Becoming a Micro-Stylist

Styling is a part of the fashion industry that has piqued my interest over the last few years while I have been learning about Fashion Merchandising. I have taken steps to educate myself on the role of a stylist as a component of the fashion industry by getting hands-on experience, and personal efforts. During my internship with a small clothing company, I was able to practice styling photoshoots with a professional who could give me immediate feedback. I also put together a few lookbooks for the brand with information on how to style some of the items we had for sale. This was something I really enjoyed and I love the final products. Below are two examples of lookbooks I created for a leather jacket, and top the brand was selling.

When I started my own small clothing company, Ela’s Ensembles, two years ago, I realized not only would I be fulfilling my interest in design, but also styling. Every time I make a new item, I get to go through the process of taking product images and styling the model to complete the look and highlight the garment. This is an example of an outfit I styled with the crocheted white bolero I made. Whenever I style a garment I take into consideration how it aesthetically fits into my brand as well as the energy of the individual garment. The crochet bolero in this look went really well with the cream-colored leg warmers I had and I began to build the garment around those two pieces with delicate and feminine elements.

I gathered inspiration for styling by following styling professionals and fashion brands I love, keeping up with trends not only in the fashion world, and staying active on social media. My favorite way to begin styling a look is by creating a Pinterest board or mood board for inspiration and direction. Having reference images of not only outfit ideas but also textures, locations, hair, makeup, and overall aesthetic helps provide clarification about the entire energy in a look. This is an example of the content in a board I put together for a beaded top I am creating for a client and, it will help me not only create the piece but also determine how I want to style it when it is completed.

Overall, styling has been a channel for me to explore my personal style and a career path that is interesting to me. I think I’m good at assembling looks that are both cohesive and unique, and I hope one day that I get to do something along the lines of a styling career.