If the "wide strokes", then there are:
- fashion stylists
- personal stylists (they are also image stylist, stylist image maker, image designer, and other style consultants)
The difference between them is fundamental and lies in the fact that the former are inside the fashion industry, being one of the links in the chain. The industry does not need personal stylists. They are approached by end consumers of retail who need help in selecting clothes and looks for every day. And now in more detail.
FASHION STYLIST
Fashion-stylists collaborate with glossy magazines, designers and fashion houses, styling displays of new collections, creating images for image campaigns. Not a single fashion photography is complete without them, and it is fashion stylists who create visual content, stylize images that reflect the main idea of the brand and convey it to the end consumer.
They are well versed in fashion, extremely boldly combine different styles and are, in most cases, trendsetters. They draw inspiration from subcultures, music, gloss (leafing through exclusively foreign sources). They closely monitor the work of modern designers, paying primarily to those who shock and create the unusual. For them, this is the language with which they understand how fashion and the world as a whole are changing.
Unlike people far from the world of fashion, they are not scared, but rather delighted with what creates the house of Alexander McQueen, John Galliano or Martin Margiela. They understand why the models entered the podium without faces and see the difference between the work of Comme de garcons and Yohji Yamamoto. And hyper forms, androgyny, or a mixture of styles is another set of tools for visualizing the next project. For them, fashion is work and they build their wardrobe according to the same canons.
HOW FASHION STYLIST WORK WITH PRIVATE CLIENTS
Reluctantly. And I haven’t met a single fashion stylist who would happily and proudly talk about working with clients. As a rule, they hide this fact, arguing that they are very busy on the set. They really very rarely agree to offers to make out a wardrobe, especially to go shopping with a stylist. If they agree to such an adventure, then expect a radical change in the image and bold experiments with appearance.
The fashion stylist has his own criteria of beauty, and even more so fashionable. They explain the refusal to work with clients by the fact that working with individual clients requires a psychological approach and a lot of time to convince them to wear this or that. And those who are used to working with models, underground and fashion - green longing to understand the reasons - why the client does not want to wear this dress. On the set, it’s much more interesting, starting from communication with the creative team and ending with a generous result, which depends entirely on them.
Hence the principles of the work of fashion stylists - either you, as a client, unconditionally accept everything that they offer you: because it is fashionable. Or you go for a personality to a stylist who takes into account the features of appearance, leads arguments and selects a wardrobe for the psychological characteristics of a particular person. But most importantly, fashion stylists do not need to work with such clients - the industry pays well for those who are professional in their field. They direct all their efforts to developing their skills precisely in filming and commercial projects. Therefore, working with individual clients is a “step back” for them, as well as an unjustified loss of time and effort.
PERSONAL STYLIST
Assists in the selection of clothes and a new look for every day. The services of a personal stylist are reduced to ensuring that the client looks good, confident and his wardrobe is assembled so that he always has something to wear. The stylist orientates - what to wear for a business meeting, what to come to the event and what images to take on a business trip or vacation. Helps his client with the help of new images to create a concrete impression in which it is convenient and appropriate.
The client receives a new image and a systematic wardrobe, where there are no unnecessary things, but there is excellent compatibility and many sets for any occasion. Gives recommendations on haircuts, shares proven masters in makeup, cosmetology and all his competencies are aimed at making the client look good. The client-stylist collaboration is often long-term in nature and is similar to the services of the beauty industry, differing only in the frequency of calls. If the client applies for manicure 1 time in 10 days, for a haircut 1 time in 1.5 months, then the services of a stylist are used 1-2 times a season or as needed.
Constant communication allows the stylist to keep the client’s wardrobe on time and offer up-to-date images, fashionable novelties. He knows what brands to offer (how to save, what to invest in), what to add to the wardrobe. And also, when you should change the hairstyle and image as a whole.
KNOWLEDGE PERSONAL STYLIST ON CLOTHES POSSESSES
A professional image stylist has deep knowledge of the history of art, explores the aesthetics of subcultures, and uses styling technologies. In addition, the personal stylist should have a basic education in the field of imageology, which helps him create images that often say “without words” about his client. For example, it is also interesting for me to read thematic literature on non-verbal psychology, to study stylization from foreign films, filming and to immerse yourself in visual and cultural codes of different eras.
The personal stylist is well acquainted with the luxury goods and mass market, and follows the news of the fashion industry. He knows the seasonal assortment in all segments of clothing retail and understands the variety of brands. After all, there is a direct relationship - the wider the outlook of the stylist’s image, the higher the level of his clients. For several hours, the stylist image maker selects a basic wardrobe and, having the maximum discounts in stores, significantly reduces the amount of the final check for shopping. It helps to choose the right and high-quality from a huge assortment; it gives valuable recommendations for caring for clothes.