multiple suggestions for outfits I already had, but she was extremely patient and knowledgeable helping me pick out new ones. I did a lot of research before I went with Couture Zen for styling/fashion makeovers-- let me save you the trouble, come here, you won't regret it. TL;DR Needed help with multiple styles/looks, using old clothes and new, Melynda totally hooked it up on a budget. read more

Had the best experience with Melynda!! She was so helpful every step of the way and then some! I learned so much from working with her from the way things fit to color combos! What I loved most is she took me thrifting on our first trip which I loved because it's better for the environment and I just love shopping second hand in general. I feel like Melynda is my fashion fairy godmother and I am so grateful for the relationship we now have and so grateful for everything she's done. I feel like I'm the best version of myself now when wearing clothes and have such a fun time picking out an outfit everyday. 10/10 would recommend her. She is a true Queen!! read more

I recently was asked by the agency to shoot this male model. They wanted me to do some fashion and a few of my friends recommended Melynda to style it. I called her and we agreed to shoot. She did such an amazing job, she got the model booked on a huge campaign in Milan. Now the agency keeps requesting us to work together. for the rest of their model roster. She has been my goto stylist ever since I moved to LA. She's extremely polite, extremely talented and has an amazing eye. I work with her as much as I can. read more

Ahhh, what can I say? Melynda has taken my "look" to levels I thought I would never reach, or more importantly, levels I didn't know I could achieve. Five years ago, I lost 45 pounds and basically was still wearing some of the same clothes while hiding under my over-sized pants and shirts. By chance, I visited her Downtown L.A. location and my lifestye and image have changed for the best. At first, I would question her as to whether a pant or shirt was too tight because my mentality was still 45 lbs heavier, but after rocking the first outfit she put together for me, the compliments starting rolling in and my confidence started to grow. I took it to another level when we went shopping in Beverly Hills and after bargain shopping my closet now looks like a male fashion models', well almost... still more to go (NYC?). From time to time I get the opportunity to attend Hollywood movie premieres and on one occasion an actor, who will remain nameless, said my outfit gives him life. It was at that very moment that I felt it was all worth every penny and time spent with Melynda. Not only did I regain my "swag", but she took the time to educate me on things like pattern, fit, proportion and even the proper underwear. One thing she said that I will always remember goes something like this, " a belt should be an accessory and not a necessity". Silly me, I thought a belt was made to hold my pants up! read more

The word serendipitous just sounds cliche no matter how you use it but I really just have too in this case. I met Melynda in the airport by chance and found in her, both a quirky confidant and a sage advisor. As a young entrepreneur her vast knowledge of styling and fashion industry dynamics gave me the confidence I needed to take the those first few steps toward my passion ( she also laid out the first few steps lol ) authentic, honest, and truly helpful information she's got a huge future in consulting and is unapologetically crushing it as a stylist read more

Melynda gave my mom an experience that she and I will both treasure for the rest of our lives. My mom was visiting LA to celebrate her retirement and the successful end to a bout with cancer. Melynda put together an all-day experience - shopping, styling, makeup and photo shoot - and made my mom look and feel amazing. Melynda has a magnetic personality. She is a super-connector around town and an arbiter of taste of the highest caliber. Before this experience, personal styling wasn't even on my radar. Now I think it's one of the best investments you can make to look and feel your best. Bravo! read more

I have had the privilege of working with Couture Zen several times for photoshoots. She is always professional, creative beyond measure, and absolutely wonderful to work with. One experience I had is a client hiring a stylist, and last minute the stylist cancelled! Never in my history of shooting have I experienced such lack of professionalism. While the client was distracted with hair and make up, I quickly contacted Melynda of Couture Zen and asked if there was any way she could come and save the day. I was amazingly grateful that she was able to. She pulled together the most amazing outfits and accoutrements in record time, and the shoot was saved. I will always be eternally grateful for that save, and she has been my go to stylist ever since. read more

Melynda is a gem. She knows what she's doing and is straight to the point. Which is exactly what I was looking for. She wasted no time! She looked at my place, we went shopping and organized my closet, my boyfriend's closet, our dressers, and the accessories/linen closet. Everything is easy to reach to, easy to put back away, and aesthetically pleasing. She worked super hard to make sure I agreed with all the changes, because let's be real, change is hard. We purged my stuff that no longer serves me. Donating to the woman's shelter which she suggested was also a rewarding feeling. I love Melynda and will hire her again. Especially during spring cleaning next season!!! read more

I was entering new stage in my career and entering the public eye. I understood that the visual story that I told was an important part of my personal brand, but I was new to fashion and styling and needed direction. I was introduced to Melynda and immediately I began to be transformed. She took the time to educate me on style, pairing, structure, form, color, texture, and shifted relationship with my apparel. She led the buying process for me, giving me new looks that were not only attention-earning, but also timeless. She also gave my closet some "spring cleaning," helping me to part with articles that no longer served me. I am still using the principles and pieces Melynda provided me with, and those looks still attract compliments and respect. She is now my go-to styling consultant. And I would recommend her to anyone who wants to make a unique first impression. read more

Melynda has really changed the style game for me. I decided to invest in myself by having her help me clean out my closet and teach me how to put looks together. I have gotten many compliments about my wardrobe and putting new outfits together. She listened to my concerns and kept the whole process in my comfort level. I loved working with her and hope to work with her again when I need a refresh! read more

Melynda was and continues to be an absolute pleasure to work with! She TOTALLY helped me up my game for both professional and personal style. She's awesome for business professionals looking to infuse some intentional style into their wardrobe, which is informed by her work in high fashion. She's personable, professional, and makes you feel at ease. Styling sessions feel like you're hanging out w a friend (who will push you with a smile). Anyway, couldn't recommend her enough! read more

I recently wrapped a project where I hired Melynda on to style my client for a lookbook shoot. As a producer I highly recommend Melynda if you need to hire a stylist whether it's personal or editorial. This was last minute and Melynda executed the job beautifully and added on to our vision. I felt very at ease having Melynda on this project because she wears a lot of hats and can think outside of the box. She is a seriously a rockstar. I've witnessed Melynda costume design a whole a look under a 24 hour notice. She's a professional and made my client feel comfortable and helped her come out of her shell. She even helped out photographer with lighting and creative direction. this project would not have been as Amazing with out her. Melynda is my go to when I need to hire a stylist and unicorn all in one! read more

I've used Melynda's personal styling services for many years. She has not only helped me update my wardrobe, but opened up my eyes to how to color match, accessorize, and accentuate my best features! Whenever I have a red carpet event I call her. She finds one-of-a-kind pieces so I always stand out in the best way possible! She is honest, fair and fun! read more

Whether you're a young actor who needs to gear your look to casting directors' tastes or just a regular person who wants to make the most out of their best features, Melynda will work with you. She is responsive despite her busy schedule of working on A-list projects and her rates are accessible. You could spend weeks doing your own shopping or get an entire wardrobe in a three-hour thrift trip with Melynda. She takes a holistic approach of not just how you want to look, but how you want to feel. If you need help getting rid of your excess (clothing) baggage, she is great at that as well. And she's just a nice, fun, intelligent person. read more

Melynda was such a wonderful asset to my shoot!!She woke up super early, had her shit together and was such a pleasure to work with! She has a real eye for style and was super efficient and easy to work with. I felt I could trust her and her vision. I would definitely recommend and hire her time and again!!!! Thank you so much for the amped up shoot! Your presence made all the difference! read more

I've been shopping with Melynda for a while now and she has the most amazing taste and picks out the best things for me. She understands what I like and I can't say enough about how great she is. She's also intelligent, friendly and fun to go shopping with. I feel she's the best and if you're looking for a stylist/personal shopper she's the one. You won't be disappointed! read more

5 stars "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" Indeed! Melynda Choothesa of Couture Zen takes style seriously! Between balancing studio work, wardrobe for film/music videos, etc, editorial shoots, and catalogue work (busy lady!), Personal Shopping is where a different part of her talent really shines. Having worked with Melynda in retail and on set at photoshoots, I feel that this sentiment is apt. Melynda not only offers her brand of insight, but shows a special part of her personality that comes across in this type of environment, different from other ways of working with her. It was truly a blessing to be one of Melynda's clients for a change, but she'll make you work for your makeover! One might see TV 'makeover shows" and believe this process is an instant transformation, but the shows really skim over the reality of hearing (CONSTRUCTIVE!!) criticism. Melynda will guide you and help you make decisions, but largely you'll be trying EVERYTHING on, learning about what works and what doesn't, keeping your tastes in mind. This is an important point because there might be fears of losing your personality in the clothes, or "the clothes wearing you," but this is assuredly not the case. For me, the wardrobe makeover was just another part of my overall personal transformation (newly single, new job, weight loss, etc) so Melynda helps you celebrate your new beginnings and helps you see this as an act of self-love. Cannot recommend Couture Zen enough! read more

Melynda is a star. Her knowledge of fashion and style will have you looking your best. Her eye is quick and accurate and her streamlined process can get the job done within a matter of hours. read more

Wow, what can I really say about working with someone on transforming how the world sees you, through your wardrobe? Well, they have to SEE you first. They have to understand who you are, where you are heading and what motivates you. Melynda of Couture Zen was this and so much more for me. She's a style Jedi and a force of good in an underdressed, frumpy world. I needed some serious help transforming my wardrobe to match the new me that is emerging. In the process, Melynda brought her creative spark and tough love to help me shed decades of outdated threads and give me a major education on how clothes are actually supposed to fit on my body (Newsflash: I'm a size 2/4 not an 8!!!), and expose me to modern brands and styles that work for me. I especially love that she was conscious of helping me get the biggest bang for my buck in terms of time spent in the process and the cost of the pieces. It's a whole new adventure every day getting to "shop in my closet" and put together outfits, I love it. I receive so many complements each day and people close to me are so impressed by the evolution. When I'm tempted to play it safe, I just think of Melynda cheering me on and try something a little different, more bold, more polished. And still funky, still playful, still me. I'm so grateful for the experience - thank you Melynda for helping me elevate my life and reveal the woman I know I am! read more

I first noticed Melynda at a blockchain tech-in music event in DTLA, and loved her fashion style, though didn't actually meet her that evening. I found out that she was a stylist and hoped to meet her someday. Of course I FB friend requested her, and we connected. I had planned a photo shoot in fall 2018 and thought, now was my chance to work with Melynda. She was available and down to work on the project. She's a pro and I new I could trust her, and gave her all the freedom she needed. I also knew the second we walked into Roxy Deluxe wardrobe warehouse in NoHo, that I could just chill and let her work her magic. She set me up in about 5 outfits, in the style of early 60s, slimmer fitting looks. Polo shirts, jackets, button downs, great trousers, and within 2 hours we were done. The photo shoot we did at the Hollywood Hills home of my producer went very well, and I came out with some superb pics for sharing and promotion. I know Melynda can handle any style from pretty much any era, and this was important, because last year at this time I released a jazz EP, and my look and vibe was totally different, clean cut hair, suits, jackets and ties all the time, but since then I decided to loosen up, let my hair grow out, and go with a more natural laid back California style. My music is changing organically to a more west coast, California, LA sound of piano pop, and Melynda was a big help with my quick transition from early 60s, jazz clean cut vibe to a 60s/70s-updated to contemporary style and sound of the whole thing I'm trying to do as a music artist. Everything is falling into place precisely as I planned, and Melynda was a big help along the way. read more

I needed to do a 70s inspired shoot and Melynda was the stylist that made it all come to life. Incredibly knowledgeable in fashion history and pulled from her own well stocked fashion vault to create amazing looks. Spectacularly responsible and forthright with information about her service and expertise, it was a delightful experience working with her and would recommend anyone who is looking for unique looks and beautiful pieces to seek her out. read more

Melynda has been my muse for all things fashion and clothes related. She has a command of what is in style, what colors go with what, and how to shop most efficiently and with value in mind. I have successfully revamped my wardrobe and her expertise has made the process so much smoother... I really doubt I would have been able to accomplish even 10% as much in shopping by myself. I value my time and it is in short supply and by working with Melynda, I know my time devoted to fashion and shopping are used most effectively with minimal waste. read more

I'm so glad I met Melynda! She came in my home, cleared my closet, and made me recommit to myself and my style. Can't wait to work together again and turn up my love for the upscale boho chic!! Thank you for your efficiency, kindness, and bonus therapy!! See you soon! - Yoli read more

Basically like if Mary Tyler Moore, Carrie Bradshaw, and Denise Huxtable decided to have a closet baby, and then shrugged and said 'what the hell' and slashed all the prices. I guess I'm going to throw away my whole previous wardrobe and buy them out. Basic cream sweater that makes my bazooms look marvelous, check. All-purpose cherry red heels, check. Amazing navy vintage suit with blouse and high-waisted skirt that goes with literally EVERYTHING I OWN, check check check. The owner is young and smart, and rocks both high-end and thrift fashion (she was a personal shopper for Bloomingdales and also was head manager for Buffalo Exchange and etc. and etc). She's so helpful, never pushy. She sincerely wants you to love what you buy, and she'd rather you look great and feel great than spend two billion dollars (even though you'll want to spend it, because, as I said, their stuff is killer). Just gooooo. Your outfit will cause a car accident when you walk out, and like all the fire sprinklers will turn on, and all the guys walking with their girlfriends will turn their heads, and the girlfriends won't even care, they'll be like, yep, that makes sense, that marc jacobs dress is exceptionally boss. read more

If you're looking for that rare n hip item to complete your outfit or just something different that will catch people's eye then look no further because Couture Zen has what you need. Don't be a fashion faux pas, be fashion forward and look your best with the help of COUTURE ZEN. read more

Melynda is one of the most creative and professional stylists I have ever worked with! She has styled me on a couple of occasions for various social events and a couple of photos. Her personality is very outgoing and she has a unique flare that puts her above par of anyone else I've met in LA that is a stylist. I would 10/10 recommend her to anyone that is looking for someone who really knows what's in trend, and knows how to pull out the best looks to compliment you and your personality. read more