All About “V”
The Sparknotes Version
Hi! I’m Megan Mortensen, better known here on the internet as Valeree or V, and I’m a certified color consultant and personal stylist specializing in the 12-season system. I’m also a True Autumn, and proud of it!
I’m just gonna throw the highlights at ya here, but keep reading when you get to “The Real Version” for the nitty-gritty:
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA; moved to LA at 15 and been here ever since.
I have certifications in color analysis, personal styling, and opticianry - and i’m currently completing a Fashion Styling program at the Fashion Institute of Technology. What can I say.. I hated school growing up, but it turns out I love to learn when I actually care about the subject matter. Who’da thunk!
I’m engaged to the love of my life and a dog mom to two freaky little alien daughters- an iggy mix named Penny and a pug mix named Burger.
I started working in the industry at just 17, styling at a small women’s fashion brand at the Santa Monica mall.
I worked pretty much every job under the sun in my young adult years while chasing my dreams as a music artist. Mascot of the barista-to-server pipeline until I returned to my roots in fashion, eventually becoming one of the most successful opticians in the country at one of the world’s most exclusive luxury brands.
That music artist dream? It was actually quite successful! I was a full time artist before returning to fashion, but my deteriorating mental health and anxiety put a halt on my career. I began having panic attacks during performances (which pretty much means you can no longer perform) so I took a break and got a day job which - spoiler alert - ended up leading me here.
My passion for style reached new heights when I stumbled upon the world of advanced color analysis. Nothing’s been more fascinating or world-expanding since I was a kid discovering my favorite artists.
I tend to be a bit anti-establishment and anti-corporation at heart, and nothing rubs me quite as wrong as being squelched at the hands of The Man™. “9-to-5” might as well’ve been my theme song. I just wasn’t meant to work for some company, and I finally accepted that when I was miserable even at my peak financial success. I left and started Style by V.
I love fashion and I love color analysis, I love getting to flex my creative muscle, but more than anything - I love empowering women. Not in some corporate bullshit capital gains way, I actually love it and feel fulfilled from it. It feels like my life’s calling. Look no further than my songwriting catalogue to see that women’s empowerment has been on my mind since I discovered feminism at the ripe age of 18!
This journey has actually healed my relationship with artistry and greatly improved my mental health, allowing me to return to my lifelong dream of being a music artist. I’d like to keep the two ventures separate, so I won’t go into detail, but I want you to know that this very process revived a dream that was on its deathbed, as well as giving me a brand new dream and source of fulfillment. I know it can do wonders for you, too.
Ready to start your own transformation? Explore my services to see how I can help, or keep reading for the full story behind my journey and the creation of Style by V.
The Real Version
I became a color-analysis-focused stylist to help women discover their most genuine selves, to get to bear witness as they truly lean into that version of themselves.
When I came to the decision to start my own styling business, I was working in the luxury fashion sector in a position where I had to wear the same uniform every day. The irony of it all—I was spending my days styling client after client, offering up my personal tastes and judgment for the gain of the company, while that very company didn’t trust us employees to express our own personal style. I worked there for about a year and a half, and at a certain point, I began to get really miserable with my job.
I would frequently take stock of exactly what I wanted in my next role, and to my own surprise, “wearing my own clothes” was at the top of the list every time! I had never fully appreciated before just how much fashion and personal identity were truly linked, but I really felt stifled by the uniform, both as a creative and as just as a person. It wasn’t long before I realized I was just another body stamping a time card to this company, and that my years of experience and expertise could serve so many people much better if I stepped out onto my own.
Around this same time, I learned about in-depth color analysis on TikTok. It started with a fun little clip of a woman showing Zoey Deschanel in different palettes - winter, autumn, etc. I guess I watched long enough for the algorithm to decide I liked it because all of the sudden, I started seeing color analysis content every day on my FYP. I wasn’t complaining! I was immediately fascinated by it, trying to guess peoples’ seasons before they were revealed, trying to see what the experts saw.
It didn’t take long before I started trying to “diagnose” myself. Eventually, I got a professional analysis done, and once I got my results - the floodgates were open. I could see it in myself. I understood; everything clicked. Suddenly, I was wondering what every person I encountered’s season was, spending all day every day trying to figure it out. I began obsessing over color analysis, reading about it; watching in-depth videos, intaking as much information as I could.
The more I learned, the more I loved it! I was falling out of love with my day job and in love with color analysis, and I already had years of experience in styling. I decided to take the plunge and become certified in color analysis. One thing about me, once I decide to do something, I’m going all in. I wasn’t going to accept a dime from anybody until I knew I was the best at what I was offering. I spent every spare moment reading books about color theory, practicing virtual analysis on stock photos of models, verifying my results with my instructors, analyzing the characters of TV shows I’d watched, etc.
Initially, I planned to offer equal parts color analysis services and styling services, but through this whole process it became clear to me that color analysis is my passion. I don’t see styling anymore without incorporating color seasons; and frankly - I don’t want to! I understand what makes someone really glow in this outfit, and what isn’t quite right about that one. So while I love fashion, style, and creating looks, color analysis and color theory are at the core of everything I offer.
This doesn’t just come down to passion though, it also stems from the unexpected effects that color analysis had on me and my life. I knew I would change up my wardrobe a bit and probably dye my hair once I found out my season, but I had no idea how much more I’d get out of it.
This is about to get personal, and a bit deep, so fair warning. I have experienced gender-related trauma as well as childhood traumas that have led to diagnoses of severe anxiety and PTSD. PTSD is a real nightmare of a disorder all around, but one of the nastiest symptoms I experienced for many years was a disconnection from myself and from my body. It stole my self-esteem and I felt extremely lost in who I was. I spiraled into identity confusion after having to give up performing due to debilitating anxiety.
I won’t go too much further into this all here- I bring this up solely to tell you about the craziest side effect of color analysis for me. Discovering my skin undertones, my contrast levels, my chroma and color values - all natural features that I will have for my entire life - began a road of reconnecting with my body. Understanding how dying my hair red rather than blonde would bring back the sparkle in my eye gave me a sense that I knew myself a bit better. Learning how to do my makeup to best suit my natural features led me to an acceptance of those very features. I began to know my body and to love her.
I also did quite an overhaul of my wardrobe. Turns out, learning my color season did not restrict my style at all - it emboldened me to play around much more with colors, patterns, and new silhouettes. Because I KNEW which colors would look best on me, I felt I could experiment in other areas! I began to experiment with colors that from my palette that I NEVER would have worn before. I can wear yellow now, confidently. Imagine that.
This new heightened confidence in my wardrobe brought out my creativity in new ways, which began to feel like healing my inner child. This kid who was so anxious, needed to be liked, and didn’t want to stick out too much- she played it safe with her clothes. Now, adult me was playing with my outfits! And LOVING them, feeling more confident than ever.
I’m not sure I have all of the right words to express exactly what this journey has done for me, but if you can imagine that everything I’ve mentioned so far has grown and expanded 10 fold, that’d probably sum it up. I am more confident than I have ever been. I’m more comfortable with who I am, I’m SO connected to my authentic self.. I hate the buzz-wordification of that sentence but it really is the truth.
Because I am living in this really genuine space, I’ve been attracting people who I am truly compatible with. I’m more comfortable in social situations than I had been in YEARS. I’ve done all kinds of therapy - classic talk therapy, cbt, dbt, EMDR - you name it - and while they have all been helpful in their own ways, I can honestly say that color analysis has been the most helpful and effective tool for healing that I have yet to experience.
The fact is, I know I’m not the only person who can have that experience. I know that PTSD makes millions of people feel the same exact way that I felt. I know that gender-related trauma is unfathomably and tragically common for women to experience and have to live with. And I KNOW that I have all of these tools at my disposal to help women who are living with the anxiety, depersonalization, self-doubt, etc… to help them have an experience similar to mine.
I’m here to help women experience the freedom and joy that I have felt since taking this journey for myself. I have always been a staunch feminist, empowering and uplifting women is of the utmost importance to me in a very genuine and real way. It has always felt like a big part of my life’s purpose, and I am thrilled to be living in that right now by offering these services. If you’ve read this far, something tells me you may be one of those women. Your journey to empowerment and self-discovery can start today—I'm here to guide you every step of the way. Let’s find your shine together <3
