In her interview with CanadianSME Business Magazine, Maidene Morris-Dixon, founder of Curated Style, discussed how she transitioned from thrifting enthusiast to business owner after a decade of passion for sustainable fashion and creative expression. Maidene’s journey began with a simple solution for her own dry skin, evolving into a thriving business that merges modern style with traditional practices. Inspired by her friend Joanna Newby, she discovered the joy of finding unique vintage pieces, which led her to create her first business, Stylinhead2toe, in 2014. This venture eventually transformed into Curated Style, representing Maidene’s growth as an entrepreneur and her commitment to bringing sustainability and style to the forefront of her brand.
Meet Maidene Morris-Dixon – Canada’s Most Stylish Thrifter of 2024 as featured in the April issue of Canada’s FASHION Magazine. Her style is an unapologetic passion for sustainable fashion. The founder of Curated Style, Maidene is a Personal Stylist, Interior Decorator and Wardrobe Designer. She styles her clients for exclusive events, provides personal shopping services and wardrobe consultations.
Maidene, you’ve been recognized as Canada’s Most Stylish Thrifter of 2024. Can you share what initially drew you to thrifting and sustainable fashion, and how this passion influenced the founding of Curated Style?
My friend Joanna Newby introduced me to thrifting over a decade ago. What kept me going back and grew my passion was how thrifting inspired me to become more creative. This passion along with my sister Mureen , influenced the founding of Stylinhead2toe. I started that business back in 2014. I loved finding unique vintage pieces. Back then I would find so many amazing, quality vintage pieces. Curated Style is Stylinhead2toe reborn, it represents my growth as an individual and as an entrepreneur.
You’ve emphasized the importance of having a supportive tribe, especially of women who inspire and motivate. How has this community played a role in your personal and professional growth, and can you share a story where their support was pivotal?
This community has played a major role in my personal and professional growth. On a personal level I have a strong group of females in my family and in my friend group that pour into me. From my daughter, mother, sisters, aunt Sylvia, girlfriends, old bosses and co-worker. you name it. I have even had perfect strangers speak positivity over my life and my career. People I meet in the thrift stores and I share what I’m doing. I have even had two old co-workers many years ago tell me they had dreams about me. One around 2014/15 and again 2018/19. Both were recalling dreams they had about me. Nagwa told me that I was famous, a house hold name… Shadea recalled that I was on Oprah. Even before I believed in myself, the way I do now, others saw great things for me.
Professionally I was introduced to my stylist mentor Zola Jeffers through Inclusive Stylist Toronto. Zola is the one who brought me into the film and TV scene. Any and every opportunity that she was able to include me in, she did. (When I started Curated Style, being in FILM and TV was not at the forefront of my vision. I just wanted to be a personal stylist. I love working with one-on-one clients.) From that point on I believe my work ethic and my ability to build good relationships help me realize more and more opportunities within the industry. I had so many women within the industry ( Sheryl Willock, Kristin Somborac, Temilola Adebayo, Hannah Yohannes, Muna Deria, Shanele Soares, Alex House, Vanessa Magic, Zoe Cleland) who went out of their way to include me in spaces and give me opportunities, mentor me and encourage me. To this day many reach out to inform me of opportunities that are on the horizon. I had other women such as Michelle Lyte, who took time out of busy schedule to answer questions I had about navigating the industry as a new wardrobe stylist. Within the interior design industry , I had other women such as June Charles and Debbie Octeau who took time to mentor, educate and even had me work along side to give me more experience in the home decorating space. Their support is definitely pivotal in how I’ve grown in my crafts as a stylist for interiors as well as wardrobe. I think its important to share my experience. Often, we hear of women not wanting to share space because it’s too competitive but I have experienced the exact opposite and I am grateful. No gate-keeping, just love and encouragement.
Finding your true purpose later in life can be incredibly powerful. What led you to discover your true purpose at 50, and what advice would you give to others seeking to redefine their paths later in life?
What led me to finding my true purpose at 50 was God gently removing me from the safety of corporate life and forcing me to take a chance on myself to share the gifts and talents He has given me.
The advice that I would give to others seeking to redefine their paths in life is, – define it on your terms, – dream big and work hard -Stay faithful and positive, even when its not happening as fast as you would like or may not even seem like anything is happening. -Surround yourself with people that love and support you and your dreams.
Your visit to Ghana in 2022 for business marked a significant step in your career. Can you describe the challenges you faced while decorating a space there and how you overcame them?
I love Ghana and the opportunity to return to Ghana was a dream come true. I was tasked with decorating a 3-bedroom condo for the purposes of rental (Airbnb. I faced a few challenges while decorating the space but nothing that I wasn’t able to work through. Sourcing/Shopping was a bit unconventional. I was not used to sourcing furniture by the roadside. Vendors literally had full living room and other furnishings outdoors. That is how I did most of my sourcing with my clients. We drove around and made comparisons, as I would normally do here in Canada to get the perfect items at the best price. It just took a bit longer. Another challenge I faced was putting the final touches on the space. Normally, this is the fun part, hanging artwork. This proved to be a daunting task because the walls were made out of cement. We did enlist the help of someone who worked with cement and did get it done without totally ruining the walls and our clients were very happy.
With your recent accolades and public recognitions, what’s next for you and Curated Style? Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives that you’re particularly excited about?
What’s next? I am open and excited about all that God has in store for me. I know He is about to bless me more than I imagined or prayed for. I am currently receiving opportunities on daytime television to share my talents. I would love to have a regular segment on daytime television sharing my expertise as a stylist and interior decorator. I would also love to host a television show on Home & Garden as an Interior Decorator. I have always wanted to work more with women and young girls around body image and dressing for their bodies in a way that makes them feel good. I am in the process of exploring modeling. Modelling over the age of 50, why not? I am open to anything that the universe offers me.
