FASH 54A – Beginning Fashion Styling

I have some exciting news to share!  Part of the reason I’ve been M.I.A. from here is because I’ve been given a new assignment (on top of everything else – not that I’m complaining, I LOVE  to work).  This fall I will be taking over the fashion styling program here at CCSF.  I will start with FASH 54A – Beginning Fashion Styling in the fall and then FASH 54B – Advance Fashion Styling in the spring.  Yes, I will still be teaching visual merchandising.

Styling for editorials or ad campaigns is very similar to dressing a window, and I always say, if you can dress a mannequin you can dress a model!  Many of the same skills you use in visuals are transferable to photo styling.  You still have to pay attention to lighting, props, and the merchandise.  One major difference I see between the two jobs is the amount of people involved.

Visuals are done by very small crews, even large department stores might only have five people on staff.  Each person in charge of a department or floor.  That trimmer does everything, and you grab help as you need it.  Photo styling has a small army involved!  The photographer, the creative director/editor, make-up artists, hair stylists, the models, the client, not to mention all the assistants, and you the stylist. It’s exciting but hectic.

I use to freelance as a stylist whenever my agent could get me work.  I found it more challenging than display work, but it paid better and there’s always good food on the set (lol)!

I’m currently nose deep in writing curriculum and reviewing textbooks on the subject (who knew there were texts on being a stylist!!)    This isn’t going to be a class strictly on how to style a shoot, but on how to be a successful stylist.  What are the tools and information you need for your portfolio and stylist kit, what goes into a contract, working with the other professionals, sourcing props, etc.  This class is suppose to focus on fashion, but I also hope to touch on set styling (hey that’s visuals 101!) and prop styling.

Instead of starting another blog for that class, I’ve decided to post on here.  I think both fields can learn from each other, besides visual merchandisers “style” all day every day, in fact some of the books I’ve looked at touch on visual merchandising as an alternative career for this skill set.

[This book hasn’t been released yet, but I’m lucky enough to be getting an advance copy and it will definitely be required reading.  Look for it in the spring of 2013.]

 

Group Projects: Pop Culture

One of my students recently told me I didn’t show the last of the group projects.  I didn’t forget.  I’ve just been super busy.  I really don’t understand how some people find the time to blog all day and hold down a full-time job, and try to have some semblance of a personal life.  How do they do it :)?

So here you go, sorry for the delay, I’ve been out-of-town a lot and working at my construction program.  We are running a summer session for the first time and since I manage the entire program, I had to start as soon as the spring semester ended with no break.

Group 1: Yayoi Kusama (cubes)

This is truly museum quality work, and the use of the balloon was clever!

Group 2: Breast Cancer Awareness (window)

Very shocking in a good way.  It really grabbed your attention when you went by.  The work could have been neater, but I loved the concept.

Group 3: ComicCon (table) display

This was such a fun table.  Group 3 really saved their best for last (ignore the wall display in the background, they were trying to re-do the wall display they didn’t finish the first time around).  Who said girls don’t like comic books!

Group 4: Vogue (shelf unit)

Not sure where I see this displays, a fancy news stand perhaps?  Nicely done, needed better signage, and someone mentioned more colors.  A beautiful bouquet of flowers would be a good way to introduce more color.

Group 5: OPI nail polish (other cubes)

Great work!

Group 6: Hello Kitty apple cart (wall)

Beautiful apple trees, but the overall display looks unfinished.  I wish it took up the whole wall, at least the whole width, and the wheels on the “cart” has the spokes.

 

The last of the class projects!  It has been a truly wonderful semester, I get so much joy out of teaching this class and doing displays, I really can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing than designing and building!

My new class in the fall: FASH 54A-Beginning Fashion Styling