How to Become a Fashion Stylist? Steps, Skills and Career Opportunities

Are you the one who is always attracted to fashion walks and weeks? And you have a keen eye for detail and style, and are passionate about fashion? Then becoming a fashion stylist might be the right career for you! The Fashion world is always glamorous, trending, and fast-paced. Read in detail to know about the qualifications, skills, etc, to become a fashion stylist.

Fashion Stylist

Who is a Fashion Stylist?

A creative professional who selects clothing, accessories, and makeup for celebrities, models, photoshoots, films and television is known as a Fashion Stylist.

The main role of a fashion stylist is to understand the personality, body type, culture, theme, and occasion and create a look that aligns with the vision of the brand, projects, or individual.

How to Become a Fashion Stylist?

The steps required to become a Fashion Stylist are:

1. Focus on your Education and Foundation

Having a degree in fashion design from a reputable college can always give you an edge in the fashion industry. A formal education gives you a grounding in styling, fashion history, industry practices, etc. Common courses include B.Des and M.Des with specialization in Fashion Communication, Fashion Styling, Fashion Design, etc.

Top Indian Institutes:

1. NIFT National Institute of Fashion Technology
2. National Institute of Design
3. Symbiosis Institute of Design
4. FDDI
5. Instituto Maraggoni (Mumbai)
6. London College of Style (Online and Hybrid Mode)

2. Develop an Eye for Styles

A fashion stylist is expected to have an eye for style. He must be able to observe what will work for different body types, which type of dress and jewelry is trending, and what is going on in the global fashion weeks. Fashion stylist aspirants must follow fashion blogs, designers, stylists, and influencers to develop an eye for style.

3. Build a portfolio

For a Fashion Stylist, a Portfolio is like a face. It tells everything about the person. So, focus on building your portfolio. You can begin with test shoots, in which you can collaborate with photographers and makeup artists. You can also style your friends and models and use them in your portfolio.

Writing Fashion blogs can also help to build a portfolio. A strong portfolio should show that your style has diversity. You can style someone from streetwear to ethnic wear.

Steps to Become a Fashion Stylist

4. Gain experience through an Internship

Try to get an internship with an experienced stylist to have the best understanding of the fashion industry. Intern with fashion magazines, production houses, fashion brands, and fashion designers.  The tasks there may include coordinating outfits, managing lookbooks, helping during shoots, sourcing accessories, etc.

5. Stay updated with Trends and Brands

The fashion industry is ever-evolving. To be a successful fashion stylist, stay updated with the latest trends, upcoming designers, sustainable brands, labels, and brands making outfits for specific body types, and color palettes. Also, regularly read fashion magazines, like Elle, Vogue, and Grazia, watch red carpet shows, and attend fashion weeks if possible.

6. Focus on specializing in your Styling

There are so many niches in the fashion world, you must know yours. Choose a specialization and master it. You can specialize in Celebrity styling, editorial styling, personal styling, commercial styling, etc.

7. Promote yourself

Try to promote yourself. People in the fashion industry should know you. Try to make connections by making a professional presence. Use Instagram to showcase your work, and make fashion content on YouTube and Instagram. Build your mood board, behind-the-scenes stories, etc. Also, work on building a portfolio website, engaging in networking events, etc.

Skills Required to Become a Successful Fashion Stylist

The Skills required to become a fashion stylist are:

1. Creativity and Vision: One should have creativity skills to be a fashion stylist. You should be able to think of something innovative, vogue, comfortable, and trending all the time to be in this industry. You have to be dynamic with the trends and themes in the market. You should also be able to foresight what colors will be for the upcoming season, what will be the trend in the coming fashion weeks, etc. You should always have a vision to see what others cannot see in the fashion industry to be in the race.
2. Communication Skills: One must be able to clearly express his/her thoughts to become a fashion stylist. You should be able to communicate with all kinds of people. You may be a good stylist, but if you are unable to communicate your design, ideas, thoughts, themes, etc., it will all go in vain.
3. Time management: Time is important for everyone and in all industries, but in the fashion industry, you have to be on your toes. You should be able to manage time because there will be n number of people dependent upon you. If one thing is delayed, the upcoming things will be late, and you can miss many opportunities because of this. You will have to present projects to clients or attend fashion shows; at all times, management and coordination are vital.
4. Trend Awareness: A Fashion Stylist must be aware of the trends in the market. He must be able to get along with the trend to be in the market. For instance, fashion brands are now focusing on sustainability. So to be in the market, one has to be competitive and know the trend, and do what others are doing with something unique.
5. Adaptability: Besides following trends, a fashion stylist must be able to adapt to new technologies, trends, and fashion in the market. Also, every client and fashion shoot is different; to be a successful fashion stylist, one must be able to adapt to last-minute changes quickly. He should be able to adapt his way of working according to the different body types, different styling demands, etc.
6. Client Centric Thinking: One needs to develop a thinking in which you are able to put yourself in the shoes of your client. One needs to understand the needs, wants, and desires of the client and deliver the project accordingly. You need to have a thorough knowledge of ethnicity, diversity, language, culture, and tradition in order to understand and think like your clients think.

Career Opportunities and Growth in the Fashion Stylist Field

Fashion stylists work as:

1. Freelancer: A Fashion stylist can work independently and take up assignments on a project basis. They may freelance and style for photoshoots, ads, private clients, fashion shows, etc. Freelancing offers flexibility and creativity along with freedom.
2. Magazine or Publication Stylist: A Fashion stylist can also work for fashion magazines like Vogue, Grazia, etc. In these, they have to plan and execute editorial shoots and collaborate with video editors, photographers, models, etc.
3. E-Retail Outlets: All the e-retail outlets like Myntra, Nykaa, Ajio, etc., hire fashion stylist for the shoots of their brands. Fashion stylists are required to dress up models, celebrities, etc.
4. Personal Shoppers or Consultants: Some people hire a personal stylist, who helps them choose their outfits according to their body type, occasion, personality, etc. Personal fashion stylists are mostly hired by actors, celebrities, and models.
5. Stylist for TV/Film Production House: Such type of fashion stylist works on planning costumes for characters in films, TV shows, or web series. They aim to design costumes and clothes, makeup that reflects the character, script, etc.
6. In-house Stylist for Fashion Brands: An in-house fashion stylist works with retail companies and fashion labels for campaigns, lookbooks, etc. Brand identity and visual language are maintained with the help of these fashion stylists.
7. Award shows, concerts, and fashion events: Fashion stylists are also appointed to work in award shows, concerts, and fashion events held in India and in other countries.

Popular Fashion Stylist in India

Some of the popular fashion stylists are:

Becoming a fashion stylist is not a cakewalk. You should not only have a great sense of style but also understand people, aesthetics, trends, etc. Dedication and constant hunger to learn and do something in the industry can help you make a name in the world of fashion.

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