What inspired you to pursue a career as a fashion stylist and how did your journey in the industry begin?
It’s quite by incident, my friend is who is a leading fashion photographer had a stylist bail out on him last moment at a shoot and he asked me to step in cause I had studied fashion was generally really into fashion, I did that shoot, the client liked it and rest as they say is history.
Can you share some of the most challenging moments you’ve faced in your career as a stylist and how you overcame them?
I once shot with an international production house that literally all ganged up on me so much that it physically made me sick , I was so traumatised I actually swore off Tvcs for some time after that.
How do you approach styling for different clients? Do you have a signature style, or do you adapt to each client’s unique needs?
I love playing around with different aesthetics and love customising looks for each brand according to their own identities.
Could you walk us through a typical day in your life as a fashion stylist? What’s the behind-the-scenes process like?
It literally takes a village, there is a lot of unglamorous prep and organising that goes on behind scenes, from moodboards to fabric swatching to unflattering trials which eventually leads to making it look extremely effortless and glam on the day of execution.
What has been one of your most memorable or rewarding styling projects to date and why?
I have to say my personality doesn’t really let me dwell on success nor failures, I know I reach milestones I have set for myself but I don’t dwell on them and nor do I fuss about them. Achieved. Done. Moving on.
Fashion trends seem to change rapidly-how do you stay ahead of the curve and keep your styling fresh and relevant?
By always staying a student, constantly learning and observing. I am fairly well read and traveled which helps in not only staying aware of the trends but how to alter them according to our weather or even cultural demands.
Have you collaborated with any other notable creatives on a project that stands out to you? Can you tell us about that experience?
I thoroghly enjoy editorials because it really lets you express your artistic needs rather than commercialising them and I regularly get together with leading creatives of the industry to put together imagery that caters to our inner artists.
How do you balance creativity with the practical aspects of styling, such as working within budgets or meeting client expectations?
Well that’s what being a commercial stylist really means, I like the challenge to meeting people’s needs and working with allotted budgets and I usually have a great relationship with most my clients where I can revisit the boards and explain if something is just not possible and if we can either tweak the board or the budget and it usually comes about perfectly fine.
Are there any particular fashion icons or figures who have influenced your personal style or your approach to styling others?
My personal style is heavily influenced by my grandmother and my mother, they were both professionally doctors but they were extremely artistic and had very Parisian aesthetics. Also being a 1990s kid, I grew up on imagery on ’90s supermodel era and I am heavily inspired by glitz and glam of that time.
Looking ahead, what are some exciting projects or goals you’re working towards in the fashion industry and where do you see your career evolving in the next few years?
I see every project I do as extremely exciting and it genuinely comes from a place of really loving your work. I want to make every project I do a little special for me if not everyone involved by adding some creative aspect to it in which it differs from everything else.