Jackson Free Press

Meredith W. Sullivan regularly scours Jackson boutiques and vintage shops for hot fashion, cute clothes and good deals. Recently, she noticed Jackson had picked up the newest trends from the latest season's fashion shows in New York City.

"It's south of the border," she says. Aztec influences from geometric embroidery to turquoise jewelry were on the runway this spring and have already entered Mississippi stores. "That's fast from the runway. I've never seen it hit Jackson that fast," Sullivan says.

She knows a lot about fashion. The Jackson Free Press named Sullivan Freelancer of the Month for June for her hard, dedicated work creating Fly fashion spreads and organizing photo shoots. Her organization matches her fashion sense.

"I just have fun. I get to check out stuff. I can tell what's fresh," she says.

Some of that is instinct and taste, and some of it is educated discernment. Sullivan studied fashion merchandising at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Her goal was to work behind the scenes at fashion shows.

Sullivan, 30, grew up in Philadelphia, Miss., but spent most of her 20s in New York state, living in Buffalo, then the central part of the state, then in Manhattan to attend the prestigious FIT. While she was in Manhattan, she started her own clothing line, worked in sales and once volunteered at 11 different shows during one Fashion Week.

A couple of years ago, she moved back home to Mississippi. She and her husband, Terry Sullivan, lived in Brandon. Then, a year ago, the couple moved to Fondren with their dog, Diggy.

"It was hard to make the transition of going from New York to Mississippi until we found a house in Fondren," she says. "We found a sense of community."

Along with the trendy shops, Sullivan spends time at Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. "I'm a big thrifter," she says. She can spot classic and well-made items and find the sassy stuff that cycles back into style.

She's gotten to travel for fashion shoots "on someone else's dime." It's usually hard work, moving clothes, racks, boxes of accessories and props, steam irons and last-minute sewing kits. Her organizing tools go along as well.

"I do a lot of schlepping. It seems more glamorous than it is," she says. "But it's what I'm cut out to do."

For the latest style tips and shopping alerts, follow Meredith Sullivan on Twitter @flyjfp and check out the FlyJFP Facebook page. Check out the June issue of BOOM Jackson for the Young Influentials fashion spread she styled.