ELEMENTS OF STYLE
ELEMENTS OF STYLE: RUNWAY READY
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ELEMENTS OF STYLE: RUNWAY READY 〰️
Imani Smith
10.28.2024
As you know, I’m a Holistic Wardrobe Stylist. Not only is it a descriptor of the approach I take when styling my individual clients but also all the ways that I utilize my styling abilities.
Personal styling is my bread and butter. The most fulfilling moments in my life have come out of mapping out and guiding an individual client through their own personal style journey. When someone opens their mind and wardrobe to me, it’s truly sacred. Offering this service is a uniquely special and intimate experience. Every time I wrap one of these types of sessions, I’m assured that I’m living in my purpose and it never gets old.
Styling editorially is a vehicle for me to bring my biggest ideas to life. It allows me to create full on eyefuls of visual art. Whether it be in still photo or video form, when I style in the editorial capacity, I channel that little girl reading a Bazaar magazine or watching an episode of America’s Next Top Model. I have shed my literal blood, sweat and tears for this art form and it’s one of the few things that bring me pure joy.
I don’t revere any one method of styling more than another but there’s just something about styling a look that will be consumed from a runway. It’s an almost indescribable feeling. During my tenure at the most prestigious performing arts school in Cincinnati, from ages 9-17, I studied theatre. Styling for a runway show is one of the ways that I get to actually putting that education to work. The roles are non-speaking, but I get to craft an entire narrative.
During fashion shows past, I would style 10 or more looks. It was much easier to do things on a grander scale when I had more access to resources like money, time or the support of a clothing retailer. This time around, I begrudgingly condensed my set to just 3 looks. I decided to channel my energy into producing a more concentrated and cohesive collection of ensembles. As much as I hated to deprive myself of the opportunity to create MORE, given my current circumstances, this decision served me the best.
The theme of the show was nature, greenery, earth and wellness. I have immense respect for the facilitator of the event but it’s rare that I ever follow a theme. This time, I wanted to challenge myself to curate three looks that would tell the same story but without leaning too hard on the obvious tropes within the theme of the show. This part of my process had me paralyzed.
One of my many jobs as a stylist is to be compulsively aware of style trends, whether they’re budding or expiring. It became hard to ignore that animal prints were experiencing a huge moment. In my school of thought, animal prints are a neutral staple in any wardrobe, so declaring them trendy was downright hilarious to me. After I saw either my millionth email or social media post about said trend, and had another laugh, something clicked. Instead of choosing blatant defiance once again, I was going to do two things that I rarely ever do: go with the flow AND follow a trend. This set would be all about animal prints.
After deciding to select models with three different body types and three different skin tones (which is always immensely important to me), I wanted to showcase looks for three distinctly different parts of life that require different trappings. One look would feel fit for a Tuesday, appropriate for the workplace ala ‘Office Siren’. Another that could easily transition from day to night, which put me in the mind of a ‘Casual Friday’ with happy hour plans. Finally, a Saturday type of look that was guaranteed to make a statement for an evening that had the potential to bloom into an unforgettable night on the town.
Once I sourced individual pieces that screamed at me, I started to build looks around them. At that point, I was able to fit my models and watch as my imagination collided with reality. I fine-tuned each look and added the finishing touches that I hoped would make a fashion show attendant take a second glance, at the very least. This involved several hours of scouring my favorite thrift stores and even my own closet.
After tweaking the looks up until the very last second, I was fortunate enough to be able to not only photograph every detail of each ensemble but stage photos with the trio of models. Seeing all three acts of this production was what made all the anxiety and stress completely worth it. Although these looks contained prints, proportions and techniques that I had utilized before, these combinations felt fresh enough to alleviate any feelings of imposter syndrome.
Ultimately, my goal was to convey a few key points to my potential clients. The first one being that I have the ability to style them for a variety of occasions. I don’t want to be confined to one type of dressing, and I don’t want my clients to be either. Secondly, fascinating looks don’t have to be reserved for special events. Any of these days could be your last one. Why save your best looks for moments that may never come? Finally, and maybe most importantly, just because an item is deemed as trendy doesn’t mean that the overall look can’t feel timeless.
As a Holistic Wardrobe Stylist, I can dress you for the moment, or I can also coach you on how to dress yourself for life. The choice is yours.