Dear Pennies & Pens,
A few months ago, I received a press sample of the book Fashion Stylists: History, Meaning and Practice Edited by Ane Lynge-Jorlen and Published by Bloomsbury. I was interested in the book because there aren’t many books that discuss the history and art of styling. This book does that and more by exploring the world of styling and interviewing working stylists.
As it states in the book description, “This collection is the first to explore the history, meaning and practice of fashion styling through interviews and historic and present-day case studies.
Featuring in-depth contributions from prominent fashion scholars, chapters span historical periods, cultural contexts and theoretical frameworks, employing a range of methodologies in the international case studies upon which they’re based.
Interspersed with interviews with innovative fashion stylists working today, and drawing on examples from advertising, the catwalk and magazines, this book explores the challenges faced by stylists in a fashion system increasingly shaped by commercial pressures and by growing numbers of collections and seasons.
Fashion Stylists is an invaluable resource for students and professionals interested in image-making, the representation of style and fashion, entrepreneurship and the history of fashion professionals.”
Fashion Stylists begins by outlining the history of styling and identifying where the term “Stylist” comes from. It’s a fascinating history because styling (as far as a career) isn’t old as you think. Stylists didn’t really become an integral part of the fashion industry until the 80s and 90s when new cutting edge magazines like Dazed or i-D began hiring them.
It was also in this period that Stylists like June Ambrose and Misha Hilton put artists like Missy Elliott, Mase, Puff Daddy and Lil Kim on the map with their innovative styling techniques. This is by far my favorite part of the book – found in Chapter 9 – it focuses exclusively on the work on these two Stylists. This part of the book is amazing because rarely is the work of Black Stylists celebrated in the industry.
June and Misha’s work is to this day some of the most original styling ever done. No one will ever forget Missy’s I Can’t Stand the Rain video (Styling by June Ambrose) or Lil Kim’s Crush on You video (Styling by Misha Hilton). They created iconic styles 20+ years ago that artists and fans alike are still imitating. But how many people outside of the industry know their names? One last thing, they are both still styling and working with current industry heavyweights like Beyonce` and Jay-Z.
Moving along, I also enjoyed the interview with Akeem Smith – he’s styled for The Row, Yeezy and Kim Kardashian. He talks about growing up in Jamaica and how that influenced his work as a Stylist. He also talks about what he does as a Stylist and various clients he’s worked with such as Hood By Air. It’s a very fascinating read.
I also enjoyed Chapter 2 and 13 because they discuss Danish and Italian fashion. It was nice to get some insight on the international fashion scene. Lastly, I liked Chapter 14 because it talked about commercial styling at H&M.
It was interesting because the Stylists at H&M have to do shoots constantly since H&M needs the photos for the website, social media, etc. And with the amount of products that H&M sells, it’s an ongoing process. The fascinating thing about this though is that H&M is big on family time so employees have flexible schedules.
I truly enjoyed this book and would absolutely recommend it to Stylists, Bloggers and Photographers! I have been styling for over 10 years and just launched my own fashion line and I found this book to be extremely helpful! It’s definitely an invaluable resource for creatives. Check it out here: Fashion Stylists: History, Meaning and Practice
And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping real never goes wrong.
PS Check out one my favorite shoots, AfriDally, an editorial I styled in 2017.
Disclosure: This post contains a press sample. All opinions are our own. Please see the full disclosure policy here: Disclosure and Copyright Policy
