Dressing celebrities for a living and getting paid for it sounds like the sweetest gig ever—but how do you get there? We caught up with celebrity stylist Basia Richard to find out exactly how to become a stylist. Basia has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood: We're talking everyone from Selena Gomez to Victoria Justice and and tons of other red carpet regulars. Remember Selena's head-turning look at the 2016 Met Gala, above? That was all thanks to Richard.
So aspiring stylists, listen up. We asked, and Basia was kind enough to share some of her valuable career advice. Check out her tips below!
1. It's all about the internship.
If you want to be a celebrity stylist, an internship at a fashion house or agency is a good place to start. "A lot of this industry works by recommendations," Basia told us. She actually started out as an intern herself. "Intern for a stylist, become their assistant. The key is to develop a relationship with these stylists so they can recommend you."
Working with celebrities is, understandably, a tricky kind of professional breakthrough. Because of the nature of their jobs, stars tend to be wary of new faces—which is why a recommendation from another stylist is so important. "Celebrities are very private people," Basia says. "They like to have people around them who they're comfortable with."
Another important part of being an intern? It gives you the opportunity to hone valuable on-the-job skills that you may not have learned otherwise. "Internships teach you how to start a job, how to finish the job, how to go from the show room to costume houses." That's not the kind of thing you can pick up just by studying: It comes from real, on-the-ground experience and a mentor who will show you the ropes.
2. Build your Lookbook
Working as an intern also gives you an opportunity to start building your own portfolio. If you're unfamiliar with the term, a lookbook is a collection of photos that showcase your work as a stylist, the purpose being to show off your styling skills in the hopes of building a bigger, and more high-profile, client base.
"When I was an intern for a stylist, I got to work with celebrities like Jeremy Piven and Christina Aguilera," Basia explains. "From there, I started to put my lookbook together and was able to work my own jobs and get clients on my own."
3. Live and breath the fashion and celebrity world.
Know the ins and outs of the fashion business like the back of your latest-manicure-craze hand. Go to fashion shows, keep up with the latest trends, and study different celebrities and their individual looks. What works for Selena Gomez may not work for Taylor Swift, so having knowledge of the celebrity's personal style is important.
"As a celebrity stylist you will be working with lots of different personalities and fashion tastes," she says. "So you want to make everyone happy and make them comfortable." Knowing your audience is a key component for success, and the foundation is truly understanding what's going on in the 'biz.
4. Don't neglect your research skills.
Believe it or not, a lot of computer time goes into being a celebrity stylist: According to Basia, a good portion of her day is spent in front of a laptop.
