Fashion Stylist

Fashion styling is a fundamental element in Fashion communication. Not only do stylists help shape the image of the most stylish celebrities, they also provide direction to buyers, merchandisers and sometimes even designers. Their main role is to select clothing, shoes & accessories for clients but more successful ones will also organise fashion events and write articles about latest trends.

There are three main areas that fashion stylists work in- Editorial/photo shoots, brand consultancy & celebrity styling.

Editorial

In Editorial styling, the stylist will choose the clothing, accessories and the overall aesthetic of the shoot- they might even have some say in the photographer, hair & makeup team etc. In a magazine shoot, the art director will give some direction for the theme and what brands should be featured. Once the concept is finalized, the stylist will pull the clothing. You never know what will work on camera and what won’t so they will always pull more outfits than they need. For example, if a spread is to have 5 outfits, then there should be at least 10 outfits so there’s plenty of options. The stylist will browse through lookbooks, contact PR’s and sometimes pull directly from stores. A lookbook is just to show what the designers have put on the catwalk for the particular season, so sometimes they’ll just look at the Vogue website for ease. Stylists will also contact PR agencies and either ask for any items that are relevant to the shoot concept or visit the showroom and have a browse. If they pull directly from the store then they’ll visit the store and choose the item, then either leave a deposit or pay for the item and then be refunded when the item is returned. On the day of the shoot, it’s essential that the garments are photo-ready (ironed, clean, etc.) The stylist is responsible for choosing the outfits the model wears and also how the outfit is arranged on the model.

Brand Consultancy

Some fashion brands will hire a stylist throughout the whole design process, however most will bring one in when most of the collection has been designed but they need someone to help bring it all together. If the stylist is involved throughout the whole process, then they will attend some design meetings where they’ll be shown research, ideas & sketches. Some will even bring their own ideas. Emmanuelle Alt was brought in by Balmain to style their shows however she didn’t have any input into the designs.

Celebrity Styling

Celebrity stylists will assist in a variety of scenarios including red carpet events. Their main job is to make their clients look good- taking into account fashion image, hair & makeup, daily clothing and formal wardrobe. Many will have some sort of background in fashion design and also hair styling and makeup artistry. When it comes to everyday clothing, some celebrities will use their stylist as a consultant, whereas others prefer them to select their whole wardrobe for them. Their main concern is to make their clients look fashionable and to set new trends. A lot of the time, they will customize items to suit the ‘look’ of the celebrity. Many celeb stylists will receive free products & couture samples to use on their clients as it makes excellent advertising to have a well-known celebrity photographed in your product. Being a celebrity stylist does have its downsides though, celebs can act unappreciative or be emotionally exhausting. Some are as famous as their clients, i.e. Rachel Zoe, however most will always stay out of the limelight and won’t get credit for their ideas.

 

Patricia Field is one of the most renowned fashion stylists having worked on hugely successful titles including Ugly Betty and The Devil Wears Prada, both of which she won awards for. Field is perhaps best known for her work on the Sex & The City and has even been credited with inventing 21^st century New York City style.

Fashion stylist is a very coveted job title, however it isn’t an easy sector of the industry to get into. Paloma Faith’s stylist, Karl Willett stresses that experience and interning is the most important factor however there are other skills which all add up to success. It’s essential that you have passion, an eye for detail, keep up to date with the latest trends, are familiar with a wide range of brands, know how to conceal body imperfections, be able to use accessories & props to your advantage, understand body & face shapes, have patience, think creatively & innovatively, be well organised, able to work to a schedule, self-motivated, be an overall nice person, work long & demanding hours, do boring but necessary tasks, be willing to learn from other stylists, have a well presented portfolio & professional looking website and be willing to work for buttons in the beginning.

It may be hard work but it’s definitely worth it. With many perks of the job, including travelling the world and meeting celebrities, it won’t be a job just to pay the bills!