How to Start a Career as a Fashion Stylist
Fashion stylists continue to dominate the fashion industry. It takes a keen eye and extreme attention to detail, as well as networking skills that never take a break. Be sure you have a background in retail sales or fashion shows before starting a career as a fashion stylist, as the most important thing is that you have previous credible work experience.
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Get Connected
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Working in retail sales or fashion shows will give you an extreme leg up when it comes to connections. Fashion stylists need many connections, so having access to designer showrooms or being able to borrow clothes from a store serve as essential parts of starting your business.
Be Prepared to Work
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While working in fashion can have glamorous moments, working as a fashion stylist is a labor intensive job. Running clothes from vendor to set, constantly steaming apparel and making sure items are exactly as they were when borrowed are crucial to becoming a fashion stylist.
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Work Freelance
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Most fashion stylists work freelance for a few years before signing with an agency. Fashion stylists usually work freelance to build their portfolios and obtain regular clients. The exception is working as an assistant or intern for a prominent fashion stylist, which is very competitive since there are so few.
Get a Book Going
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Fashion stylists, like makeup artists or hair stylists have something to showcase their work called "a book." It contains images of their work, whether it's a special occasion look that was styled or a photo shoot. You want to open and close with your strongest images when showing your book to potential clients.
Network Like Crazy
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Get to know people who work in fashion in your community and don't be shy when it comes to playing up your skills. Charities often need a fashion stylist to style runway shows for events they host, and while this may not be a paying gig, it does add to your book and help you build a relationship with area retailers for borrowing clothes and accessories.
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