Employers

There are relatively few positions available for full-time, salaried fashion stylists. Some ad agencies, magazines, and companies that sell their merchandise through catalogs have stylists on staff. Most fashion stylists, however, work as freelancers. They are hired for individual assignments by photographers, ad agencies, design firms, catalog houses, and any other enterprise that uses photographic services.

Starting Out

A person can enter the field of fashion styling at any point in life, but there is no clear-cut way to go about it. Some people, if they have the resources, hire photographers to shoot a portfolio with them, and then shop it around to production houses and other photographers. However, most prospective employers prefer that a stylist has previous on-set experience.

One of the best ways to break into this field is to find work as a stylist’s assistant. Production houses and photo studios that employ full-time stylists usually keep a directory of assistants. Most cities have a creative directory of established stylists who may need assistants. It is important to always leave a name and contact information; they may have no work available immediately, but might be desperate for help next month. Working as an assistant will provide you with important on-set experience as well as show you the nuts and bolts of the job—including the drudgery along with the rewards. Building a reputation is the most important thing to do at any stage of this career, since most photographers find stylists by word of mouth and recommendations, in addition to reviewing portfolios. Assistants will also be introduced to the people who may hire them down the road as full-fledged stylists, giving them an opportunity to make a good impression. Eventually, you can seek out a photographer who needs a stylist and work together on test shots. Once you have enough examples of your work for a portfolio, you can show it to agents, editors, and photographers.

Agency representation can be of enormous help to the freelancer. An agent finds work for the stylist and pays him or her on a regular basis (after extracting an average commission of 20 percent). The benefit of representation is that while a stylist is working one job, the agent is lining up the next. Some agencies represent stylists exclusively; others also handle models, photographers, and actors.

Advancement in this field can be measured by the amount of bookings a stylist obtains, the steadiness of work, and a regularly increasing pay rate. It can also be determined by the quality of a stylist’s clients, the reputation of the photographer, and the nature of the assignments. Some stylists start out with lower-end catalogs and work their way up. If the goal is to work in high fashion, then the steps along the way will be readily apparent in the quality of the merchandise and the size of the client. The opportunity to work with highly regarded photographers is also a step up, even if the stylist’s pay rate remains the same. In a career built on reputation, experience with the industry’s major players is priceless. Senior stylists at magazines often help in ad design and planning. Some stylists advance to become art directors and fashion editors. Ultimately, each stylist has his or her own goals in sight. The "rare-air" of high fashion and celebrity photography may not be the end-all for all stylists; a good steady income and the chance to work regularly with friendly, creative people may, in fact, be of more importance to a stylist.

Visit the following Web sites for job listings:

• https://jobs.wwd.com
• http://www.creativejobscentral.com
• http://www.fashion-jobs.biz
• https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/fashion-stylist-jobs

Participate in internships or part-time jobs or land an entry-level job with a fashion stylist to learn about the field and make valuable industry contacts.

Conduct your own photo shoots with friends as helpers and models to experience using props, costumes, and locations to take a series of photographs; use the best photos to begin building your portfolio.

Consider joining a photography or art club for the opportunity to work with the medium; such clubs may also sponsor talks or meetings with professionals in the field.