How to become a stylist

Advice

In the world of a stylist, clothing is communication. You can tell an entire story using fashion to inspire, promote a collection or even articulate feelings. If you see fashion as an expression of personality or emotion, a career as a stylist may be perfect for you.

If you're interested in becoming a stylist you might be wondering where to begin, here are some helpful steps to get you started on your journey to your dream career:

  1. Getting a qualification
  2. Building a portfolio
  3. Expanding your professional network
  4. Applying for a job

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Step one: Gain a qualification

Getting a university degree, diploma or a certification isn't the only route into the fashion stylist profession, however getting a qualification does give you the opportunity to build a foundation of knowledge that will help direct the decisions you make throughout your career. During your qualification, you'll be able to choose which area you'd like to specialise within, giving you an edge when it comes to developing your skillset.

The opportunity to hone your skills, develop your knowledge put your skills into practice in will help you with your journey into industry. You'll be able to problem-solve and work in collaborative environment - skills employers are looking for. Studying a course will also give you the chance to develop your network of other professionals working in the stylist field.

Here at the University of Central Lancashire, we have a number of courses available that will help develop your skills and knowledge in fields perfects for a stylist:

Step two: Build a portfolio

In any creative role a portfolio is the best way to showcase your work. Your portfolio is the space to captivate the attention of a prospective client and convert them into a paying customer. Your unique style and abilities will speak for themselves, enabling you to build an extensive customer base and find work with clients and collaborators who understand your vision.

By joining one of our courses, you’ll begin to build up your own portfolio. Our modules encourage you to work in different ways, building a varied – but still personal – portfolio of your creative work.

You might already have some work you're really proud of - but you're unsure on how to build a industry-standard portfolio with it. We provide a handy service to help you out with portfolios. You can request a callback or email to get started.

Get help with your portfolio

Step three: Expand your professional network

Internships and placements can offer you the opportunity to increase your skills and put your learned knowledge into practice. You'll also get to meet other people working within industry to help you expand your network. These connections and career contacts are useful for generating work opportunities.

Some of our courses provide opportunities for work placement, either as a module on the course or as an additional sandwich year. This provides you the opportunity to work in industry as a stylist, bringing your knowledge and experience from study into the world of work. This can help you get your foot in the door at real firms, many of who are interested in hiring upcoming talent.

Step four: Apply for a job

Finally, you'll be able to apply for a job as a fashion stylist. Stylists earn £22,860 for an entry level position and up to £37,400+ once you are experienced and prominent within the industry.

Using your portfolio, skills and the network you've built, you'll be well on your way to an exciting career in a fashion focused industry. You'll be working with trends to create styles that reflect social and cultural shifts in a range of areas from editorial shoots to personal styling.