“Fashion is not art. Never.” – Jean Paul Gaultier
What is Fashion Styling?
Fashion stylists create looks or images for their brands and clients that allow the muse or model to engage with their intended audience. Fashion styling as a profession, is fast becoming one of the most sought after career paths globally but yet many still don’t know exactly what it entails. It is not just about putting clothes or outfits together!
Fashion styling can be a creative and fun job, but it is also serious and fiercely competitive. It is both a very demanding and rewarding profession. Stylists have to be both collaborators and entrepreneurs, as we work with a team and /or a client to create the work, so good communication and social skills are essential. It is also vital however to have drive and self motivation, as the hours can be long, the planning and preparation stressful, and the day to day mostly autonomous.
What skills do you need to be a stylist?
As a stylist I help brands, photographers and artists put together their visions and strategy to help them achieve business goals; we are visual storytellers. A freelance fashion stylist has to be creative and artistic, while also being very practical and business savvy. A stylist will be required to conduct research, conceptualise, then create work to brief and within budget.
Being successful in this industry requires a real drive and determination; you need to be resourceful, responsible and willing to work hard. We are working B2B with brands, companies, agents and celebrities so professionalism and communication are key. All in all, stylists generally have a very diverse and dynamic skill set. They are essential to the fashion industry and play an integral part in fashion branding, PR and marketing.
What is the main role of a fashion stylist?
Stylists are creative storytellers. As a stylist, I help create narratives and stories about people, events, trends, products or moments in time. The images are created to have an entertainment and artistic value for the mass market and the reader, nevertheless the intention or the ‘story’ is usually to sell a product or concept. We draw on references from history to create context, while also using our creative visionary to predict and interpret future trends. Inspiration can often be found in art, film, music, pop culture so a stylist needs to constantly be absorbing the world around them.
For this reason, it is important for stylists to be knowledgeable about fashion terms, designers and publications. Not also does this make us more creative, but it adds to our expertise, and gives integrity to our personal brand. Being ahead of the competition, helps a stylist constantly refine and develop their brand identity. For each job we need to be able to direct, envisage and interpret a concept, while presenting something new and fresh.