Karissa was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest during the grunge era of the '90s, leading to an early exposure to fashion as a creative outlet during her youth. She went to school in Santa Barbara, CA before moving to Brooklyn, NY, where she began her career as a stylist over a decade ago. Eventually splitting time between New York City and Venice, CA, she has styled projects for clients including Apple, Mercedes-Benz, Instagram/Meta, Nike, Red Bull, BBVA, the USA Winter Olympic Team, Bausch + Lomb, GAP, Fidelity Investments and more.

She currently resides on a small farm in the PNW with her partner, two dogs, and ducks.