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Anyone who’s watched The Rachel Zoe Show has probably gotten the impression that fashion stylists are responsible for at least a third of the carbon emissions in Los Angeles. Dresses, shoes, baubles and handbags FedExed by the dozens from New York and Paris, glanced at, and air-mailed back. Assistants in SUVs driving to every store in spitting distance of Beverly Hills. Countless cups of Starbucks caffeinating the frenzy for stuff, stuff and more stuff. But if fashion styling seems, unavoidably, to be profession all about more, Melissa Meister proves that real style comes from doing more with less.
It’s only recently that people outside the fashion industry have realized that styling is, you know, an actual job. But pretty much everyone is still a little fuzzy on what exactly a stylist does. So, what do you do?
It depends. If I’m working on a commercial, say, I’m pulling clothes from stores and showrooms that I use to create the look at the shoot. When I work with my clients, the process is similar, but it’s tailored to their personal sense of style. Like, right now I’m working a lot with Serena Williams, because she’s just published a book, and so she has a lot of press going on—talk shows, photo shoots, personal appearances.
Did you always want to be a stylist?
I always wanted to work in fashion in some capacity, but styling was something I kind of fell into. I was working as a commercial model and dancer in order to pay the bills while I made clothes in my garage, and I wound up making clothes for the Dixie Chicks to wear on tour. Their stylist kind of showed me the ropes—I assisted her for six months and then struck out on my own. But then, because a lot of my friends were producers and directors, I got kind of sidetracked into costume design. Now I do both. Like, I was the New York costume designer for Sherlock Holmes, which is how I met Guy Ritchie.
Most stylists get into the business because they want to work on editorial shoots, withmodels, or because they want to work with actresses and do red carpet. You seem to eschew both those things.
I’ve done that stuff, and I came out the other end of it feeling like it was a lot of smoke and mirrors. I had one of those crises, you know, where I was like, how do I make this work meaningful? To me, to other people. I’m very committed to the concept of service. And around the same time, I was educating myself about climate change and learning about all the things we should be doing to mitigate our impact on the planet, and it seemed like it would be a service to implement those ideas into my work.
Continue reading "Melissa Meister and Her Eco-Chic, Sustainable Style" »
Last night in Los Angeles, Alternative Apparel unveiled its latest fall/winter 2010 line to an audience of fashionistas, designers and Hollywood A-listers, introducing an eclectic collection of nostalgic pieces with a modern twist. Named after the new fall line, "The Show Must Go On" runway show took place at Alternative’s new L.A. showroom and delighted guests—the Twilight saga’s Nikki Reed, 90210’s Shenae Grimes, designer Richard Chai and Michael Rady of Melrose Place, to name a few—with a fashion carnivale of key trends for the upcoming season.
Inspired in part by the HBO series Carnivale, "The Show Must Go On" collection captures the sophisticated minimalism and enduring optimism of 1930s Americana and its wonderfully unique vaudeville culture. Here’s what our own founder and Chief Creative Officer Greg Alterman had to say about his latest vision: "The fall/winter 2010 line is all about street-wise sensibility with an edge. These pieces are chic, smart and practical—a much-needed response to the current economic climate and global value shift in the fashion world."
After the whimsical fashion show, guests enjoyed a cocktail party and music by Brent Bolthouse, along with a performance by the band The Walkmen. The event was a true success, thanks to director and producer Kelly Cutrone (who some of you may know from Bravo’s new hit TV series, Kell on Earth!).
See what others are saying about the show!
Greg Alterman and designer Richard Chai
Twilight's Nikki Reed
Check out more event pics at our Facebook photo gallery!
1. Fill out and submit the official entry form at www.alternativepparel.com/juliancasablancas.We'll select one winner from everyone who enters through the official entry form and another winner from all those who download our iPhone app. Hint: This means that if you have an iPhone, you can enter to win twice! If you've already downloaded our iPhone app, then you don't need to do it again—you're automatically entered!
2. Download the new Alternative iPhone app (it’s free!) at http://alternativeapparel.com/Customer-Service/iPhone/ and subscribe to our email list.
