Questions… answers
So… I thought I’d get to the nitty gritty about myself, my profession, what I love… all that kind of stuff. I’d be rich if I got a dollar every time someone asked me “So what do you actually do?” and so I got to thinking, in my own words I hope I’ve answered some questions.
What is a stylist?
A stylist to me is a creative individual who is able to interpret someone’s vision and bring it to life. Whether that be assisting them to turn a space into their ‘dream home’ or coordinating different pieces of clothing to create a ‘look’, a stylist’s main aim is to produce something that looks visually appealing. Five senses play a LARGE part in Interior styling particularly.
isn’t your profession based on personal taste?
YES!!! Absolutely! The majority of clients I work with have their own personal style, however they just need some assistance in honing and defining to ensure visual consistency. It’s amazing, coming to a client and they completely blow you out of the water with what they’ve already envisioned and then you build and refine the idea together to make it amazing. Basically, stylists think in colour and texture, we’re always considering colour wheels, paint swatches, textures and weird shit like that.
how did you decide on stylist?
I had always had this ‘knack’ for putting colours and textures together… I wouldn’t stop at ‘nice top and jeans’ I had to have the earrings and shoes to match and I honestly got excited about it. I started my career in the Federal Government and I knew very early on that I was a square peg in a round hole… although I must admit, the fashion at Parliament House was up there, I had always dreamed of studying at the Whitehouse Institute of Design and three years later I took the leap.
Where do you shop?
I have a few staple favourites… my main ‘go to’ is Cue Clothing Co. not only are majority of their clothes Australian Made, they’re also an amazing fit and their styles suit many body types. Second cab off the rank would be Country Road… they have a lot of great staple pieces, however their colour palettes are ever changing and they continue to bring out gorgeous greens and pinks which I’m very partial to! PS: There’s no way I can go past Peter Alexander pajamas.
What is the hardest part of the job?
Honestly… I think it’s the fact that people envision styling as a glamorous profession with all the bells and whistles. Let me tell you… the majority of the time it’s spent in exercise gear basically working as a glorified removalist. Haha. Thank goodness there’s no behind the scenes photography…
Plus, I have diagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder… so sometimes my head, affectionately known as ‘skittle brain’ won’t let me be happy with what I’ve created. It consistently wants to improve.