Before I started working in the fashion industry (nearly 10 years ago), the term "stylist" didn't mean anything to me. A few years into my career as a fashion journalist, I realized the term "stylist" was a bit of a mystery to most people.I found myself declining styling opportunities, confused as to why writing about the fashion industry lead people to believe I had the skill and know-how to dress someone well. Hiring stylists for Poppy Barley's photo shoots over the last 3.5 years has proven to me that styling--successfully--is no easy career path. Talia Brown has been working as a personal and celebrity stylist for over a decade. From magazine editorials and online projects (she styled LOULOU's #366DaysOfLooks with Jessica Mulroney) to ad campaigns, TV shows and the TIFF red carpet, her portfolio of work has touched many facets of the Canadian fashion industry (check out her work on Behance; "It's not even up to date!" Talia tells us) and it's not slowing down. Here, Talia gets real about what it means to be a stylist, how to become one, and what it takes to make it in the Canadian fashion industry.
Talia On: Pursuing a Not-so-Typical Career Path
I'm doing exactly what I said I was going to do the first day of kindergarten. When everybody said they wanted to be a police officer, a teacher, a firefighter, I wanted to play with life-sized barbie dolls. My parents never told me I couldn't, they told me I could do whatever my heart desires. I had a lot of people saying, you should think more realistically, think about a real career and how you're going to get there. And I just kind of knew. Fashion was always what I was most passionate about, even at a young age. I didn't want to wear polyester, I wanted to wear specific shoes with my tights and my tights needed to match my dresses, I needed a headband. The more I grew into myself, I realized that if this is what I wanted, I'd just have to make it work.Talia On: Getting "Inside" the Fashion Industry
I actually studied Art History and English in university. I interned in California at Marni. I worked at the Gap in university. My first job out of university was at a Holt Renfrew where I worked on the sales floor, so I really gripped onto any aspect of fashion I could. And I really always loved the fabrics. Working at Holt Renfrew really showed me the difference between luxury and fast fashion. I feel like I just fell in love with silks and cottons and cashmeres, just the way things sat and the way things were cut. As a stylist I get to be creative. I mean, not every job is creative; sometimes it's styling business attire, but other times its using ball gowns and jewellery. It's always different, I get to work with a ton of people that are passionate about what they do.Talia On: Making It Work
A typical day for me definitely means being up before 7am, on set anywhere between 8 or 9am. Your car is so packed you can barely see over the steering wheel. My trunk is full, my back seat is full. I typically have someone helping me because it's a lot for one person. You take in all the clothes, you get it ready when the model is in hair or makeup, and then when she's out, you're basically steaming or getting right to work styling. And then at the end of the day you have to repack it and hope to dear God it all fits back in the car. The days that I'm not on set, I'm typically pulling clothes or returning clothes. You really get to know the people at all the stores on a personal level during that time. They know who you are and they know what you're working on. I also think it's pretty inspiring to be able to talk to people at the store level, because a lot of them really know what they're doing, and they know they're top sellers, and they push certain things your way. I always find that really interesting going into stores and talking to sales staff. I love celebrity work because they have personality and they know what they like. But editorial is where you really get to be creative. I mean, with models, they love what they wear, but you literally can have a vision that's so far out there and you can create this magical piece to make it work. So that's the most fun.
