Fashion Stylists: History, Meaning and Practice

Description

Stylists have become increasingly influential in shaping fashion imagery. They have moved from the backstage, as unrecognised players, to the frontstage of fashion, becoming celebrated for their creative work as image makers for magazines, advertising and fashion designers. Yet little is known about the profession, its diverse incarnations and its aesthetic economy. Featuring contributions from leading experts and stylists, this collection is the first to explore the history, meaning and practice of fashion styling through interviews and historic and present-day case studies. Featuring in-depth contributions from prominent fashion scholars, chapters span historical periods, cultural contexts and theoretical frameworks, employing a range of methodologies in the international case studies upon which they’re based. Interspersed with interviews with innovative fashion stylists working today, and drawing on examples from advertising, the catwalk and magazines, this book explores the challenges faced by stylists in a fashion system increasingly shaped by commercial pressures and by growing numbers of collections and seasons. Fashion Stylists is an invaluable resource for students and professionals interested in image-making, the representation of style and fashion, entrepreneurship and the history of fashion professionals. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Figures Plates Notes on Contributors Acknowledgements Introduction Polymath stylists Style and styling Creative and commercial Outline of the book References Part One History and Profession of the Stylist within and beyond Magazines 1 Stylist: Etymology and History of a Role Introduction An etymology of ‘style’ The stylist through history ‘Style’ in postmodern culture 1980s: The decade of the stylist Legitimation of a role Conclusion References 2 In the Changing Room: A Study of the Act of Styling before ‘Styling’ in Danish Fashion, 1900–1965 Introduction Le style, c’est l’homme même2 The Danish fashion system before ‘Danish fashion’ Styling with authority for fashion communication Learning how to style as a fashion consumer In conclusion Notes References 3 The Homeless and the Hunchback: Experimental Styling, Assembled Bodies and New Material Aesthetics in Niche Fashion Magazines Introduction The rag picker and the homeless Padding the hunchback Mediatization and stylization of bodies Conclusion Notes References 4 Examining Uncertainty: An Interview with Anders Sølvsten Thomsen 5 Finding Beauty in the Moment: An Interview with Elizabeth Fraser-Bell 6 Styling Unpopular Knowledge: An Interview with Akeem Smith Part Two Identity, Gender, Ethnicity and Style Narratives 7 ‘Rethinking Fashion’: Caroline Baker and Nova Magazine 1967–1975 Introduction DIY dressing: A new approach Anti-fashion: A fashion statement Adding up the look All dressed up: Narrating fashion Dressed overall: Fashion, function and reform Conclusion Acknowledgement Notes References 8 ‘Looking Good in a Buffalo Stance’: Ray Petri and the Styling of New Masculinities Introduction Setting the scene Creating the look(s) Sportsmen and boxers Cowboys Men in suits / usurping tailored elegance New men in skirts Female masculinities Conclusion Acknowledgement Notes References 9 Styling 1990s Hip-Hop, Fashioning Black Futures Learning to create in a service industry Afrofuturism on MTV Conclusion Note References 10 Questioning Fashion’s Parameters: An Interview with Benjamin Kirchhoff 11 Exploring the Female Gaze: An Interview with Roxane Danset 12 Building Little Sculptures: An Interview with Vanessa Reid Part Three Global Fashion Media and Geographies of Styling Practices 13 The Stylist’s Trade: Fashion Styling in Milan in an Era of Digitization Introduction Gatekeeping and disintermediation The Milanese setting Mediating taste Building a reputation Conclusion Note References 14 Commercial Styling: An Ethnographic Study on Styling Practices at H&M Introduction A brief history of the Swedish fashion industry Styling Swedish mass fashion Combining ‘creativity’ and ‘work’ Image creation and changing beauty standards Conclusion Notes References 15 Twisting References: An Interview with Lotta Volkova 16 Creating Orderly Chaos: An Interview with Naomi Itkes Index Plates