Good stylists put their expertise of fashion to use by designing visually attractive displays and clothing, so enhancing the image of the company for which they work and communicating ideas via images.
Stylists are responsible for producing aesthetically attractive displays, photo shoots, and clothing by using their creative abilities in response to a design brief. Someone who thrives on being active, solving issues, working with people, and utilizing their creative flair would be a good fit for this profession since it is highly pressurized and characterized by rapid shifts in its requirements.
Because you will need to collaborate with a wide range of individuals and organizations to get the project done on time and at a level that is consistently high, communication is of the utmost importance.
Different kinds of stylists
There are many distinct kinds of stylists, and every one of them plays an important part in the effective communication and marketing of a person, a product, or an environment.
It's possible to get employment as a stylist in any of these fields:
personal
e-commerce/online
photographic
catwalk
still life
product
blogging/social media.
Responsibilities
You will need to in order to be a stylist:
photograph both still life and models in your spare time.
Help on set during shots, including steaming, pinning, and fitting items and clothing.
Observe the style requirements with precision.
interact in a cooperative manner with other creative professionals like as models, photographers, studio coordinators, content managers, and producers.
Build up a solid and current understanding of the designers, brands, and trends in the industry.
Meet your daily and weekly quotas as well as your deadlines.
Make sure that the shot spaces, as well as the sets, mannequins, and styling items, are kept clean and properly maintained.
Work on ad hoc initiatives while while focusing on your primary responsibilities at your employment.
Check to ensure that the sample stock is not handled improperly.
provide in-depth expertise on a variety of items and outfit combinations
Promote the goods in a sure and steady manner.
explain the process to the senior stylist and address any problems that may arise.
Find and acquire various articles of clothing, goods, and accessories for use in shootings.
direct hair and makeup application
Make inspiration boards.
models used as both a source and a cast.
Salary
Junior stylists who are employed might anticipate earning somewhere in the range of £18,000 to £20,000 per year.
The pay of senior stylists are often higher, ranging anywhere from £23,000 to £30,000.
In this sector, working as a freelancer is fairly prevalent, and if you want to work in this capacity, you will be paid either a daily or an hourly fee. A day's pay for an assistant stylist may be anywhere from £50 to £150, but if they are paid hourly, this comes out to something in the neighborhood of £7.70 to £8.20.
The monetary amounts listed are just meant to serve as a reference point.
Time spent working
Those who are employed as stylists often put in their hours between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. It is possible that extra hours may be necessary in order to achieve deadlines and seasonal peaks. There is also the possibility of working part time.
Your hours will be more unpredictable when you work as a freelancer, and as a result, you will need to be more adaptable.
What may be anticipated
Although you will spend the most of your time in the studio, you should be prepared to spend some time on site or traveling. There is a possibility that you may spend some of your working week either at home or at the office.
As a result of the expansion of e-commerce, a rising number of stylist positions are looking for candidates who have prior expertise as well as a solid understanding of social media and online shopping.
Although the bulk of possibilities are concentrated in London and the surrounding region of the South East, there are stores and studios located in other parts of the nation as well.
Qualifications
It is not as necessary to have creative and practical talents as it is to have academic certificates. It is possible to work in the field of styling even without obtaining a degree or HND.
On the other hand, some businesses will only consider candidates who can demonstrate that they have completed appropriate coursework.
A wide range of foundation degrees that take just two years to complete as well as Bachelor's degree programs that take three years to complete may be found at a number of different institutions and universities.
communication in the fashion industry and style
creating a picture for fashion and styling it
marketing of fashion goods and products
style and creative direction in the fashion industry
styling and production in the fashion industry
interior style and design.
Art, photography, and visual marketing are among other areas that are suitable and useful to study.
Skills
You'll need to make sure you have:
a keen sense of proportion and composition in visual art
a strong understanding of the marketplace, including a solid familiarity with designers, brands, and trends
the capacity to fulfill obligations on time
a remarkable work ethic and a positive "can-do" mentality
a remarkable capacity for picking out minute details
an approach that is constructive, aggressive, and forceful
capabilities of initiative, ideation, and problem-solving are required.
significant abilities in the art of communicating
the capacity to operate alone as well as cooperatively with others in a group setting
competent numerical skills
expertise in organization, time management, and the administration of projects
the capacity to do many responsibilities at once
familiarity with photography fundamentals and lighting techniques
the capability of providing great service to one's customers
experience gained via the use of social media
A working knowledge of information technology, including the programs InDesign, Photoshop, Capture One, and Microsoft
personality and a distinct identity.
Practice in the workplace
Because there is a lot of competition for styling jobs, having appropriate experience is very necessary. Experience working in a retail or studio setting, preferably for at least one or two years, is required by many potential employers. Experience in styling items, retail, and interiors either for fashion shots or for one's own personal style is highly appreciated. This experience may be obtained via the completion of placements and internships, as well as through working either part-time or full-time.
Engage in activities such as student publications, photo shoots, and video productions, and launch your own fashion blog. Developing a robust network is essential for stylists since they are required to make contact with public relations agents and brand showrooms in order to borrow clothing, items, or accessories for photo shoots. Employers will be interested in seeing samples of your work, which you may provide in the form of a website, portfolio, or uploaded photographs.
You will get significant experience, opportunity to network with other professionals, and potentially even job offers if you participate in an internship. The fashion sector used to be well-known for the availability of unpaid internships, but this has drastically altered over the course of the last few years, and unpaid chances are now rather uncommon. The vast majority of internships provide compensation equal to or more than the National Minimum Wage. The typical duration of an internship is between one and three months; however, some internships may extend anywhere from six months to a full year.
Employers
Within image creation teams, as well as huge retail establishments, the fashion and music industries, periodicals, and public relations events, there is a significant need for stylists.
Try looking for employment opportunities at:
BoF Careers
Drapers jobs
Workwear Fashionie
United Fashion Brands
Improvement of one's profession
The acquisition of more experience, expertise, and a good reputation is the primary means available for climbing the corporate ladder in this business. You may further improve your talents by enrolling in various professional courses, which can also assist you in becoming more specialized or expanding your existing skill set. The Fashion Retail Academy provides some of these educational opportunities.
Universities all throughout the nation provide a limited number of postgraduate diploma and master's degree programs in fields like as creative direction and fashion media styling. These programs are often reserved for advanced students.
Prospects for one's career
As a freelancer, one of your primary responsibilities will be to guarantee that they are continually looking for new opportunities. Always strive to have positive connections with the editors, producers, photographers, and directors you work with. Instead of sitting around and waiting for the phone to ring, you should take initiative and look for chances.
The majority of stylists begin their careers working as assistant stylists or as shoot coordinators, and after gaining many years of experience, they advance to senior stylist roles.
After you have established a solid name for yourself, you may decide to launch your own company or begin working as a consultant.
You may also want to look into employment opportunities in:
brand development
image consultancy
Prediction of future trends
writing as well as revising