A few questions for the stylist

The stylist Maya Starovoitova will tell the readers of mystylex.techinfus.com/en/ about the work of the stylist and the fashion trends of the coming summer. Maya is a fashion stylist. Her work is magazine and commercial photography.

What is a stylist? What does a stylist do? What is his job?

A stylist is a person who creates images, like an artist with paints and a poet with words. I work as a fashion stylist, these are the people who work on magazine and commercial shoots. My task is to come up with images: choose clothes, shoes, accessories, think over the options for makeup and hairstyles. Very often you have to select models and locations.

This shot is very old, but still one of my favorites. It's called The Queen. It seems to me that many people still associate it with me.

What knowledge and skills should a person positioning himself as a stylist have?

First of all, knowledge about fashion - how, what, where and when. You can write here for a long time, but I know for sure that very rarely something is superfluous. Also, it seems to me, a stylist should love cinema, there is always a lot of inspiration and interesting solutions, to be aware of all trends in music, since music and fashion are inseparable.

Art and history, of course. Being aware of the latest events is also good, because you often need to reflect current trends.

Skills ... You can, of course, talk about the correct combinations of colors and textures, but I am against frames. In general, the best thing for a stylist is practice.

It was a lot of fun filming with real skaters training on the ramp that day. I wanted to play on contrasts, so there were similar combinations - sequins and an army parka with rough boots.

Why did you choose this particular profession?

Because I have always loved fashion, music and cinema. But I am not talented enough in these areas, so I try to express myself and create something in this way.

I like doing filming based on movie characters. You develop your imagination a lot, because usually 1-2 images appear in the film, but 6-8 need to be done. This footage was inspired by the protagonists of the films A Clockwork Orange and Mad Max.

Where and from whom did you study?

I took courses back in 2008, but I can't say that they changed my life. All these years I have been engaged in self-education. I just love my job and fashion, so I don’t regret the effort and time spent.

Do you work directly with clients - do you provide individual stylist consultations?

Not yet, and I'm not sure if I'll start. The point is that I try not to judge and evaluate people. Every person has the right to dress as he wants. There are, of course, exceptions, for example, public people or dress code, where the help of a stylist is needed.

I always use myself as an example. I'm sure a lot of stylists would dress me up as a client in fitted wrap dresses as this will make me look better, but what if I rarely feel comfortable in it? Better, perhaps, to remain yourself.

I collected trash for shooting exactly one month. I love contrasts, so all the images were restrained and monochromatic. A headband with feathers, which I made myself, complements the image, I can't even explain why I wanted to add it.

Tell us about your blog. A couple of years ago you became the winner of the Fashion Blog Competition BFW. Can we say that the blog has played a big role for you in the interaction / acquaintance with the world of fashion?

Yes, this was the first blogging contest BFW (Belarus Fashion Week), no one remembers about it anymore. The victory gave me vitality, restored the belief that in the end hard work pays off.

At one time, I started a blog in order to share the information that I looked through every day, to practice understanding the collections.Of course, because of my critical manner, I met some designers, and because of this I never spoke to some. Here, on the contrary, my interest in fashion motivated me to blog.

Is fashion and style something opposite or interacting? Can you be stylish without following fashion?

Fashion is business, style is self-expression. But this is a formula for success when fashion and style interact. For example, it is ideal for any brand to show completely different collections, but they are all united by the corporate identity and their own chips.

I think the influence of fashion on your own style is always interesting. I see trends as extra inspiration for my wardrobe.

This shoot is inspired by the singer Björk, and in every frame there is a reference to the photo sessions with her. It was very interesting to prepare and compose all this.

Almost one month is left until spring. What will be fashionable this spring and summer? What are the main trends of the upcoming season?

Tons of ruffles, ruffles and flounces await us in the new season! On blouses, skirts, dresses and, for the most daring, trousers. The lingerie trend will again be in the spotlight with the Balenciaga and Givenchy collections.

This season, white shirts with interesting sleeves of various shapes are the trend, not the base. Of the accessories, the hottest is the choker, but not the 90s version, but the elegant and feminine options that gracefully accentuate the neck.

In this shoot, I wanted to do something crazy as a stylist - to combine colors and prints.

Who is your style icon?

There are a lot of them! I am constantly on the lookout. My favorites now are Rosie Hungtington Whiteley and blogger Maja Wyh. And also the following people influenced my style - Alison Mosshart, Keith Richards, Kate Moss, Nicole Richie, Rachel Zoe, Erin Wasson, Ruby Aldridge, The Veronicas, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Olsen sisters, Leandra Medine.