If you have your sights set on becoming a stylist to the stars, doing an internship with a fashion house is a great place to get your foot in the door. Much of the jobs in this industry come from personal references and networking. If you do an internship for a stylist or fashion insider, become their go-to person; their personal assistant. You'll want to build a relationship with your employer so that they can confidently offer their recommendation in the future.
Recommendations:
The world of celebrities is difficult to break into, and with good reason. With the sensitivity of their jobs, celebrities are often very private and need to be careful about who they trust. This makes personal recommendations from other stylists so incredibly valuable. Celebrities value their privacy and prefer to have trustworthy people around them—those who use their discretion and make them feel comfortable. It goes without saying that you must keep your interactions with celebrities and public figures to yourself. Engaging in gossip about a celebrity client is a sure way to be barred from the industry.
Internship:
A valuable part of doing an internship is the chance to build practical skills that you may have been previously unaware that you needed. Doing an internship will help you learn how to see a job through from start to finish—at every stage. You might learn how to take your work from the showroom to a costume house. These skills are only learned by real life job experience, not reading from a book. Having a great mentor to help you learn these skills will make you more valuable and will help you to further your career.
Create A Strong Portfolio / Lookbook:
During your internship, you will have the invaluable opportunity to build a portfolio. Creating a lookbook—a carefully curated group of photos that shows your work and unique personality as a stylist. This will help to show others your skill in styling clients, which can ultimately help you to attract new and exciting clientele.
In order to build up your lookbook, you can offer your hair styling services to photography businesses seeking assistance with their shoots. Styling their models and assisting with a test shoot will help you get yourself out there.
Testing:
Test shoots were previously use to test a model for an agency. The goal was to get an understanding about that models qualities to see if they fit what the agency—and the industry—are seeking. While these test shoots can sometimes come at a price, they are a mutually beneficial experiences that give all parties involved a piece of work to their name. The use of providing free services allows you to spread the word about your talent and gain new professional photos for your portfolio.
When you have created a portfolio with a minimum of eight to ten striking and different images, you will be able to present yourself to an agency.
To succeed in the world of fashion, you must remain current and keep your finger on the pulse of celebrity and fashion culture.
A formal education may not be a necessity for a job as a stylist, however, being in the know of the fashion industry is important. Know the goings on of the industry like you know your own reflection in the mirror. Attend fashion shows, research trends, and research the unique style and signature looks of celebrities. What looks great on Jennifer Lawrence may not be right for another Hollywood It girl. A style that looks fabulous on Rachel McAdams will not work for Rooney Mara. Learning the nuances of each celebrity's style is important to keeping their look on brand.
Gain Representation
When your goal of being a hair stylist to the stars starts gaining some momentum, it is important to find representation with one of the agencies near you. Study dilligently and find out which agencies are nearby, and begin applying. Show off your portfolio and note your valuable experiences with seasoned celebrity stylists.
The agencies that you seek out represent everyone in the fashion and celebrity universe. From hair stylists to makeup artists and professional photographers, you will be among many different talented people that are needed to put a celebrity client together.
You are bound to work with many different types of people with vastly different tastes and ideas—and people with wildly different personal preferences. So it is important to be sure that you are the type of person that can be comfortable around any type of person, and keep them at ease with you.” Ensuring that you understand the needs of the people you work with will help you to succeed. This success with various different types of people and personalities will give you greater insight in this industry.
Research, Research and More Research:
Don't forget to keep seeking out new information and always be researching. There is so much information out there, and a great deal of online time is needed to be fully aware of things pertinent to being a celebrity stylist.
You're going to give your laptop a serious workout. I am constantly online looking at different styles, look books, and ideas. I'm endlessly getting all of the bits and pieces together for different looks I'm thinking of, setting up appointments, making meetings, and finding inspiration. So if you've got the impression that being a stylist is a fun, glamorous shoot or a spontaneous gathering of awesome looks, you may need to reconsider. There is so much planning, preparing for the good and the bad, and staying in the know of the fast moving fashion world.
You're going to have to commit, apply yourself, and always be on your grind.
Being a stylist to celebrities and public figures is certainly glamorous and envy-inducing from the outside looking in, but it is still a job. Like many jobs, it requires a ton of long hours and hard work. Your day might be different every day, so those who prefer consistency and a set routine in their job need to adapt, or walk away. You might find yourself rushing around, preparing for a shoot or red carpet event one day, and on a plane the next. It's a “ride or die” industry, and you've got to be ready to work all sorts of hours. Long nights will be par for the course, so work smart and sleep when you can.
You've got to juggle taking care of yourself with an unending assortment of clothes and accessories. Whether it's a press tour or a magazine shoot, you need to be at your best for your clients styling demands. It's the industry that never sleeps. Get used to it.
©2016 Hairline Illusions / Egypt Lawson
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