Iconic Australian designer Jenny Bannister asks all the real stylists to please stand up.
So you think you're a STYLIST?
My professional friends and I are really agog, as to how you can do a shoot at the weekend, when the request for models, photographer and even the transport is posted on Facebook a few days before?'
"Any ripped guys wanting free photos, PM me."
"Assistant stylist wanted this weekend, must have car."
"Models wanted for shoot this weekend."
"I need a black skirt."
Just who and what is going to answer a call out like that? Oh, it's a test shot. But wouldn't you want to see what the models look like first? Will they fit into the clothes? What sort of driver stylist are you going to fish out?
Styling is going awol. It's got to the point where it has even infiltrated big, full page advertisements in the weekend papers.
You see an interiors shoot for a big store coming up to Chinese New Year and they have placed every thing red they have in stock in the advert image.
Oh don't worry if all the reds clash like a ghastly car crash, it's red isn't it? The brief has been filled.
Thinking about what is in the background is a no brainer. But no, Melbourne's Highpoint Shopping Festival image had outdoor powerlines in the shot.
I thought Highpoint was an indoor shopping mall!
It's a well-known fact that in this tough climate, brands are trying to cut corners, but going for the cheapest option with a type three stylist is marketing suicide.
According to Philip Boon, super stylist to the stars ( type one), there are three types of Stylists:
- Type one: work on ad campaigns, commercials, fashion advertisements, catalogues, fashion shows and big name celebrities. The PR agents at Tina Arena, Rachel Griffiths and Megan Gale are pretty choosy about who is going to dress their goddess and Boon knows how.
- Type two: editorial stylists who, even if they get their shoots into a magazine, are only a freelancer so may not get paid, but afterwards have something of calibre to show in their look book.
-Type three: wannabes, they do test shots, with free models, photographers, make up, hair and submit their work to print and online sites, hoping for a big break.
All stylists are freelance, meaning it's not a full time 9 to 5, 38 hour a week job.
If you want that, you would have to get a position at a magazine and that's very rare, as magazines are falling away to the sudden rise of bloggers, some of whom are lauding themselves as stylists!
Some of these blogger images still have the packing creases in the clothes, shot at extremely strange angles, taken by the boyfriend.
Some type threes think they can get a wear of the clothes before they take them back, often late and filthy. These stylists will never make it and never get the right contacts, as the Stylists Coven is watching them in their crystal ball.
Don't get me wrong, there are a few, super swish blogger/stylistsin Australia who earn good money from advertisers.
They have all had at least five years experience, studied journalism or PR, and have great fashion sense and continually make their clients happy.
EXPERIENCE, CONTACTS, PAST AND CURRENT GLOBAL FASHION KNOWLEDGE.
Need I say more? Work as an assistant stylist to an experienced pro, enjoy your learning curve and you will come up trumps with a long and proud career ahead of you.