High School

There are a number of classes you can take to help prepare you for this career while you are still in high school. Take classes in the visual arts to learn about design and composition. Develop your hand-eye coordination in sculpture or pottery classes where you will be producing three-dimensional objects. Painting classes will teach you about colors, and photography classes will give you a familiarity using this medium. Skill with fabric is a must, so take family and consumer science classes that concentrate on fabric work. You will be able to cultivate your skills pressing and steaming clothes, doing minor alterations, and completing needlework. Because your work as a fashion stylist may require you to work as a freelancer (running your own business) take mathematics classes or business and accounting classes that will prepare you to keep your own financial records. Of course, English classes are important. English classes will give you the communication skills that you will need to work well with a variety of people, to promote your own work, and to drum up new business. The specialties employed for certain shoots require a familiarity with, for instance, formal attire, food preparation, home decorating, children, bedding, and any number of other potential subjects. A fashion stylist, like any artist, draws from his or her own experience for inspiration, so exposure to a wide variety of experiences will benefit anyone entering the field.

Postsecondary Education

There is no specific postsecondary educational or training route you must take to enter this field. Some fashion schools, such as the Fashion Institute of Technology (http://www.fitnyc.edu/fabric-styling/index.php), offer training in fabric styling. Other fashion stylists have attended art schools, receiving degrees in photography; attended fashion schools, receiving degrees in fashion merchandising or a related field; or have entered the field by going into retail, working for large department stores, for example, to gain experience with advertising, marketing, and even product display. Many enter the field by working as an assistant for an established stylist. Such an informal apprenticeship usually lasts about two years. By then, the assistant typically has enough skills and connections to begin working on his or her own.

Certification 

A few colleges and universities offer credit and noncredit certificate programs in fashion styling. For example, Fashion Institute of Technology offers a noncredit certificate in fashion styling. Classes in the program include Introduction to Fashion Styling; Fashion Styling: Trade Craft from Fitting to Clothing Care; Styling: Fit Fundamentals; Fashion Styling: Photography and Editorial Overview; and Fashion Styling: Photoshoots. Contact schools in your area to learn more about available programs. 

Other Education or Training

Fashion Group International, Inc. offers a Beauty and Retail Symposium Series that “features influential business leaders in a panel format who address global issues and the changing dynamics of today's marketplace.” Professional Photographers of America offers online courses, business workshops, and other educational offerings to photographers. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification or Licensing

There are no certification or licensing requirements for fashion stylists.

Some popular methods to gain experience in fashion styling include working as an assistant to a stylist, participating in internships, or part-time jobs as a merchandise displayer in retail settings or advertising firms.

The personal qualities most sought in a fashion stylist are creativity, taste, resourcefulness, and good instincts. Stylists work with a variety of people, such as clients, photographers, models, and prop suppliers, and therefore they need to have a calm and supportive personality. Schedules can be hectic and work is not always done during normal business hours, so stylists need flexibility, the ability to work under pressure, and patience. Stylists who are easy to work with often find that they have a large number of clients. Finally, an eye for detail is a must. Stylists are responsible for making sure that everything appearing in a photo—from a model’s hairstyle to the size and color of a lamp—is exactly right.