Put your hands together and welcome Jess Dempsey, author of the whatwouldkarldo blog! A big thank you goes out to Jess for her guest post about the Stylist Says Workshop, held during Melbourne Spring Fashion Week. Thanks for reporting on this event for the Style Emporium!
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In the eyes of the beautiful and talented, there is only one rule: what Philip says, goes! For many years now, celebrities, fashion editors and students have relied on Australian stylist Philip Boon to create and bring together successful, elegant and relevant looks for the red carpet through to editorial spreads.
On a wintery Melbourne day in Spring, dressed in an oh so subtle burst of pink CK statement blazer and his beaming personality, Philip Boon gave life and joy to an otherwise gloomy day hosting the Stylist Says workshop. In a room with approximately 60 fashionistas – men and women, bloggers, boutique owners and fans alike – we came to hear and absorb notes from the man himself and discover the path that lead him to his own workshop this day. The day was broken up into a workshop showcasing the main elements as a stylist with a visual parade, then a panel style Q & A with Philips friends and guests; vintage ambassador Candice DeVille, actress Daniella Farinacci and designer Jenny Bannister.
Philip Boon, a designer turned stylist, works in three main areas in the fashion industry – celebrity stylist, fashion stylist (editorial) and runway. In this intimate workshop, he broke down these three fields and presented the audience with examples of the three in a runway style performance.
The first: red carpet. The key to dressing a client for a big event is to identify the client first and talk to them. You are dressing a person; a personality; and for a dress code, so choosing the perfect dress for a red carpet means the celebrity needs to look the part with those things taken into consideration.
An Aurelio Costarella parade with two highlight pieces was a true example of what black tie red carpet attire should be. Despite his advice on never dressing a client in black (as they will have an unlikely chance of being published in print) the divine Costarella pieces were in fact, black. The main point Phillip stressed is “Black tie equals a long dress; the chance to dress up is so rare so embrace it.”
The next parade was Fashion Show looks, or putting together a designer’s collection for runway. Philip showcased examples of CK’s latest collection, showing highlight pieces. His advice for future stylists looking to land a runway job is to feature the designers key pieces and get the audience excited by the product by showing them how it should be worn.
Lastly, the editorial ‘wow’ factor came into play, with the models dressed in designs from Madame Virtue. Advice from the king himself when it comes to working on an editorial piece is to follow the brief you are given, push your boundaries and work with the designer – however you need to gain trust from them because sometimes the stylists vision cannot be seen until the photographs are in their hands. A stylist’s success is based on the relationship they have with the people they work with. Communicate, follow the brief, treat everyone with respect and be a people person.
The discussion panel was a fun and intimate way to hear tips and tricks and included stories from the three guests about their experiences using a stylist over the years. Candice DeVille, who was suitably dressed in vintage-esque lady like attire finished off with a lovely pair of elegant gloves, expressed her concern for the women in today’s society not making an effort, rather, suiting up in track pants and hoodies and believing there is no such thing as overdressed. This self confessed vintage fashion addict (with an amazing collection of vintage pieces) would rather bring in the bins in a 50’s style nightgown than a pair of old trackies and moccos and has been quoted saying that some women today have ‘no poise, no decorum, no underwear’.
Some words to live by according to Philip Boon:
• If you are the most over dressed person at a function and someone questions it, tell them ‘I am going somewhere better afterwards’;
• Dress with style;
• Dress for who you think you are;
• Stand back, look in the mirror and see your proportions;
• Make an effort;
• Leave your Haviannas at the beach – do not ruin a cute little dress by adding a pair of thongs;
and last but not least,
• Get noticed and make a statement with what you are wearing! It could lead to a great conversation with someone and it will leave a lasting impression!
Images thanks to The Stylist Says Blog
