Meet Paige Fletcher of Foodstylists.Com in Central

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Fletcher.

Paige, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started with an eight-year-old and an Easy-Bake Oven.

I thought I had “made it” at sixteen, when I was promoted from dishwasher to sandwich maker at a gourmet deli. As a student at Trinity University, a semester abroad in Europe opened my eyes to the vast world of food. A two-week cooking program in Italy led to the belief that a career in food was my future.

After an apprenticeship at the finest restaurant in town, I moved to New York to pursue my dream of cooking professionally at the Culinary Institute of America. The CIA opened doors to other culinary avenues: as a recipe developer in the test kitchen of Cooking Light Magazine/Time Inc, as a food editor in Chicago, and then as a lead food stylist for Meredith Publishing Corporation.

I moved to Dallas to start my award-winning food styling business…and I have never looked back. I style food for magazines, cookbooks, television, commercial advertising, web and packaging, focusing on inventive techniques and culinary creativity. My local, national and international clients value my exceptional and consistent work ethic, and diligent and attentive personality.

I travel the world in search of the most authentic recipes, the latest culinary trends and the most beautiful aesthetics, which I later bring to my family table and that of my clients. I reside in Dallas with my dear husband, two sons and boxer dog- the brightest lights in my life.

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?
Absolutely not! You have to move mountains to start any small business. And my journey was no different.

Though I had a vast portfolio from the publishing companies for which I had worked, the Dallas market was still very much focused on commercial versus editorial food styling in 2006. Many Texas photographers complimented me on my work; however, they weren’t quite ready to take a chance on “the new girl” in town. It was frustrating to have so much experience in my field, yet not be accepted into the local industry right away. But frustration only fuels my perseverance. I worked on many cookbook and magazine recipe development jobs to keep myself afloat the first year in business. By year two, a few “big name” photographers took notice of my work…and I began my full time food styling career.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with foodstylists.com – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
After styling as a sole proprietor for many years, I officially launched foodstylists.com in 2012. With a degree from Trinity University in secondary education, I had always tossed around the idea of starting a company where I could teach others the art of food styling. After hiring my immensely talented colleague, Claire Wilson, we decided we were up to the challenge of formally starting a food styling agency.

Foodstylists.com is the only styling company in the world that offers “tiers” of food styling/pricing. We start our employees as Assistant Food Stylists, and through a rigorous and detailed training program, employees can work up to a “Junior Stylist” title. As Junior Stylists, our employees can service clients who are in need of styling for social media marketing, editorial shoots and local/small restaurant brands. Once we and our clients see fit, an employee can move up to a Lead Stylist role. This process takes many years and much thought and consideration.

A Lead Food Stylist must be able to accomplish any task at any time, no matter how complicated or outlandish. We style for many of the largest international brands, and we do not take that lightly. Our answer is always “Yes! We can do that!” or “Our pleasure!”…we never shy away from a challenge. If you need a Thanksgiving dinner for a magazine cover, styled in the middle of a snowy Vermont forest, with no ovens or kitchen…well, we can do that!

We believe that everyday is an audition for our next shoot. When hiring a stylist from foodstylists.com, a client knows they will be given the highest level of professionalism, work ethic, focus and attention to detail. We take great pride and passion in what we do…and we have fun doing it!

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our current hashtag is #foodstylin5. Our team of 5 stylists has successfully serviced those in Texas and beyond. We are always looking for new talent wanting to get into the business. It isn’t an easy job. It takes a lot of determination and focus. Going forward, we hope to continue to train assistants and foster new styling talent locally and nationally.

I am looking forward to working with Dick Patrick on a new project in the pipeline. We just launched The Inside Scoop: Teaching the art of styling and shooting food for aspiring professionals, bloggers and food enthusiasts. Dick and I will be hosting a one-day, interactive styling and photography workshop in Dallas, Texas on June 23, 2018. The course will show students how to elevate their food photographs in a hands-on environment.

For more information, please visit: http://shootmechanics.com

Contact Info:

• Website: www.foodstylists.com
• Phone: 281-745-4781
• Email: paige@foodstylists.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodstylistsdotcom/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foodstylistsdotcom/?timeline_context_item_type=intro_card_work&timeline_context_item_source=676743124&pnref=lhc
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paige_Fletcher

Image Credit:
Photo Credits:
Dick Patrick
Ralph Smith
Manny Rodriguez
Michael Haskins
Benjamin Gibson

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.