A fashion stylist is someone who puts together outfits for fashion shoots, catwalk shows, celebrities, influencers, retail displays, and more. But it’s not just as simple as pairing accessories and clothing. Stylists work across editorial, commercial and personal clients, collaborating with magazines, designers, retailers, and photographers to discuss inspiration, create concepts and goals, and organise shoots to bring these to life.
Like many fashion careers, the role of a stylist often begins through internships and assisting other stylists on shoots. Once you’ve gained some experience and build a portfolio of your work, your career growth depends on the type of clients you work with.
Early in your career, you might work with local businesses or indie magazines and then build you way up to working with big brands, which generally have bigger audiences and budgets. At the height of your career as a stylist, you might be working with celebrities, styling for leading brands and magazines, and hiring your own teams to bring achieve your ambitions.
No two days are alike when you’re a stylist. You might be planning a shoot and coordinating your teams or working with a brand to style their new collection for a campaign. Stylists also spend their days doing research, finding inspiration in other industries like art, interiors, architecture, music and food, and creating concepts from their research.
While on a shoot, the stylist will ensure that all the clothes are sourced and arrive on time, are clean, pressed, and fit the models, as well as ensuring that all of the clothing is sent back afterwards.
CAREER HIGHLIGHT
For many fashion stylists, seeing their work in a magazine and getting to collaborate with and style their favourite brands is a career highlight to work towards.
You don’t necessarily need a degree to become a fashion stylist. By assisting and doing internships with stylists or companies that employ stylists, you can start from the bottom and work your way up. To be a stylist, you have to love keeping up with the fashion industry and putting together outfits in your own style. You have to be curious and creative, looking for inspiration far and wide to influence your unique perspective on fashion.
SKILLS NEEDED
Stylists rely on having a strong network of creatives around them, so it’s important to develop great communication and people skills, as you’ll rarely work alone.
If you’re interested in being a fashion stylist, there’s no time like the present to get practicing! Find a local stylist or even an independent store in your community and ask if they’re accepting volunteers or assistants. You can even practice styling your friends and family from their wardrobes, putting looks together and documenting it on social media.
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