The Power of Styling Individuality

I had the pleasure of collaborating with Andrea Gallagher~ founder of the Better Business Babe, for her website revamp photoshoot. 

My role: Styling the Shoot

My name is Emily, and I am the founder of the Closet by the Sea, a universe of fashion and style. I am a stylist, personal shopper, closet editor, and I also sell gently used high end items. Fashion is truly my passion, and I love helping women achieve their best personal style.

On a Sunday afternoon, Andrea had selected a few amazing and unique ladies to be the faces of The Better Business Babe. Andrea’s vision was clear. She knew exactly the style and colors she was going for. She wanted to highlight the uniqueness of each of these ladies while keeping the imagery cohesive. I love when my clients know what they want. The models chose a word for their t-shirt that embodied them as business owners and women. 

BRAVE // FIERCE // AMBITION // VIBRANT  // FEARLESS // AUTHENTIC

I came in for the final touches. Since part of my business is selling high end pre-loved items, I carefully selected designer items that perfectly complimented the already chosen outfits and color scheme.  Shoe sizes, shapes, and color were all considered during my at home item selection.  For Andrea, I selected the most incredible pair of what I call “Party Pants.” The t-shirt being rather simple, I had no hesitation in adding the standout black and gold sequin pants. To keep the elegance factor though, I then decided Andrea’s shoes should be a little more low key to balance it all out. For the other ladies, I brought shoes in whites, blacks and golds~ Yes, Jimmy Choos, Manolos and YSLs were all present. Not only did they nicely complement the ladies’ choices of clothing, but what woman doesn’t love beautiful shoes?

I also brought accessories: bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Of course, while accessorizing, I very much valued the feedback of each lady. When styling, an essential part is not to get the client out of their comfort zone, and to respect their style preferences. I felt that my responsibility in this shoot was to bring out the best in each individual lady, while maintaining a cohesive look for the group. I apply this rule to my daily work as well.

“Style is very personal. It has nothing to do with fashion. Fashion is over quickly. Style is forever.”

– Ralph Lauren

It is important to note here that putting the final touches to the already chosen outfits was key. Small details make all the difference in fashion.  Many of the outfits had sequins, so I had to carefully balance the bling factor with accessories. We needed just enough to look put together, while avoid the carnival factor.

Once the girls were ready to go, my next responsibility was to style the actual shoot. At this point the styling is about the image in the actual picture. How and where do they stand? How do I best coordinate the colors and patterns together? I placed the women according to what they were wearing and had them stand in such a way as to look their best.

The final result was stunning: clean, elegant, and beautiful. It was a very fun and uplifting shoot.

Being amongst all these beautiful, inspiring women with their unique stories, was an honor. I love what I do, and am proud of my keen eye for fashion, however, none of it would have come together if it wasn’t for the clear vision of my client Andrea and her beautiful group of ladies.

Follow my personal style on Instagram @eurobusymummy