Personal and editorial stylists fall into the same world of fashion, but what distinguishes them is the fact that personal stylists curate a wardrobe based on their own specific vision, while also finding a balance with that of the private clientele they’re dressing.
Editorial stylist jobs, on the other hand, require a pre-planned blueprint developed by a creative director, and those stylists are simply in charge of selecting fashionable pieces that are respectful to the vision of the editorial project they’re working on, such as magazine photo shoots, advertising campaigns, music videos or films.
Let’s dig deeper into both of these different types of styling practices, in order to get a more vivid understanding of each of them individually:
Personal Stylist Jobs
A personal stylist’s job is to develop a personal wardrobe for a private clientele, that speaks to their individual identity and is translated through the perception of the personal stylist.
Personal stylists could find themselves working with an array of different clients, such as celebrities, influencers, artists, or business moguls. It doesn’t really matter what the client’s background is because, at the end of the day, a personal stylist will offer the same services and follow the same styling process. The only thing that will really differ is the budget, and the sector of clothing chosen.
Personal stylist jobs call for a few key attributes, which include being a great listener while the client is communicating their desired vision, having solid research skills, and a wide understanding of references for different occasions, as well as being able to use their clients’ wardrobe budget responsibly and effectively.
The typical process of a personal stylist is to visit their private clients in their households, get to know them and their individual personalities, and take a little detour into their closet. What they’ll do is Marie Kondo their clients’ wardrobe, decide what pieces are throwaways, and what pieces they should keep, and then add new items to their closet that reflect the image you’ve both agreed on.
Editorial Stylist Jobs
An editorial fashion stylist holds different responsibilities from someone who does personal stylist jobs because of the specific environment they’re working in, the types of projects they’re working on, as well as not having full agency or power when selecting pieces for a rack.
Editorial stylist jobs call for someone who has a vast knowledge of references, and they must use those references provided to them by a team working in the editorial world, to translate their mood into a tangible selection of fashionable pieces for the project they’re hired for.
Apart from that, they must have the ability to source borrowed clothing and research the best brands that have pieces that blend well into the theme of the project, as well as keep a positive relationship with said brands intact, so that they can work with them for future projects.
Editorial styling projects can come in many forms. It could be a music video, where you have to select pieces that are synonymous with the genre of music, the personal style of the artist, and the message of the song being showcased.
An editorial fashion stylist can also be working on film or TV projects, such as commercials, TV shows, or cinematic productions. In these scenarios, editorial fashion stylists are given specific instructions, where they must deliver different wardrobes for the different personalities being portrayed in the film or TV show.
They might also be hired to hunt down a wardrobe for advertisement campaigns, where they must capture the same essence of the script and characters acting in the commercial.
Examples of Personal and Editorial Fashion Stylists
Now that you have a clearer idea of the differences between a personal fashion stylist and an editorial fashion stylist, here are a few examples of stylists you can learn from, who fall into those worlds:
Ya-Ching Chan (Janice Chan):
Janice Chan is a freelance fashion stylist and fashion film producer from Taipei City, Taiwan, who has worked with models and celebrities on shoots related to film, TV and commercials, as well as many other editorial projects.
She is based in San Francisco, Taipei City, and Beijing, and also dabbles in personal stylist jobs for private clients, picking out wardrobe selections for them that reflect their specific styles and personalities.
Emma Schwarz:
Emma Schwarz is a stylist and model based in Japan, who has taken on many editorial stylist jobs, especially in the music industry.
Her background in modeling has served her well in her editorial fashion stylist career, giving her a strong understanding of her career environments and how to navigate every aspect.
Eiji Takahashi:
Born in Hokkaido Japan, Eiji Takahashi is a London and Tokyo-based editorial fashion stylist, who has worked on many fashion and beauty editorials, and advertisement commercials, styling clients ranging from commercial actors to celebrities from all around the world.
He has a distinct point of view when approaching styling, where he puts a lot of thought into building a wardrobe by mixing his knowledge of trends and shapes together.
Brittany Diego
Brittany Diego is a celebrity fashion stylist and fashion consultant based in Los Angeles, who has been known to have a distinct perspective when curating a wardrobe and building outfits from head to toe.
Apart from styling, she’s also sharing her knowledge of the business through Fashion Mentor. Click the link down below to take a look at one of her videos:
Katelyn Milley
Her styling portfolio is a real nod to her signature motto ‘’dressing from the inside, out’’.
Katelyn Milley is a US-based personal stylist, who is a prime example of how to take on personal stylist jobs, by simply wanting to bring out the very best in her female clients through a beautifully developed wardrobe.
Marni Senofonte
Marni Sanafonte is a celebrity fashion stylist based in New York, who has worked with the likes of Jay Z, Diddy, Beyonce, and the list goes on and on.
She’s curated many editorial wardrobes for some of your favorite music industry trailblazers. In addition, her client list also includes model and reality star, Kendall Jenner.