Meet the Style Consultant & Founder of Olive French

Hi Everyone! I am so grateful that you’ve made it to this page.  

Olive French started as a curated boutique by Brittany Beckwith-Martinez (hi, that’s me!) which has evolved to focus more on my love of personal styling, branding & modeling industry coaching and consulting.

So here's the deal… I earned my bachelors degree from the University of Connecticut, where I created my own major through an individualized major program. It was titled "Culture, Fashion & Merchandising" with minors in both business and communications. Through that program I was lucky enough to be accepted into the London College of Fashion, which is part of the University of the Arts London; a global top two school for creative education. I studied fashion merchandising there, and lived in central London- one of the fashion capitals. My favorite course was Fashion Public Relations; which was taught by a former head of public relations for Burberry. At the end of my studies there, when I received an award for top PR student in my program, I realized that not only did I love this stuff, but I was actually pretty good at it. In 2024 I earned Master's Degree in Human Resource Management at the University of Connecticut School of Business to further my knowledge in coaching, and leadership. As my day job I'm a Business Partner to the CEO & Executive Leadership team in banking (Yass she means business all the way- and knows how to work hard and use her brain!). 

So looking back- When I moved back to the states to finish my undergraduate degree at UConn, I started a job at Free People as a stylist. I only worked a few days a week as I was still a full time student, but still managed to achieve quarterly top seller in the Northeast District. Free People had a really great culture of working with clients and personally styling them. It was like each client was my friend and we were just picking out outfits for their next event or adventure. I think that’s why I did so well; because it was fun and I really believed in the brand. I gave my honest opinion and we found items that worked for each client's body type and personality. 

A month after graduating UConn I interviewed my butt off and got hired as an intern at Elite Model Management NYC. I packed my bags and moved into a sublet apartment for the summer, not knowing if and when I would ever go back to CT.

The last week of my internship, as I was almost ready to move back home, I secured a permanent position at Elite. I didn’t have a title, or a desk even, but they wanted me there! I worked my way up in all different aspects of the agency for the next two years. The art department, styling, PR, working on press kits, assisting the agents, pitching models, you name it. 

My major “aha” moment was after the first time I pulled clothing for one of our top models to wear to a red carpet event. We saw her on Vogue.com's best dressed list the next day. That’s when I knew I had a talent for this. I continued to pull looks for events like the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show afterparty & Sport’s Illustrated Swimsuit press events. I even got to personally choose gowns from showrooms like Zac Posen. I worked with top models and learned from some very talented agents. I got to go behind the scenes and accompany new faces to castings at places such as Teen Vogue, Nylon Magazine and Marc Jacobs. My time at Elite was amazing.

After a few years in the city, I began to miss the simple things like grass, fresh air, family, and pets. I wanted to bring my fashion expertise and knowledge back to Connecticut. After purchasing a home in Glastonbury, CT and getting married, I realized that I was ready to get back into fashion. 

I wanted to create something that was mine, and something I could be proud of. I wanted to pursue my love of styling and combine it with my business acumen, while making women feel confident in their outfit choices. I created Olive French to do just that. I offer Connecticut based Styling Services & Model Industry Consulting. I created one of a kind 100% personalized Style Audits, as well as broken down versions of these audits, so everyone can get exactly what they need. No more cookie cutter subscription services.

I am grateful to be employed both here (by myself- I'm a cool boss), and in corporate- so now I get to be picky with my clients. I only choose to work with clients that match my energy and light up my creativity. I work with local CT modeling agencies doing Runway/ New Faces Model coaching & bootcamps, offering both private and group coaching sessions, as well as online course offerings! 

Now being in my early/mid(ish) 30's, I have a better understanding of who I am, and what I want to do with my energy and time. I LOVE offering services that allow me to watch my clients grow and shine. It brings me happiness, fulfillment, and allows me to remove the stigma (and my experience) of the fashion industry being cut-throat, by bringing human connection and industry knowledge to my clients. 

britt@olivefrench.com