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Stylist
Fashion Stylist
Image Stylist
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Celebrity Stylist

Styling
Styling Celebrity
Celebrity Styling Client

Breaking Into and Succeeding as a Celebrity Stylist
Starting a Celebrity Styling Business
Starting an Image Styling Business

What is a Celebrity Stylist?
Is It a Fashion Stylist?
Is It an Image Stylist/Consultant?
Is It a Hair Stylist or a Make-Up Artist?

A celebrity stylist is actually all these things or a couple of those rolled into one. They are of course first and foremost fashion stylists, which means that they are up on all the latest fashions, trends, and have keen eyes on what look good on a multitude of different people. They are also image consultants, in that they contract out their expertise to specific individuals to help them create an image or style that fit with how they want to be perceived in public.

However, instead of assisting the average Joe or Jolene, they have chosen to work with celebrities as their clients, and these celebrities could be anyone from news anchors, musicians, actors/actresses, television personalities, to sports stars.

Jennie S. Bev, editor-in-chief of StyleCareer.com, describes a general stylist in the e-guide Breaking Into and Succeeding as A Stylist as, “A person whose creative skills transform the external conditions of the subject to project a certain image.”

And what is this image, or style, in which she is referring to? She likes to describe it as, “The art and science of making people and merchandise look good in the eyes of the beholder and camera—to make a statement.”

A stylist covers a wide range of career opportunities, such as a personal stylist, television stylist, film stylist, commercial stylist, editorial stylist, and fashion stylist, but in this e-guide we are going to be focusing on the particular niche stylist known as the celebrity stylist.

I don’t have any professional trainings or experiences as a stylist, but I’m good with styling. Can I?

Absolutely. Throughout the course of writing this eGuide, one thing we found was that out of all the professionals we interviewed, not one had the same story and training. One of our stylist success profiles you will read towards the end of this book was a pre-med student before getting into celebrity styling. Most all of them told us that they did not necessarily feel that a celebrity stylist should need any specialized training to become a success.

The most important part of your success will be both your drive and your artistic style and ability. The rest is all stuff that you will pick up as you go. There are of course a few tricks of the trade, which is exactly what this guide will focus on for the remainder of the chapters.

The basic requirements can be best explained through a short quiz that was developed by Jennie S. Bev from the e-book, Breaking into and Succeeding as a Stylist. This quiz is designed to let you know how well prepared you are to get into this career field, and if you have the necessary desire and talent to succeed.

If you find that you answer “yes” to most all of these questions, then consider yourself as having enough of the necessary requirements to give this career a good shot. If you answer “no” to most of them, then you still have some thinking to do to make sure that this career choice is really for you.

QUIZ

Do you consider yourself creative?
Do you like to experiment with how you look?
Are you conscious about color and like to experiment with it?
Have you changed your look (hair style, hair color, etc.) so many times that you have forgotten the count?
Do you regularly read fashion magazines
Are you fascinated by how celebrities look in front f the camera?
Do you like working with people?
Do you like getting paid to make people feel good?
Do you think that anyone can look good after a makeover?
Do you think a competent celebrity stylist can alter any celebrities appearance?

I live in a small town, how can I be a celebrity stylist?
Do I need to relocate?
Which cities are the best for this profession?

It is true that to become a celebrity stylist you may need to go where the celebrities are, which may certainly limit you to a few of the fashion, television, and film hot spots. With that said however, every small town has its source of celebrities, such as radio personalities, news anchors, athletes, etc. These small town heroes, so to speak, many times need celebrity stylists to make sure that their best foot is always put forward in every public appearance they make.

You do not have to be on the set of the next Hollywood blockbuster with an Oscar-winning actress to be considered a celebrity stylist, unless that is where you aspire to be. So the answer to this question depends on the goals that you have set for yourself.

If you do wish to be in the celebrity hot spots, there are two cities that these fall under. New York and Los Angeles are by far the hottest spots to find the biggest stars and highest paid gigs. They are also the hardest to break into and make a living however.

For this reason, you may find your greatest success at the lower degree hot spots, such as Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco. Some celebrity stylists spend much of their time on the road, such as with musical groups on tour, so there is not necessarily any one city that is best for this profession, but a couple cities that offer different opportunities for the stylist. Miami is probably the best hot spot a new stylist because there is a lot of work out there and it is not as competitive as LA or NY. A new stylist can still build a name for themselves before trying their hand at the hotter markets.

It’s hard to break into this field because there are not that many celebrities around. How can I be confident?

This guide is designed to give you confidence by arming you with the knowledge of current celebrity stylists that have the combined experience of over 25 years. It is true that it can be difficult to get into this career, which is why we have designed this guide to take you through the most important things that you are going to need to know before venturing out on your own to gain experience.

Every one of the stylist featured in this guide were once like you, wondering if they would ever be able to make it. It happens everyday to hard working stylists and if you are dedicated and ready to take this choice all the way to the top, then there is no reason why you shouldn't believe that you are going to reach your goals.

I don’t have any professional nor personal connections with any fashion designers or fashion houses, if I become a celebrity stylist, how can I have access to their products?

The power of the celebrity stylist comes not as much from whom they know as who their clients are. You have to remember that the stylist relationship with fashion designers and fashion houses comes in the form of free publicity for them.

You pull different products and looks from their lines to dress your clients with, and those designs get put before many influential people over the course of one night. It is very common for people to ask each other who designed that evening gown, suit jacket, etc. Socialite functions have become somewhat of a fashion show where everybody is there to show and tell.

In the beginning you may not be able to pull from the top designers, but there are a lot of very talented designers just starting out like you, who will be more than happy to help you access their products for your clientèle. Even if it is only for a local fund raiser in your area, it is still good publicity for any designer and they may be willing to work with you and loan you some of their designs for the evening. Never underestimate the power of free marketing and publicity.

You are offering these folks just as much of a service as they are offering you their works. Both a fashion designer and a stylist are very much in a symbiotic relationship and many times it is the stylist who can make or break a designer, just by the amount of publicity they offer their newest lines and products.

I’m not a glamorous person, I’m shy and love to work behind the curtain. How can I survive working in such a glamorous environment?

You are lucky if you really feel this way, because a celebrity stylist is not as glamorous as one might think. You are always the one behind the curtain and it is your client who must stand out. A fashion stylist has very little desire to stand out by yourself and everything about who your clients appear to be.

Sure you may find yourself at some of these high style gatherings and parties occasionally, but it will be your talent and clients who have got you there. You do not need to be or act like a glamorous person to succeed as a celebrity stylist. You have to be very careful. Just because you work with some of the world’s (or region’s) most famous celebrities does not mean that you yourself are a celebrity.

For instance, just because you spent an entire day styling some celebrity’s hair and having a great time with her, does not mean that you will be invited with her out to lunch the next day, and you should not expect that. It is very unprofessional to try to push a relationship with your celebrity clients.

You are there to do a job and when you are done, you go home. The fear of working with too much glamour should certainly not be a concern of yours. In fact, the more that you prefer to work behind the scenes rather than the front, the better off you will be in this career.

Statistics of Fashion Industry

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the fashion industry is set to enjoy slight growth over the next several years. It is only slight because the American side of the industry is expected to lose some of its jobs previously held on American soil, to outsourcing (work sent to other countries for less expensive labor). Most of the outsourcing will take the form of manufacturing, accounting, and customer service, and most fashion artist positions will be safe from this type of replacement.

Both fashion designers and stylists will remain as in-house or in-country freelance talents, as most companies realize the necessity of an artist that is trained with the eye for North American fashion, style, and pop culture. Every country has its own style and fashion, and while these differences can create striking magazine features, stylists within the United States will be favored over their foreign outsourced counterparts.

Employment of fashion stylists shall remain concentrated in what has been considered the regional fashion capitals of the United States, New York and California. The majority of celebrity stylists will find themselves working in one of these two areas, with secondary hot spots being Chicago, Miami, and San Francisco. While this career pays very well (anywhere from $500 to $5,000 a day), the work is by no means steady and you will have to stay on your toes to keep a semi-steady paycheck rolling in.

Understanding how to save your earnings for a rainy day will become a lifesaver for those lean months when you only pickup one or two paying jobs.

Since May of 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded approximately 163,000 working media/entertainment folks, including actors, producers, directors, performing artists (magicians, dancers, designers), sport celebrities, and broadcast media representatives. Of these, approximately 30 percent are believed to be self-employed. This is where the celebrity stylist will find their bread and butter.

The more folks succeeding here, the more stylists are needed to dress and make-up these artists. Employment for this group of folks is expected to grow 11 percent by 2016, which gives the celebrity fashion stylist an edge over the rest of the fashion industry which is only expected to grow in the low single digit percentages through 2016.

The apparel industry itself is considered to be close to a $200 billion dollar retail market nationwide. The largest market, New York, features over 5,000 fashion showrooms and eight dedicated fashion schools (including the worlds largest, Fashion Institute of Technology).

Retail is the second-largest industry in the United States, both in number of established businesses and number of employees. The U.S. retail industry itself generates $3.8 trillion dollars in sales according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Larger department stores take in 50% of the total sales even though they only make up 5% of the retail stores within this industry. The industry is very strong and profitable as a whole, although there is definitely a large sales gap between the single owned business and corporate conglomerate.

Statistics of Celebrity-Induced Industries

According to Plunkett Research Ltd in 2007, the United States’ spending on media related fashion and entertainment was up to $930 billion a year (including television, print, music, and Internet). This was close to $50 billion more than the year before. Here are a few industry examples of where mass attention and dollars have been focused on a yearly basis in the United States.

Print Media
US Daily Newspapers 2,366
US Magazine Revenue $23.1 billion
US Newspaper Advertising Expenditures $24.4 billion

Television
US Household with Television 111.4 billion
Broadcast Television Stations 2,890
Basic Cable Subscribers 65.6 million

Film
US Box Office Revenue $10.2 billion

Music
Album Sales 588.2 million

Internet
Internet users 1.07 billion

With the rise in technology, the popularity and profitability of media related fields, the celebrity stylist should be in good hands no matter what media niche they find themselves in.

How much you can earn as a celebrity stylist?

It really depends on how many clients you have and in what capacity you serve them. For instance, a full-time Hollywood-based celebrity stylist may earn anywhere from USD 200,000 and up.
However, if you serve local celebrities, you might earn less than that. Also, if you work part-time or freelance on-call only, you will probably earn far less.

About the Authors

Jennie S. Bev is THE fashion, image and fun careers expert, whose reputation has been acknowledged by prestigious media internationally. She has been profiled and mentioned in Entrepreneur, Teen People, Canadian Business, Home Business, Dong (France), San Francisco Chronicle, The Independent, Daily Southtown, The Arizona Republic, Chic (UK/Asia), Fit (Asia), Femina (Asia) and Dewi (Asia).

Editor-in-Chief Jennie S. Bev was named an EPPIE Award finalist in Non-Fiction How To category for excellence in electronic publishing. She has published over 80 books and 1,000 articles in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany and Southeast Asia. She is also a college professor based in San Francisco Bay Area.

Co-author Eric J. Leech was born into this world without a GI Joe (with a Kung Fu grip) or silver spoon, Eric J. Leech grew up on the streets of the small town of Grand Junction, Colorado. After high school, Eric found his way to Colorado State University where he attained four degrees in Psychology, Social Sciences, English and Theater Arts.

Eric has since put every degree to good use with a variety of career accomplishments. These accomplishments include seven years as an actor/model and Production Assistant for various television and film projects. He also maintained a successful business as the co-owner of an outdoor living structure design company for several years before pursuing his full-time career as a freelance columnist/writer.

Since that decision Eric has been featured on such international magazines as the Circle (India), Urban Male Magazine (Canada), UNO (Philippines) and Coffee House Digest (International).

This 80-page instantly downloadable StyleCareer.com eGuide Breaking Into and Succeeding as a Celebrity Stylist brings you valuable insider tips, advice and suggestions not available elsewhere to help you embark on this highly lucrative career path.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Myths, the Realities, and the Basics
What is a “celebrity” stylist?
Is it a fashion stylist? Is it an image consultant?
I don’t have any professional trainings or experiences as a stylist, but I’m good with styling. Can I?
Where can I get trained as a fashion/celebrity stylist without breaking my bank?
What are the basic requirements for becoming a fashion/celebrity stylist?
I live in a small town, how can I be a celebrity stylist? Do I need to relocate? Which cities are the best for this profession?
It’s hard to break into this field because there are not that many celebrities around. How can I be confident?
I don’t have any professional nor personal connections with any fashion designers or fashion houses, if I become a celebrity stylist, how can I have access to their products?
I’m not a glamorous person, I’m shy and love to work behind the curtain. How can I survive working in such a glamorous environment?

High Fashion and Celebrity-Induced Industries in a Nutshell
Statistics of Fashion Industry
Statistics of Celebrity-Induced Industries
Classifications and Career Ladders
Retail
Assistant Fashion Stylist or Image Consultant
Fashion Stylist
Image Consultant
Celebrity Stylist

A Day in the Lives of Celebrity Stylists
Natalie Jobity
Vanessa Valiente
Julien Farel
Jillian Villafane
Dr. Antonio Armani
Nicole Janowicz

Traits, Skills, and Trainings
Business and Interpersonal Skills
Applicable Skills
Personality Profiling
Color Selection
Hair Styling
Make Up Application
Airbrush
Tools of the Trade
Training
Formal Fashion Training
Retail
Apprenticeship
Associations

Being Successful
Getting Your First Clients
Classy Networking Skills
Promoting Services to Prospects
Getting in Touch with Fashion Editors, Fashion Columnists and the Benefits of Doing So
Working with Agencies
What an Agent Can Do for You
What an Agent Looks for from a Stylist
How to Find a Legitimate Agent (Beware of Scams)
How to Choose a Suitable Agent
Workflow if Working with an Agent
How Much is an Agent’s Commission?

Success Profiles

This eGuide literally saves you hundreds of dollars spent on professional workshops and training and hundreds of hours of research. It will help you break into the career of your dream faster without having to repeat the same mistakes that most newcomers do.

You can have this exclusive eGuide right away by instant download for only $39.95, which you will earn many times over with your first paid job. This special low discount price is reserved for today, Saturday, 13-Mar-2010 18:19:32 PST only. (Regular price: $49.95)

Breaking Into and Succeeding
as a Celebrity Stylist
80 Pages
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