By Taj Minter Naughton
Tell us a little bit about you and why you got into styling? Hello! My name is Claude (they/them). I’m a 21year old Capricorn who loves running in the bush, painting, writing, making music and dressing humans. I got into styling from an impulse one day. I had the tickle in my brain and my super amazing friends gave me the opportunity to try styling for their entry into a hair competition and I LOVED IT.
Why do think it is so important to have a stylist on a photo shoot? Stylists are essential for managing the clothing/accessories on a shoot. Stylists help at all stages of creation, from creative direction, to client comfortability, and shoot coordination. The list goes on.
What is it like being a stylist in Sydney? It’s easy and hard. I find a lot of younger creatives are eager to collaborate with new people at all stages in their career. However these aren’t paid gigs. To make money you have to find an in into the industry, which is hard. The industry itself is also extremely problematic so finding a sustainable, supportive, paid environment for a young creative like myself is rare.
How do you think we can make Sydney photography scene more creative in terms of styling? COLLABORATION! As young up and coming creatives we should not be supporting big expensive brands with huge reach. We should instead highlight the hidden talent in our own city. Reach out to stylists and designers and collaborate!! Shoot your shot with everyone and come together to create a combined vision. Other creative catalyst are to Embrace upcycling and innovate within this space. Making something new out of old and recycle recycle recycle.
