Freelance Assisting

Starting out as a freelance assistant you will need to have researched which stylist you would like to work for.  The first step is to look in the fashion directories and contact their agent – if they have one – to offer your assistance. The stylist will have a booker. Ring them, explain your aim and ask for their email address, then send in your CV and a covering letter to be forwarded to the stylist. Be persistent and keep calling (though get the balance right – don’t be a nuisance by calling every day). You want to appear eager and show that you want to work with that particular stylist. Research the stylist’s work and display that knowledge when speaking to the agent. 

When you get an assisting job, work as hard as possible so that the stylist recommends you to her agency. As you start to build a good reputation, more regular work will come in. Always try to work with two or three stylists to widen your pool of work – the point is that you should really have two or three stylists on the go. If one hasn’t any work coming in, chances are the other two may well have, which will mean that you should be constantly working too. You need to pay your bills and eat in order to survive the freelance world.

See below for a small list of agents that represent fashion stylists.