The Stylist Life
“It was time for me to fly the nest and get involved in the real world of the Stylist Life – of which I can assure you, it is full of fun but it is not as glamorous as you think it might be.”
Photography: DN. Imagery
Fashion has always been a bit part of my life since I was little, I still remember following my mother around – who interestingly enough was a seamstress, trying to learn as much as I could about the designs, the fabric, the cutting, the stitching and all the work involved to create the final piece of clothing. Those were all bespoke designs therefore created on a one to one basis.
As I grew older, life took a different direction and it was only in my 30s that I realised that that section of my life which I deeply loved was kind of put aside and as everything else that pops in my mind I decided to pursue my career as a fashion stylist – or at least try to. Why fashion styling you may wonder? Because even though I was attracted by the work involved behind the creation of the actual clothing, what really inspired me was the final piece, which including all accessories and adornments, would take that piece of clothing to a different level making it stand out even more than you could ever imagine. I have always been a perfectionist in everything I do and that skill seems to sit in well with this career as I would never stop at something looking good, what I want to achieve is the ‘wow’ factor.
After taking my studies further and achieving a Foundation Diploma in Fashion and Styling, it was time for me to fly the nest and get involved in the real world of the Stylist Life – of which I can assure you, it is full of fun but it is not as glamorous as you think it might be. You are basically working hard backstage whether or not the models and clothing brand are taking all the glory…at the end of the day you do work for the clothing brand so it is only fair that they are the one in the spotlight. To be honest you do get your moment of glory as a stylist but only at the end of the show, where you yourself look knackered, you're exposed to the audience and you would rather disappear that presenting yourself in such a state – especially when as a stylist your appearance is your working marketing tool (no pressure there!) LOL!
What does a stylist do when they are involved in a Fashion show? You are probably beginning to wonder …
The stylist is the person responsible for the clothing itself, they get to choose which piece of clothing each model should be wearing depending on their body shape, natural colouring and comfort – making someone wear something they don’t feel comfortable with will never work and the feeling will come across to the audience and on the pictures/videos. Along with the clothing, this part is quite critical too as it determines the image you are giving out of the brand and what is being sensed by the public, you also get to choose the accessories to wear which would work with that clothing but at the same time don’t take the attention away from it – decisions decisions…this is when as a stylist you need to be quite confident and determined in what you choose and stick to it as otherwise it could take forever before you make your mind up.
Now that everyone is happy and you have decided which clothing everyone is wearing and everything is labelled accordingly, is time to liaise with the make–up and hairstylist team as colours must be matched according to the clothing each one is wearing and the hairstyle must be adapted to the collection along with any hair accessories which might be added as a final touch.
Now all this sounds very smooth and easy going but trust me it is not that easy to put a group of people together and make them think on the same wavelength – this is when, if necessary, the owner of the clothing brand may have to intervene and put everyone in place ahah!
Photoshoots on the other hand are totally different and perhaps I could share an insight on my next post? Let me know what you think guys, I love reading your feedback!
