How To: Be a Great Fashion Assistant

BRICKS Fashion Editor Baillie Jones gives us the rundown on how to be a great Fashion Assistant, alongside fellow stylists Mia Maxwell, Beccy Hill, Jemima Farrow, Megan Hunt & Molly Ashman.

If you want to be a great fashion stylist, the best way to learn is by immersing yourself on the job and learning from experienced stylists on set. I remember my first week working as a fashion assistant, and I didn’t know what was going on at all. There were assistants taping the bottom of shoes, suitcases being loaded up in a frenzy & stylists asking me to help with the carnet (I had had to do a quick google search of what that actually was).

As much as it was daunting at the time – and I made my fair share of mistakes – now reflecting on this time, it really was the best way to understand the importance of this role and the responsibilities involved. It’s almost a ‘fake it til you make it’ kind of attitude that gets you far; listening in closely to the way things around you are functioning will teach you everything you need to know.

As much as you are helping the stylist, they are helping you just as much by showing you how it’s done. From the more mundane things like emailing brands to pull samples, packing, unpacking & doing DHL returns to the excitement of the shoot day- watching how they work with the glam team on consolidating a look, how they fit the clothes to the models and how everything comes together on set to fulfill a creative vision.

Today, I want to share the most essential tips that I’ve learned from assisting on set, which have eventually led me to styling my own projects with my own assistants. Below, I’ve broken these down:

• Well-organised – the people that standout the most are the calm among the chaos and keep on top of everything. It’s important to ensure that the styling rail stays in the order of looks and that clothes and accessories aren’t being left all around the set.

• One of the most important qualities is to be good with people – this can go a long way in any job. It makes the lead stylist’s job much easier to have someone with good energy who gets along with everyone on set – although there is a limit here, and you don’t want to overpower the situation or be distracting on set. It’s all about balance!

• Bring your own kit to set always – it can be as simple as a bum bag with the following: fashion tape, safety pins, big clips, lint roller, scissors, pop socks, nipple covers and nude underwear. If you have these essentials down, you’ll be prepared for just about anything.

• Anticipate what’s needed before the stylist has to ask – grabbing the lint roller when the look is first on, pinning the back of a garment that you can see is too big, and most importantly, if the stylist is fixing a sleeve or tying a shoe, do the same thing on the other side of the model simultaneously for efficiency.

• Know that it is okay to ask question; the stylist would rather you ask questions than make a mistake but again there’s a limit. Don’t waste time asking silly questions that you probably already know the answer to, or interrupt the stylist while they’re working with another member of the team or talent. Sometimes, it’s best to just take a breath and think, do I already know this? If not, when can I ask this?

• Stay focused and be realistic – it’s great to have passion and care about your work as this will drive you but there are limits to this and it can be easy to get distracted or overwhelmed in a chaotic on-set environment. Most styling assistants will end up working late and having to balance multiple projects, but you can only take on what’s possible for you. I’ve seen far too often people being pushed to their limits and experiencing burnout, but I can see these expectations slowly changing, and I think it’s important to prioritise your health so you can do your best when you are able to.

I have asked 5 fellow stylists working in industry some questions about what they look for in a styling assistant and what makes them want to book someone again and again.