FASHION INDUSTRY REPORT AD4604- MOLLY DAVIES
FASHION INDUSTRY REPORT AD4604- MOLLY DAVIES
INTRODUCTION The first job role I have chosen to research is a Fashion Stylist. I will look into the skills, training and tasks involved within this job role. (What does a Fashion Stylist do?, n.d.) Fashion styling is becoming one of the most popular emerging professions in the fashion industry and can vary in many different forms such as: personal styling, commercial styling, runway styling, and magazine/editorial styling. Fashion stylists are predominately used by fashion houses and clothing brands. When considering fashion styling, TV styling is least well known, however TV companies require stylists to style actors for shows such as Soap operas, period dramas and sitcoms. TV styling also involves styling clients/guests for live broadcasts, news and breakfast TV. In terms of the salary of a fashion stylist, it can depend on the level of styling you are working at, for example according to ‘prospects.ac.uk’ (Hanley, 2017),Employed junior fashion stylists can expect to earn between £18,000 to £20,000 per year. Senior fashion stylists earn higher salaries ranging between £23,000 and £30,000 per year. Working as a freelance fashion stylist is a much more common styling profession. Freelance fashion stylists are predominantly paid a daily or an hourly rate. Typically, if you are employed as an assistant fashion stylist the salary for this role varies from £50 to £150 per day. (What does a Fashion Stylist do?, n.d.) When working as a fashion stylist you will often work alongside other members of a creative team, such as the fashion designer, photographer and hair and makeup artists. Your fellow team members will often be assembled by the client, in order for the project to fully visualise what look the client was after. (What does a Fashion Stylist do?, n.d.) Some of the generic skills needed to become a fashion stylist are as follows; • • • • • •
To be up to date with the current and upcoming/future fashion trends and colour pallets. Have a high interest in fashion and a keen eye for detail. Be up to date with current affairs and politics. See how they have an impact on fashion styles and styling of models and celebrities. Be organized and on time to every shoot. Be motivated and passionate about the project you are working on. Have a good understanding of body and face shapes.
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FASHION INDUSTRY REPORT AD4604- MOLLY DAVIES
(What does a Fashion Stylist do?, n.d.) Similarly, when working as a fashion stylist you may be asked to complete some of the following tasks; • • • •
To source fashion items/props for shoots and product placement in fashion magazines and campaigns. Select garments and accessories for clients and TV personalities. Direct how you would like the photography of the garments and props to look etc. Write articles on the current and upcoming fashion and colour trends.
In particular, one task that I was surprised by, was to write articles on the current and upcoming fashion and colour trends, personally I would not associate this with the role of a fashion stylist, however it would be an exciting opportunity and a platform to demonstrate your skills and knowledge within the fashion industry. I would describe styling as a physical, tactile and visual occupation in comparison to writing articles which are produced digitally and are often only made up of text. (Hanley, 2017) (What does a Fashion Stylist do?, n.d.) Finally, in terms of training, you don’t always have to have a qualification or degree to become a fashion stylist. Some companies favour practical/creative skills and enthusiasm, over an academic degree. However, if needed a qualification in these subject areas would be useful: Fashion communication and styling, Fashion image making, Fashion art direction, Fashion promotion, Fashion marketing and communication and any qualification in photography, interior or art. After looking into the skills, training and tasks of a general fashion stylist, it has given me background information on the fashion styling profession, and has informed me on the variety of types of fashion styling roles. With this information, for my first case study I have chosen to research the specific skills, training and tasks involved in the profession of an editorial fashion stylist. FIGURE 7
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FASHION INDUSTRY REPORT AD4604- MOLLY DAVIES
EDITORIAL FASHION STYLIST- CASE STUDY ONE (Kaitlyn, 2017) (What does a Fashion Stylist do?, n.d.) (Fashion stylist/image consultant career guide, n.d.) Editorial styling mainly consists of coming up with ideas and concepts for high fashion shoots, for a variety of media publications such as; fashion magazines, campaigns both digital and printed, music and film posters and covers and publicity shots. I was not familiar with what a publicity shot was, until researching and found out that it is a still life photograph of actors/actresses often taken on or off set of a film or TV programme/series. They are a way to help promote the film and the cast involved. While looking at some images of past publicity shots, I noticed that a variety of the images seemed to be from as late as the 1950’s and were shots of old Hollywood film stars such as Elvis and Audrey Hepburn. This suggests that publicity shots are a thing of the past and are no longer a common task for an editorial stylist to be asked to do. Furthermore, it also suggests that editorial styling is constantly evolving and keeping up to date with the latest fashion/colour trends, current affairs and technology. (Kaitlyn, 2017) (What does a Fashion Stylist do?, n.d.) (Fashion stylist/image consultant career guide, n.d.) Another key skill to being a successful editorial fashion stylist is to always be organized, as you will be part of a fast- pased working environment and will be expected to be prepared for the shoot. In order for you to feel completely ready for the shoot/project, one of the tasks you are required to complete, is to source and select fashion garments, accessories and props. You will need to take into consideration face and body shapes, the theme/concept of the shoot and the brand of the publication and designer. You will then use these items to put together looks and outfits that embodies the concept of the shoot and represents the brand of the publication. (What does a Fashion Stylist do?, n.d.) (Fashion stylist/image consultant career guide, n.d.) (Kaitlyn, 2017) When working as an editorial fashion stylist, you will often be working together with the photographer, fashion designer, art and fashion directors and hair and makeup artists. Working with other creative members of a team, will help to achieve an even higher quality outcome and will showcase a successful finished look. (Hanley, 2017) In terms of the training, similar to a general fashion stylist, some companies favour practical and creative skills over a degree. However, a degree would be useful in these following areas: Fashion image making and styling, Fashion art direction, Fashion communication and Fashion promotion. One of the main reasons as to why I have chosen to research editorial styling, is because I have always had an interest in fashion styling, in particular high fashion editorial styling. I like how you can express emotions and personality through fashion and create many versatile looks. I began looking into a variety of editorial fashion stylists and their work, and I came across New York based stylist ‘Karl Templer’. (Karl Templer/BOF 500/The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry- The Business of Fashion, n.d.) Karl is the former creative director of the established American magazine ‘Interview’. Karl has been lucky enough to have a variety of 3
FASHION INDUSTRY REPORT AD4604- MOLLY DAVIES
his work appear in high fashion publications internationally such as ‘Vogue Italia’ ‘W magazine’ and ‘The New York Times’. The styling Karl produces always has a high fashion aesthetic, and many of his shoots are in black and white. The monochrome lighting emphasis the garments and the pose of the model in which creates a timeless high fashion look. (Karl Templer/BOF 500/The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry- The Business of Fashion, n.d.) On the other hand, Karl Templer often collaborates with high fashion photographer ‘Craig Mcdean’. I was most surprised and fascinated to find out that Craig had studied photography at Mid Cheshire college, which is the previous college I attended.
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FASHION INDUSTRY REPORT AD4604- MOLLY DAVIES
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER FOR ‘THE RAGGED PRIEST’- CASE STUDY TWO For my second job role I have chosen to research into the skills, training and tasks involved of a social media manager, for the youthful grunge British fashion brand ‘The Ragged Priest’. I have decided to look into this particular profession, as ‘The Ragged Priest’ is one of my favourite clothing brands, and as I shop there myself, I am interested to see what qualifications and experience you would need to work for them as a company. Similarly, it will be interesting to see what the profession of a social media manager entails. Firstly, I looked into the job description of a generic social media manager, to inform me on the key skills, responsibilities and tasks involved within this job role. (social media manager, n.d.) The main purpose of a social media manager is to take control and lead a company’s/brand’s social media influence and current strategy’s, in order to create a stronger online presence and engagement from customers and clients. (social media manager, n.d.) When working as a social media manager, you may be asked to complete some of the generic tasks; • • • •
Manage all of the company’s social media accounts such as: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Develop a strong social media strategy to increase brand awareness and customer engagement online. Write interesting and engaging blog posts and articles, positively promoting the brand/company. Form close relationships with popular social media influencers who have large followings, therefore the brand/company will produce a larger following. Create engaging and exciting multimedia content. Manage and take control over social media communities, by commenting on similar social media accounts and developing discussions with other brands and users. Use Google Analytics to keep up to date with the statistics of the brands/company’s social media presence.
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(social media manager, n.d.) In regards to the salary of a social media manager, the pay can vary and depend on what level of a social media manager you are working at. Junior and assistant social media managers can expect to earn between £19,000 and £23,000 per year. Furthermore, if you are working as an experienced social media manager your salary can range between £25,000 to £40,000 per year, and if you are an extremely experienced you may even get paid up to £60,000 per year. (social media manager, n.d.) Similar to an editorial stylist, it is not always required to have a degree or a degree within social media marketing. However, if needed, a qualification in these subject areas would be useful; • • • • 5
Digital marketing Media and communications Fashion marketing and communications Business management
FASHION INDUSTRY REPORT AD4604- MOLLY DAVIES
Moving onto the specific skills, training and responsibilities required for ‘The Ragged Priest’ social media manager. (Jobs, 2018) As stated on ‘The Ragged Priest’ careers page on their website, the social media manager job is a full time position (working Monday to Friday) and you could either be based at the head offices in Southend-On-Sea and Essex. Or the London offices in Soho. (Jobs, 2018) In terms of candidate that the clothing brand ‘The Ragged Priest’ is looking for, as a brand they state they ideally are looking for someone who is organised and innovative. They must have a strong understanding of ‘The Ragged Priest’s’ both in store and online community. This will then lead to finding new interactive and engaging ways to build connections with both new and regular customers. Another ideal skill you are expected, to have is to have a high interest in social behaviour particularly online social media behaviour. You will look at the data and insights of the online presence, and will then be expected to make decisions on how to improve and boost the engagement, reach and interaction/conversation. (Jobs, 2018) You may be asked to complete some of the following responsibilities when working as a social media manager for the youthful clothing brand ‘The Ragged Priest’; • • • •
Develop a strong strategy to help build the audience and online engagement of ‘The Ragged Priests’ social media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat. Mange the social media community, making sure to stop and prevent a negative representation of the brand. Research current and upcoming fashion and colour trends, as well as strong and inspiring visuals to engage and inspire interaction from the brands audience and potentially interest from popular social media influencers. Report regularly to the senior brand team members, using social media measuring tools and platforms.
(Jobs, 2018) Some of the skills required to work as a social media manager for the brand ‘The Ragged Priest’ are as follows; • • • • • • • • •
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Have a deep understanding of the powerful impact of social media platforms, and how to solve problems quickly and efficiently. Follow a creative brief and easily incorporate that onto social media platforms. Strong independent worker and team player. Experience of software’s such as Microsoft office and adobe creative cloud software. Excellent computer literacy skills. Be able to easily switch between a creative working style to an analytical working style. Strong writing skills, and able to embody the brands style when writing. Always be motivated and work with a pragmatic approach. Up to date with the latest fashion, colour trends and current affairs.
FASHION INDUSTRY REPORT AD4604- MOLLY DAVIES
CONCLUSION To conclude this job role fashion industry report, I am going to briefly compare one similarity of my two chosen job roles. The main similarity I noticed was that they both involve writing interesting and engaging fashion articles and blog posts. This suggests that both professions are up to date with the latest fashion trends and current affairs, meaning they are both constantly adapting and evolving with the time. I personally think that the social media platform Instagram, is in a way similar to an editorial fashion printed shoot. As when scrolling though ‘The Ragged Priests’ Instagram I noticed a variety of fashion images and photography in which were of a high enough quality to be showcased in an editorial fashion magazine.
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FASHION INDUSTRY REPORT AD4604- MOLLY DAVIES
BIBLIOGRAPHY • • • • • •
(What does a Fashion Stylist do?, n.d.) –http://www.allaboutstyling.net/what-does-a-fashion-stylist-do.php (Hanley, 2017) - https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/stylist (Fashion stylist/image consultant career guide, n.d.) –http://www.fashionstyling.com.au/styling-careerguide.php (Karl Templer/BOF 500/The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry- The Business of Fashion, n.d.) https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/karl-templer (social media manager, n.d.) - https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/social-media-manager (Jobs, 2018) - https://theraggedpriest.com/jobs/
IMAGE REFERENCE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
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https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/75576099972949442/ - FIGURE 1 http://www.thehivemanagement.com/main-board/lia-pavlova/lia-pavlova-interview-magazine-by-craigmcdean-and-karl-templer/ - FIGURE 2 https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ragged-Priest-Worthy-Top/dp/B01LW79JDW - FIGURE 3 https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/542824561321716599/ - FIGURE 4 http://www.vault.com/industries-professions/professions/f/fashion-stylists.aspx - FIGURE 5 http://coveteur.com/2018/01/25/fashion-styling-tips-how-to-wear-anything/ - FIGURE 6 https://www.fashionstylistinstitute.com/blog/?category=Wardrobe – FIGURE 7 https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/170503535871516532/ - FIGURE 8 https://www.tumblr.com/privacy/consent?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fjwanderson.tumblr.com%2F – FIGURE 9 http://www.perlindesign.co.uk/the-ragged-priest-check-mini-skirt-skirts-kbqexb-p-866.html - FIGURE 10 https://www.instagram.com/theraggedpriest/?hl=en – FIGURE 11 https://www.shoptagr.com/shop/asos/the-ragged-priest/the-ragged-priest-pinafore-dress-with-zip-front FIGURE 12 https://us.asos.com/the-ragged-priest/the-ragged-priest-oversized-knitted-sweater-in-rainbowstripe/prd/10658482 - FIGURE 13 https://www.instagram.com/theraggedpriest/?hl=en – FIGURE 14 http://thefashionography.com/craig-mcdean-interview-magazine-august-2014/ - FIGURE 15