There is no such thing as an ‘effortless’ model off duty street style look during fashion month. By no means is it an ‘oh I just threw it together’ moment, no, there is a whole team working on getting those guys and girls to look their best so that at every turn, they’re looking bang on point #streetstyle camera ready.
The strenuous couple of weeks that make up Fashion Month, span multiple continents, countries and cities. So between their flights, call times, ambassador commitments, event appearances and overall fashion week obligations – there is no way these models can afford any of the ‘what the hell am I going to wear!’ episodes I so regularly entertain each and every morning.
Now, this might seem like quite a fun job – playing dress ups with incredibly gorgeous men and women – and it sure as hell can be, but it doesn’t come without it’s pressure points.
There are so many moving parts that come with any one look. Not only are you working with the client, you’re also liaising with their agent and working with the PR agencies to ensure that it’s you, who gets first dibs at any of the latest designer drops over anyone else!
For example, a model might have a particular affiliation with a certain brand, so for obvious reasons, will have to be seen wearing said brand and most definitely NOT, seen wearing their competitor. And not that it will particularly be your fault, mostly the PR agency if it does happen, but your client can absolutely NOT turn up to the red carpet wearing exactly the same outfit as someone else.
Sara Sampaio and Emily Ratajkowski
Jaime King and Nikki Hilton
Natasha Poly and Irina ShaykAs a stylist to someone of high profile, you know that whatever brand these models wear, will garner heavy media attention and most likely lead to a huge spike in sales. So with this in mind, you also need to navigate the PR world keeping in mind who you already have good relationships with and those who will also be able to provide potential (paid) work in the future. The good old, you scratch mine, I’ll scratch yours….
Of course in the end, it’s the client who has the final say as to what they want to wear, but responsibility will always fall onto you. Which can definitely be incredibly positive – getting your client major press, featuring on multiple best dressed lists or hearing from a designer that they sold out. But it can also go the other way….and no one wants to be seen listed as worst dressed.
A good stylist will also keep in mind the client’s fans and socio and economic trends within the consumer groups, understanding that particular outfit choices can send the wrong message. For example, @stylememaeve the incredible wonder woman behind Hailey Baldwin, understands that most girls who look up to her, and importantly her age can’t actually afford couture. In an interview with Fashion Week Daily, Maeve explains,
‘”She’s worn a $58 dress on a big red carpet before and she’s worn couture that I couldn’t even put a price tag on… Every girl her age can’t afford a couture dress, so we love to embrace the highs and the lows.”
And as we’ve seen as of late with the help of Diet Prada, the Instagram fashion police watch dog, you can’t afford to stir controversy or attract negative attention. You don’t want to dress your client in a fake or have them wear a brand who is directly copying another. So it’s important to continuously have your finger on the pulse, researching, being on the look out and getting out there on the street yourself to work out what and who the next big thing is.
