FASHION STYLISTS: History, Meaning and Practice

Ane Lynge-Jorlén

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc., London, UK

Year 2020

Pages 321

Stylists have become increasingly influential in shaping fashion imagery. They have moved from the backstage, as unrecognised players, to the frontstage of fashion, becoming celebrated for their creative work as image makers for magazines, advertising and fashion designers. Yet little is known about the profession, its diverse incarnations and its aesthetic economy. Featuring contributions from leading experts and stylists, this book is the first to explore the history, meaning and practice of fashion styling through interviews and historic and present-day case studies. The book chapters span historical periods, cultural contexts and theoretical frameworks, employing a range of methodologies in the international case studies upon which they’re based. Interspersed with interviews with innovative fashion stylists working today, and drawing on examples from advertising, the catwalk and magazines, this book explores the challenges faced by stylists in a fashion system increasingly shaped by commercial pressures and by growing numbers of collections and seasons.