If you’re looking at the photos of Bianca and her range of celebrity clients above and thinking ‘wow, is this really her career?’ the answer is yes, it really is! #careergoals right? Take a short scroll on Bianca’s Instagram and you’re sure to recognise a famous client or two in her styling portfolio. From styling red carpet events to shooting with streetwear brands and most recently working with New York model Mary V, no two days are the same for Bianca since graduating ASI. But don’t just hear it from us, we caught up with Bianca as she shares more about her life as a stylist and her token advice for those of you with a dream of becoming one yourself.
Hi Bianca, thanks for sharing insight into your life as a stylist. For those who may not have met you before can you tell us about how Professional Styling became your career and some of the amazing styling opportunities you’ve had since then?
I decided to chase my dream of becoming a stylist and completed my Masters Certificate of Professional Styling at Australian Style Institute in November 2017 & since then have built a brand where I can now be selective with who I work with & what I want the Bianca Rose brand to represent. I am lucky enough to be the campaign stylist for Novo Shoes, & Celebrity Stylist to some media personalities like Ciarran Stott and Abbey Holmes. Most recently I’ve styled campaigns for both Culture Kings and Sheike Clothing too, so my job as a Stylist is varied and always creative.
You recently styled a photoshoot here in Melbourne which looked incredible! Can you tell us some more about this particular photoshoot and the vision for it?
As Covid was tough on our industry here in Melbourne, I felt it was fitting to reach out to a favourite designer of mine, Zian Couture, to help put the spark back in our industry. Zian was generous enough to custom make a selection of dresses to shoot with the amazing New York model Mary V. The vision was to create some beautiful editorial imagery using our quiet Melbourne city streets as the backdrop! What better of a time to shoot in Melbourne than when it’s quiet right?!
What a unique opportunity, quiet streets of Melbourne. So, how do you prepare for the shoot once a creative brief has been decided?
I am extremely lucky to have worked with, and built great relationships with some talented creatives, so I have a little team including an incredible Hair and Make up Artist Shiree Collier & Photographer Ryan Gill . We all share ideas and creative visions together and then try and bring them to life with each other!
Professional stylists often reach out to our ASI students for styling assistance on shoots, can you tell us a bit more about what you look for in a great styling assistant and who you chose for this particular shoot?
For this shoot, I needed styling assistants on the day and It was only fitting to contact some of the amazing ASI Students who have that practical and theoretical styling experience from their studies. It’s also the perfect time for them to learn & gain experience.
The first thing I look for in an ASI styling assistant is someone who is taking action with their own styling goals. For example, creating their own brand & taking the steps to learn and put themselves out there. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, I find it so important to help others gain experience. I assist on shoots too where I can because I find the biggest growth comes from watching how others work, there is always something to learn!
Sara De La Cruz , Anna Wells & Tamara Singh
Editorial Styling looks like a lot of fun and a dream for many fashion lovers and budding stylists. Can you tell us more about what it’s like as a stylist on shoot day (including the bits we don’t see!) and what it’s like seeing your vision come to life?
There is no greater feeling than seeing your vision come to life, it never gets old & is always as exciting as the next. I like to make sure everyone is having fun on the day as well as doing their role. You wear so many different hats on the day & the most important thing to remember on any shoot is be flexible and willing to make decisions on the spot. ALWAYS trust your instinct.
There’s obviously a lot to consider on shoot day. What are your tips for ensuring everything runs smoothly?
Be organised! As organised as possible! Spend all your time in the prep work & the day will run as smooth as possible!! Make sure you have enough help, we are so blessed to have an ASI community where so many aspiring stylists will put up their hand to be here to help and learn from you, use that! It gives me no greater joy to know that I am helping someone learn and give them the confidence to go and take a shoot on themselves.
Time management is also crucial & also knowing when to move on to the next look.
We often hear from stylists that every shoot teaches you something new. What was your biggest takeaway from this particular shoot?
If you are lucky enough to be the Creative Director on a photoshoot, you have the leadership to stop at any time for any reason. The day we shot the weather turned extremely nasty & our model was really starting to suffer from severe hay fever. We still had two looks to shoot but we had already shot 4 and that was enough to call it a day. The designer & team understood as it is our duty of care to make sure our models and everyone involved is not only safe but their wellbeing is of importance.
If you could offer any advice to those with a dream of becoming a Stylist, what would it be?
Take the leap. Enrol in an ASI course & take small steps. No-one says you have to be the next biggest thing straight away or quit your job. Just give it a go and you never know what magic you can create.
4 Fast Fire Questions for Bianca:
Q1. An item you didn’t know you needed as a stylist:
A: bath mat (best thing to use on the floor for location shoots because of the rubber on the back)
Q2. Go to hype song for shoot day:
A: Dancing in the moonlight – Jubel ft NEIMY
Q3. Strangest prop you’ve used for photoshoot:
A: A french bulldog
Q4. Best lesson you’ve learnt as a stylist:
A: Trust your instinct & know your worth. If you don’t believe in yourself how can anyone else?
Learn more about Australian Style Institute’s fashion styling courses by downloading your Free Course Guide here.
