Freelance Stylist
Henry Budd
Using a stylist is no longer limited to celebrities and the rich and famous. Freelance stylist Lissie Field says the people who use her expertise range from schoolteachers to lawyers.
“A lot of people think stylists are just for celebrities,”she says.
“But there is an arm to my business where I dress people for their job or a wedding or a specific event.”
Field consults with clients on image, including clothing, hair and make-up. For TV celebrities she sources the clothes to match the show’s style as well as the client’s image.
“Everybody is so critical of every move they make in terms of how they look so you really have to be spot on,” she says. “You need to be on top of it and cutting-edge, something that is going to be new and exciting.”
To keep up with trends, Field spends time viewing designer ranges and checking the latest European styles.
She accompanies private clients on shopping trips helping them choose the most appropriate attire.
“It usually starts with something specific, like an outfit for a job interview, and then moves into your casual wardrobe as well,” she says.
Field trained in beauty therapy before branching into fashion design.
“Studying fashion design you develop a knowledge of shape and how fabrics sit on the body,” she says. After completing her fashion design course Field landed her first job, in the wardrobe department at Sky Channel.
“I spent 12 years at Channel 10 before going freelance eight years ago,” she says. “I like the variety of combining fashion and TV in one.”
Occasionally, producers question the outfits she chooses for the on-air talent.
“They don’t realise it is an up-and-coming style so you have to explain what you are doing,” she says.
“It can be difficult to explain something to a numbers person when you are a visual person.”
How to be a stylist:
Qualification: Stylist Lissie Field says studying fashion design provides a great understanding of how clothes and fabrics suit different body types. There are several fashion schools in Sydney. TAFE’s NSW Fashion Design studio has produced names such as Lisa Ho, Alex Perry and Nicky Zimmermann. The Whitehouse Institute of Design also offers a range of courses in fashion design, and styling and design co-ordination.
Course description: TAFE says the advanced diploma course will give students a sound understanding of the various technical and creative aspects of working as an independent and entrepreneurial fashion designer. It is a three-year, full-time course.
Costs: Whitehouse Advanced diploma courses cost $16,500pa. The TAFE course costs $1302pa. Students have to cover the cost of materials and textiles.
Assumed knowledge: An HSC for TAFE. Students submit a portfolio of six works and are tested for “visual literacy”.
From the inside: Freelance stylist Lissie Field says becoming a good stylist takes a lot of practice and homework studying the latest trends.
“It takes a lot of experience and working with a lot of different people,” she says.
“You need to know what suit is going to look good on a six-foot-four [193cm] guy with a 46-waist [117cm], so you need to have that background in fashion design.”
More information: tafensw.edu.au, www.whitehouse-design.edu.au
