Earlier this year, we were thrilled to welcome international fashion stylist Emma Pritchard to be our guest for one of our Careers Cafés. Emma originates from Pontypool, but now lives and works in New York being one of the leading names within Fashion Stylist circles. She took time out of her incredibly busy schedule to tell us more about her life and career.

Emma started her journey studying at Caerleon completing a degree that combined both Fashion and Graphic Design. Like many students, Emma did not know exactly which path she wanted to pursue after university. However, after a conversation with one of her lecturers, Emma took a huge deep dive into the unknown and relocated to Singapore. It was here that she continued to work in graphic design whilst building up a portfolio of contacts and met a number of interesting people. Emma had always been interested in fashion and styling and utilised these skills in her day-to-day wardrobe. This was spotted by a friend of a friend at a party who asked her if she had considered working within Fashion Styling. After this chance conversation, Emma relocated once again to New York where she currently lives and works.

Emma’s work ranges so drastically that no two days are alike; one day she’ll be dressing celebrities for the red carpet and the next could be working on an advertising campaign. Emma must take into account which specific clothes and colours would work with each individual client. She has most recently been working closely with Miss Universe, styling her for a number of photo shoots and events. This has involved utilising aspects of her Indian heritage through colour and design in the way Emma dresses her. The fashion industry is incredibly fast paced, especially where Emma lives in New York, so she ensures that she is always on the ball whilst being friendly and approachable to put clients at ease. Where print media used to dominate the industry, it is now social media that is one of the most important tools for a fashion stylist. Instagram and other social media platforms are not only useful for networking and demonstrating your creativity but are also needed to tag fashion houses or designers in photos where their clothes have been used. 

To work in this field, Emma suggests firstly understanding what the job entails. Many people have a love for fashion without realising that a lot of work in this area involves scheduling, time management, planning and administration tasks. You must understand the journey that clothes take before they end up on the red carpet, as it is a long and not always easy road.  She also recommended reaching out to people that you admire and asking them for any advice or tips. This is easier than ever before with social media being a great tool to utilise and to build relationships with other members of the fashion community. In fashion styling, you must be able to build relationships as these skills will be vital in this industry for both clients and companies. Emma emphasises that anyone can work in this industry, as long as you are passionate, dedicated and willing to learn from those who already work in the field.

A HUGE thank you to Emma for taking the time to speak with us and for giving us a unique insight into her career. When we invited Emma to a careers cafe earlier in the year, she made sure to answer each of the questions from the attendees and we were so grateful for giving us her time. It was an invaluable session and we hope to work with her again in the future.