Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Lyons.
Jamie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After graduating from university with an art degree, I knew I wanted to do something creative, but I didn’t know exactly what. I applied to several positions at Neiman Marcus, but after reaching out to a friend that worked there while I was waiting on a response, I ended up with my current agency instead. I will admit, that before being in the industry, I thought of a stylist as someone who only worked with celebrities or Vogue, or as a job that only existed in New York or LA and, while all of these things are true, there is much more to the industry than that, both in terms of jobs and geography. After signing with Seaminx as a styling assistant, an opportunity that I will be forever grateful for, I started assisting established stylists on jobs and learning as much as I could. Eventually, I started testing (styling photoshoots, usually for free, but to be creative and networking), and then finally moved up to being a lead stylist. Some of my clients include Neiman Marcus, The Container Store, Northpark Center, and Fossil.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest challenge for me was navigating the transition from assisting to styling. After establishing myself as an assistant, it took some time to reposition myself in a lead role. In terms of client perception, it’s not as simple as walking in the door an assistant one day and a stylist the next. I wish I could tell you I found the secret, but, in my experience, it’s just time. Working on different projects for a while before returning to previous clients really helps, both in terms of reframing and experience.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My agency represents stylists, set designers, styling and production assistants, and hair and makeup artists and tailors. As a stylist, I provide wardrobe for models on advertising or editorial shoots, usually based off of mood boards or a creative deck is given to me by the client. It’s my job to interpret that and find clothes and accessories to execute mine and/or the client’s vision. For an e-commerce job, such as the images you see when you are shopping online, the product is already there, and it’s my job to make sure it looks like it should, fits well, no wrinkles, etc. I also work on prop/product jobs where the items I am supplying are things like glassware and plates, or the things I’m styling are accessories like handbags and shoes that aren’t on a person. I also work on home jobs where I could be styling a room to sell a couch or styling out a walk in closet to give an idea of how it could be used. Personally, I am known for my minimalist, monochromatic aesthetic, although I cover many different styles in my commercial work. I am incredibly proud to be on a roster with such talented artists and to have such caring and savvy agents. I think both of those things set us apart.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I just had my first baby, my daughter Clara, almost exactly one year ago, so that’s been a huge (and wonderful) change! In the immediate future, I plan to keep balancing styling work with being a new mom. Other than that, who knows! Maybe working more with kids or in another city, or doing more projects with my husband, who is a photographer. That’s the beauty of freelance though, anything’s possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.seaminx.com
- Phone: 214-827-3010
- Email: hello@seaminx.com
- Instagram: @theanticolor (me) @seaminxartistmgmt (my agency)
Image Credit:
Geof Kern, Fredrik Broden, Jason Acton, Arturo Rodriguez, Nick Prendergast, Trevor Paulhus
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