The Voice of Southwest Louisiana

By Angie Kay Dilmore
Julie Branden grew up loving clothes
and accessories, hair styling, and makeup.
She pored over fashion magazines like
Glamour, Self, Ebony, and Essence. To earn
extra money, she’d braid her neighbors’ hair.
With her infectious drive and determination,
this fifty-something firecracker could
have succeeded in any career. But it was no
surprise when she attended beauty school
immediately after high school graduation.
At age nineteen, she opened her first hair
salon. To supplement income, she worked
at Harrah’s Casino on the side.
One day in 2004 while at work in the casino,
Branden attended an image seminar.
She was impressed with the speaker, an image
consultant. Branden knew she could do
that job equally well – if not better! “I went
home that very night and started making
plans for my new business venture, Vivid
Image Consulting.”
In her desire to be the best she could
be, Branden drove herself to Atlanta, Ga. to
attend a week-long course at the London
Image Institute. According to Branden, she
is the only AICI (Association of Image Consultants
International) certified image consultant
in Louisiana. AICI consultants are
trained in the ABCs of image: appearance,
behavior, and communication. “I love image!
Image is what you see. Image tells me
a lot about a person: where they buy their
clothes, do they care about their hair and
makeup, do they wear jewelry. Speech tells
me where a person is from. Word usage tells
me a person’s education.”
Branden’s business goes further and offers a
myriad of services – training on appearance
standards, behavior, business and dining etiquette,
weight loss coaching, closet makeovers,
personal shopping, and financial advice
on how to save money, what items to
spend money on and what to skip. Branden
advises her clients to go all out on leather
goods, suits, classic clothing and shoes that
never go out of style. She instructs employees
on the importance of quality customer
service, offering workshops and seminars
to large corporations and small businesses
alike, as well as individual one-on-one training.
Working with Branden on their image
can give individuals and businesses an edge
over their competition. “My brand is a lifestyle
brand,” says Branden.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina forced Branden
to evacuate to Houston. Her home and
business in New Orleans were severely damaged.
Because her son was attending Mc-
Neese State University at the time and had
already made Lake Charles his home with
his wife and daughter, Branden decided to
buy her dream home on Enterprise Boulevard
and settle into life in southwest Louisiana.
She still owns and operates a styling
salon (hair, nails, make-up and wardrobe
consulting) in New Orleans, but home base
is in Lake Charles.
Diva Dolls
Branden offers an enrichment program
called Diva Dolls for 10-15-year-old girls. Her
students learn hygiene,
grooming, make-up application,
fashion and
etiquette. The older
girls also learn tips on
interviewing, how to
get into college, and
more. “Teen and preteen
girls need guidance,”
says Branden.
“I want them to
understand their
worth so they
won’t lower their
standards. I coach
them early on
what to do and
what not to do. I teach them to be fabulous.”
Branden conducts these one-week classes
during the summer months in Lake Charles,
Hammond, and New Orleans.
Branden is clearly passionate about her
work. As a result, she is great at what she
does. “I love helping people reach their full
potential, beyond what they knew they
could be.” For more information about Vivid
Image Consulting, see Branden’s website,
www.vividimageconsulting.com.
Julie Branden
Image Consultant
A Wide Variety of Services
Branden has worked in the beauty, fashion,
and hospitality business for 35 years.
Image consulting includes hair, makeup,
clothing, mannerisms, and communication.
FEBRUARY 2016 THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 7 Volume 3 • Number 7 THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM FEBRUARY 2016