The (un)Necessary
Job Of A Fashion Stylist
Someone once said: "Stylists are the people who push
celebrities to make the best-dressed list." Whether they were right or not
is totally up to whoever the target audience is. Ever since the birth of this
column, I have received several emails requesting style tips, offering styling
jobs and most recently, asking how one can become a fashion stylist and if fashion
stylist make good money.
A fashion stylist is a creative mastermind who helps set trends in the fashion industry.
In major fashion capitals of this world, fashion stylists rank among the
highest paid people in the entertainment industry. In Africa, the inclination
to use fashion stylists is not at very advanced stage but one can definitely
make a decent living as a stylist as the entertainment industry in general, is
always in need of stylist. Styling jobs vary from personal styling (where one
can style celebrities, respectable public figures or even general members of
the public) to selecting clothing for magazine editorials and picking wardrobe
styles for print advertising. Fashion stylist also work mostly as wardrobe
consultants for TV programmes such as soapies. Stylist dress our favourite
soapie actors on set according to the actor's role in such a way that the way
the actor dresses as you watch your TV makes you believe that their acting life
is their real-life.
There are several places where one can train to be a fashion
stylist but above everything, you need to be; creative, passionate about
clothing, be a people's person, have crafty eye for detail and be innately
stylish yourself. In South Africa, Gauteng to be particular, there are several
places to get formal training on a number of fashion courses, including fashion
styling. These places include: Tshwane University of Technology- Arts Campus,
University of Johannesburg as well as LISOF Fashion School. By far the best way
to get training is if you shadow a well known stylist or apply for internship
in fashion houses. Nothing can beat the experience one gets from learning while
on the job.
As a full-time, independent stylist one can make +/- E25,000.00
on average, per month and more during fashion week season. This varies in that
you may not always get styling jobs so it is an extremely fickle work
environment and one definitely needs a good income back-up especially while
still starting out. It takes years and years of experience to be the designated
fashion stylist for a fashion house where one can earn a steady income. On
grassroots level, while a stylist is still starting out, you need to be very willing
to take any and every styling job that will provide income and help you build a
solid styling portfolio. Think of it as being a businessman, every styling job
you do and what you wear is an extension of your brand. The more you do a good
job at styling people and look good yourself, the more people will want to be
associated with your brand.
There is a very common myth that people who use stylists have no
style and this tends to make people shy away from using stylist for their
personal wardrobe styling. Being a part-time stylist myself, I can say that
nothing is further from the truth that than myth. Stylist can help enhance your
personal style, they can be a new (creative) set of eyes for you to view your
existing wardrobe differently. When I style an individual, I work based on their
existing wardrobe, body figure, lifestyle and budget and all this has nothing
to do with whether the person is already deemed stylish or not. You see, style is a very personal thing as I
have mentioned in previous articles and it can only be harnessed and enhanced.
Being a stylist has opened a number of doors for me and has introduced me to
people I would not have ordinarily met. I get invited to fashion shows (such as
the 46664 Fashion shows), fashion
launches and fashion weeks and I do sometimes live some of my fashion dreams.
I always put an unyielding emphasis on education. Whether you
want to pursue your fashion passion formally or on the side, it is always
important that you get an education as that is what will always empower you.
Hopefully all you young, aspirant fashion stylists here in Swaziland will one
day work for The Kokonut Stylist fashion house, in the near future.
You decide, do you think being
a fashion stylist is a necessary or unnecessary job? Can jobs in any creative field
provide sustainable living for us? Do we always have to work for someone else
to make a decent living? I do not have the answers to that but what I know for
sure is that we must live our passions, whatever
they may be, pursue them strongly because I believe good quality living is
about living one's passion. "If there is no passion in your life, then
have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and
let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and
BECAUSE of you. - Alan Armstrong
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feedback, email: kokonutstylist@observer.org.sz
Written By: Koko Shabangu
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