Golden Nugget - Buying & Returning

It has been awhile since I've posted a golden nugget, and this one is an IMPORTANT one for aspiring fashion stylists and industry partners. Before I even attempted my first styled shoot, I had the good fortune of connecting with an industry expert and she told me the biggest mistake young stylists make is buying and returning clothing for photo shoots. HOWEVER - this happens ALL of the time, and the truth is that MOST stylists buy and return clothing from stores without asking because they want to make sure they completely NAIL the look they have envisioned in their head. So, what's a stylist to do?...

Follow the norm?...Heck no!

I'm not going to compromise my integrity and do something wrong for the sake of creating a cool photo. There has to be another way.

Problem solve! Think outside of the box! Get creative! Heck, this is art!

1. Try and use clothing and accessories from your own closet. Start building your wardrobe with pieces that would be great for photo shoots. Now, I'm not a size 0, 2 or 4, and most models are, so that does leave me in another pickle sometimes. So...

2. Use clothing and accessories from the client or model's closet. Most people have a diverse enough wardrobe that you can create fashionable looks from what they have. There are times when a client or model as ZERO style to work with. Then...you...

3. Borrow pieces from your fashionable friends that are the same size as the models. You are bound to have some friends that are fashionable and vary in sizes. On the off chance you can't find ANYONE that has what you're looking for, you can do two things...

4. Quickly make more friends...OR go to thrift stores and GOODWILL. Those are excellent places to find FULL outfits for under $10.

If you think this is impossible, you're wrong. ALL of my shoots have been styled with clothing that I've owned, the client has owned or a spent under $10 at a thrift store.

Of course, the BEST case scenario is having a store lend you clothing with their APPROVAL, and returning the clothing after you've finished. This is the goal you should work toward and that I'm working toward. This takes time and a lot of networking, but you'll be happier doing it the right way than the wrong way.

Don't compromise your integrity for style. Chances are you can create the style anyway without spending a dime. You just have to think outside of the box!

Golden Nuggets - Model Makeup

It has been awhile since I've shared what AVE Styles has been up to, and more importantly, any golden nuggets of knowledge I have gleaned. So, I've decided to start a blog category called "Golden Nuggets" where I'll tell you guys any practical tips I pick up from the biz.

So, here's my first bit of gold...Most models are trained on how to do their own makeup and hair for local fashion shows.

I was a dresser for a fashion show a couple weeks back over at Scottsdale Fashion Square with models from The Agency Arizona, and I really loved the hair and makeup they were all sporting. So, of course, I asked who the makeup artist was, and they replied that THEY were the artists.

So, how do they make sure that they are all going to look cohesive? The Agency tells them to wear natural makeup and shows them how to apply it during orientation. They also show them how to do their hair properly.

No wonder models always look awesome, right?

Well, it got me thinking that as much as we read about makeup trends in fashion magazines, learn how to execute a smokey eye or draw an awesome cat-eye...clean and natural is always the way to go because it matches everything. I follow some street style blogs such as The Sartorialist, and whenever they show models in every day life they always have simple makeup.

So, in the past week I've experimented by not wearing as much makeup, and it's weird...I'm getting MORE compliments. Maybe Coco Chanel was really on to something, less REALLY is more.