How to be a *great* fashion stylist assistant
Advice from the best stylists in the biz.
By Jorinde Croese
Want to be a great styling assistant? Start by forgetting the fantasy version of the role. According to the stylists we spoke to, the people who really stand out are not the loudest, the most performative, or the most plugged into fashion gossip. They’re the ones who are discreet, organised, calm in chaos, good with people, serious about references, and able to anticipate what’s needed before anyone has to ask (*pins please*). In other words: the ones who understand that great assisting is as much about judgment and character as it is about clothes.
To get more specific, we asked Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Alastair McKimm, Camille Bidault-Waddington, Akeem Smith, Fran Burns, Alexandra Carl, Lorenzo Posocco, and Anna Trevelyan what they actually value in an assistant – from underrated qualities to instant red flags. For anyone trying to break into styling, their answers offer a pretty clear message: being indispensable is rarely about being flashy.
“A lot of assistants don’t want to dedicate the time it takes to learn – there’s a lot of entitlement. So I would say humility is key.” – Alastair McKimm
Alastair McKimm
One underrated trait you wish more assistants had.
I still really believe in the apprenticeship journey. A lot of assistants don’t want to dedicate the time it takes to learn – there’s a lot of entitlement. So I would say humility is key. Other than that, patience, gratitude and respect.
One thing that instantly makes you trust someone.
I don’t trust anyone instantly.
One thing that makes you think: I wouldn’t work with this person again.
I have two things: entitlement and over-familiarity. Oh, and wanting to leave early. Our job requires dedication.
Akeem Smith
One underrated trait you wish more assistants had.
Reading the room.
One thing that instantly makes you trust someone.
Trust is a muscle quietly built and constantly tested. It deepens when someone chooses discretion, resolving things in private rather than on display.