Shazia Aggarwal : Stylist

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parambyte
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Shazia Aggarwal : Stylist

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Shazia Aggarwal was born and brought up in the bustling city of Mumbai. Her life long fascination with clothes and styling lead Shazia to pursue styling celebrities and models as a profession. Armed with a Bachelor's in Mass Media she landed   a job in a reputed International company like Elite Model Management Pvt.Ltd, where interacting with top models, photographers and influential people was a daily affair. This insight and exposure, coupled with invaluable knowledge about the world of fashion & styling, lead her into doing a course for International Professional Styling at London's prestigious University ‘Central Saint Martins' .

 

With a professionl degree under her belt Shazia went on to work with top-notch international, companies and brands like Zerofriction-Versace Hong Kong, IBIBO, Play TV and styling for personal portfolio's. This rich experience gave her an opportunity to work for a Bollywood banner where styling for 35 characters, making over 3000 costumes and working with known celebrities like Kirron Kher, Lillette Dubey,Tanushree Dutta, Farroque Shekh etc. Her work over time, has earned Shazia a stellar reputation in the fashion industry.

 

However, with the belief that the same dynamic services and knowledge should be available to the common person, Shazia co-founded Revive My Vibe. Through this service she aims at providing a response to the growing need for style and image assistance to individuals. She also hopes to inspire a sense of individuality; confidence, style, pride and expression in people through their personal appearances.

 

 

Why are you a stylist? What inspired you?  

From the time I can most remember fashion has always been part of my upbringing.Fashion has always been an interest of mine My mother is a fashion designer and i have always been around clothes,jewelry,accessories and things related to fashion. After completing my B.M.M( bachelors in mass media ) i went to London Central Saint martins and got a professional styling degree after which I got a job at Elite Model Management as a booker and It was whilst I was working with Elite that I realized the necessity and relevance of the work I do today. I always loved fashion and working in that kind of industry where you have access to fashion and celebrities made me stronger to pursue a career in image consultation.It was also a perfect outlet for my shopaholic tendencies. However, i didn't want to go down the beaten path and join the expanding herd of fashion stylists. My need to make a difference was the motivation behind focusing on the ‘aam admi'. At that point, Image Consultancy was not an established profession. After through research and meeting master trainers in the field, I decided to tread down this path. How one looks greatly impacts how people feel about themselves, therefore looking good can work wonders on peoples' state of mind and confidence. Not everybody has the advantage of airbrushed images and a staff dedicated to making them look good. My aim is to make fashion more accessible and to identify and equip people with the knowledge and tools they need, so that being stylish and looking good becomes effortless.

 

 

Have you always wanted to do something creative?

Yes I've always wanted to do something creative but I just didn't know what it was. Once I joined the fashion industry there was no looking back for me since then be it styling celebs,movies,individuals,weddings, I love it with all my heart, work with passion and look forward to every day and the challenges it brings.

 

 

How did you get your first break as a Stylist?

I worked as an assistant stylist on a Bollywood movie which gave me immense experience and confidence to pursue this field and then on it was a trickle effect from styling luxury brands to personal portfolios to individual styling. 

 

 

What are the qualifications to become a good stylist?

The more experience you have the better. Having a sense of style and a keen eye for colour is paramount. Having a good head for business and how to deal with people is key too. Working in some type of fashion field will be of service to you. Taking a course in image and fashion consulting is a must.

 

 

Who would you love to style most? Your dream assignment?

I would love to style Kate Moss,Victoria Beckham and Sonam Kapoor love their fashion sense.

 

 

What are you working on right now?

Recently I have started wedding consultation as part of Revive My Vibe's services 

So that keeps me plenty busy apart from that I am revamping my website and in talks of styling a music video at the moment.

 

 

How do you feel about the your industry today?

I feel today, the demand for quality image consultants has risen to a new high as new markets have emerged. The competition is fierce as a plethora of highly qualified candidates seek new jobs and need to differentiate themselves from the competition. Personal and professional development skills become critical in such a climate. From our point of view as an industry this is good news! The definition of image consulting has broadened beyond “makeovers” to include behavior, civility and etiquette, body language, interview skills, communication, presentation, and personal branding.its come a long way from what it used to be in India.

 

 

Was there any time when you felt like quitting?

I haven't felt like quitting as per say but there have been times where i have faced a lot of challenges. I work with a great deal of women and men with figure challenges. One of my biggest challenges is to find the right wardrobe for them off the rack. I often will have a look and style in my head and I will have difficulty finding my vision as sizes in India aren't constant so it can sometimes be about compromises.

 

 

What would you advise young professionals about joining the industry?

As a personal shopper, you have to be careful not to put your own personal style on to the person you are shopping for. The client comes first. You are attracted to the things you like, but you have to consider the lifestyle and activities of the person you are buying for.One has to work hard to come up with something new and unique for each individual to give them their own personal touch to any fashion trend. You must be well trained in the image service/services you are going to be providing. Clients come to image consultants in distress and having excellent training will help you guide them to their full image potential. Also figure out who is your ideal client and try to niche yourself. I know this sounds cliché, but you must love what you do, or what's the point! I am constantly learning and evolving. I sacrificed a lot over the years and most of the time it was well worth it. 

 

 

Do you work on feature films as well?

I have worked on one feature film but realised that more than films I enjoy styling regular people, having clients tell me of their successes. I love to hear about the compliments they are receiving about their new enhanced image. I know I make a difference for my clients and a smiling, happy client is worth his/her weight in gold. 

 

 

For feature films, do you get the complete script in time? Do you get to have enough dialogue with the Director, Cinematographer and Production Designer to come up with a relevant styling for the film?

Yes it's very important to be in-sync and on the same page with the director and production designer otherwise working and getting the final results can look difficult.

 

 

What are your favourite films for costumes in India?

I loved Jodha Akbar and Dhoom3.

 

 

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Revive My Vibe believes that there are three keys to personal styling; getting to know you, using the power of styling to suit your body shape and proportions.

This company is focussed on delivering styling tips to the reader and describing how the latest trends can be adapted to your age and lifestyle. We offer reports on the feedback that we have received from our consultations with clients and new seasonal updates of what to have and what not to . Revive My Vibe hopefully ensures to helping more number of people discovering how to style themselves,looking,feeling confident and good about themselves.

 

 

Would you want to launch your own label?

I already have! Revive My Vibe is my baby a dream come true :)

 

 

What's the last book you read? Movie? Music?

The latest book I have read is called " Not without my daughter" beautiful touching story.

 

 

Who would you like to take out for dinner?

I would love to take out Rachel Zoe.    

 

Whats on your iPod?

Calvin Harris,Rihanna ,Ellie gouldin, honey Singh and cold play. 

 

 



 



 



 

 



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User avatar
aditi
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Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:37 am

Shazia Aggarwal : Stylist

Post by aditi »

Hey Shazia! Very nice work. I wish I could see more images of your work...

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