article by Jessica Renstrom | photos by Mackenzie Scheie Photography

At first glance, Kylie's Confidence Closet looks like a stylish pop-up boutique, but amidst the colorful clothing and thoughtful details, it is a space for healing, joy, and helping women who've walked through trauma.

The idea for Kylie's Confidence Closet began to take shape quietly for fashion influencer and Billings local Kylie Nelson in 2024, after connecting with Heather Petty from Love & SONshine Ministries. Rather than dropping off clothing donations anonymously for the homeless young moms at the SONshine Home, Kylie wanted to show up: to be present and hands-on. "How can I actually be involved in the process?" she wondered. What came from that idea was a private event designed to pour confidence, joy, and hope into women rebuilding their lives.

Kylie's Confidence Closet had its first small launch in May of 2025, which included participants from CLDI's Hannah House and the SONshine Home. Women browsed clothing racks full of beautiful pieces, got their hair cut, laughed together, and enjoyed the luxury of an event where nothing was expected from them. "This event is where the women can show up no matter what," describes Kylie. "It doesn't matter what stage or process they're at in their healing journey."

For Kylie, this initiative is deeply personal. Raised in a childhood marked by abuse, she grew up learning it was unsafe to be seen. "I had my daughter when I was 18, and so being a young mom who just came out of a very traumatic childhood, you're in this state of survival. So, a lot of the time you have to put yourself on the backburner," says Kylie. "I think that a lot of the women relate to that, and so that's what I want this event to be: a day where the women just get to come and get to be poured into."

Kylie began her own healing through therapy, counseling, and even competitive bodybuilding, but eventually fashion helped her reclaim her identity. "I find my confidence through my closet," she says, a theme she now shares with women all over the world through social media and her blog, Ambition & Grace.

The Closet's second event in 2025 expanded to include an impressive lineup of collaborators: local stylists, women-owned businesses, and national brands such as Tarte, Brümate, Soma, and Waterboy, which donated makeup, wellness products, pajamas, electrolytes, and more for women attending the event. "I realized that a lot of these women are just coming in from being homeless, and they don't have the basics, like bras and underwear," says Kylie. Thanks to a generous cash donation from Scheels, Kylie was able to purchase these types of essentials that many women lacked for their second event.

Looking to the future, Kylie hopes to grow Kylie's Confidence Closet into a recurring experience, ideally held twice a year, while maintaining its exclusive focus on women who genuinely need it. She is currently working to turn Kylie's Confidence Closet into its own nonprofit, enabling expanded donations, smoother logistics, and even greater impact.

Most of all, Kylie hopes the event plants "one tiny little seed" that grows into something bigger in each woman's life who participates: "I want them to take a little part of that confidence that they felt that day, so that they can show up as the best version of a better mother, or a better employee, or a better sister, or friend, whatever that looks like. I want them to give themselves permission to be confident, to be seen, and to become the biggest, best version of themselves."

Originally printed in the January 2026 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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