I’m not pulling any punches on this subject, so buckle in for the ride. Scroll social media account profiles and bio blurbs and you’ll be amazed by the number of self-titled “stylists” there are out there. Scroll these feeds and you will see an image of the account owner on repeat in a new to them outfit they have bought, have been gifted or reworked from their wardrobe.
There is a top-tier percentile of fashion influencers who cross over into the world of experienced or qualified industry fashion stylist or creative directors. However, brands, designers and model talent really need to be wary and armed with a correct understanding of the term stylist (fashion stylist) verse style influencer and the impact engaging the wrong person can have on your career trajectory.
So, what is and what does a fashion stylist verse a style/fashion influencer do?
Short and sweet a style or fashion influencer is an individual who shares their personal style with others. Some influencers are engaged by brands to wear their pieces for social media exposure and marketing content, where they are often gifted and or are paid to do so. At the end of the day a fashion influencer; influences what the everyday person might consider wearing by sharing what they are currently wearing and buying. The relationship between a brand and style influencer helps the brand (designer) covert followers into sales.
A fashion stylist, on the other hand, is an individual whose passion for fashion and style is scaffolded by study, qualification, networking and endless hours of work ensuring their clients, are looking the part. A trusted fashion stylist is one who has also spent time building close ties and relationships with fashion designers, accessory designers, tailors, seamstresses, buyers and who have early access and previews to upcoming collections and releases.
Experienced and qualified fashion stylists are appointed by fashion designers, talent management for models, musicians and public profiles to ensure their image is refined and within an overall aesthetic. It is important that a fashion stylist has an understanding of clothing design through the ages, cultural clothing and appropriation, symbolism and messaging along with the expected body shape, fit and colour theory and more.
An experienced industry fashion stylist will work closely with designers and creative directors on campaigns and events to ensure the overall image and creative expression is executed. A stylist will also be expected to work closely with hair and makeup regarding the complementing looks and aesthetics that are required for the overall execution of a look, shoot or event.
3 Basic Fashion Faux Pas Brands Make Engaging the Wrong Person for the Job
Consistently these a three of my greatest frustrations I see occurring over and over again with emerging brands desperate to get their designs to market and seen online and socially.
A fashion stylist should display refined attention to detail, that means clothing to be pressed or steamed, no hanging hems, threads, no clothing savers being visible. The number of images I see coming out of fashion centred photoshoots where these simple things aren’t taken care of is astounding. This is a bare minimum expectation and the failure to have garments presented at their very best is a significant let down in elevating everyone’s creative efforts.
Shoes and accessories can make or break a look and ultimately convey the wrong message entirely about a look and a brands image about their client base and ideal target market. Once again, the number of times I have seen “stripper heels” for the want of better term paired with elegant gowns and formal wear shows such a lack of attention to detail and understanding of crafting an overall image. Like or not there are stereotypes and a lot of social psychology behind fashion and style and your brand, your designs and your work will be judged on every visual element that is put out there. Hence you need the right industry professional on your team executing on high-class results for you, your business and your clients.
Like it or not but the first visual component of a campaign that consumers will notice and judge is the model featured in the campaign. A professional fashion stylist should be able to help provide direction on model selection for the results brands wish to achieve. I’ve met with many designers who have had to go back to the drawing board and reshoot entire campaigns because of a combination of poor styling and poor model selection which left them with a bank of unusable images. Hence every creative within a campaign team has nothing to show for their efforts.
Sadly, at the end of the day, a lot of time and money is wasted when brands engage a style influencer for a fashion stylist job. A fashion stylist is client-centric and driven by the overall visual creative values for a brand or their client, verse a style influencer who is egocentric.
It’s imperative that emerging designers and models are aware of these industry roles as they can drastically affect your professional growth forward in a cut-throat industry that can be difficult to break into.
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