For me black history month is not only about remembering important people and events from our history, but also celebrating important people of today. This month's series of Style Crush will feature Black Fashion Stylists. As much as I adore June Ambrose, there are so many other talented stylists in the industry, who work extremely hard, but are more behind the scenes.
I chose to spotlight Fashion Stylists because more often than not, they get overshadowed by designers or the client they are styling. The stylist is so key because they get the designer's collections to the public, they create an image for music artists, the stylist takes a concept and turns it into a look for magazines, fashion shows, etc. and 9 times out of 10 they also do some sewing and other tricks to prevent wardrobe malfunctions. Fashion styling is very near and dear to my heart, it was a dream of mine to become a stylist, and with lots of hard work, ChristinaKristin has had some awesome opportunities with styling. As a bonus I will feature our work at the end of the series. Alright, so get ready for some serious style in this series over the next 2 weeks.
First up is:
Ty Hunter
Photo Credit: www.jetmag.com
This stylish gentleman is stylist to the world's most recognized soul/pop vocalist, Mrs. Beyonce Knowles-Carter. Yes, he is responsible for the fierce style she displays every time we see her. He came from humble beginnings, he was working at a trendy boutique called Bui-Ya-Kah in Houston, Texas, he assisted customers including Tina Knowles. During his time at the boutique he would put aside clothes for a local group known as Destiny's Child. One day he called Ms. Knowles (Tina), the groups head stylist and asked if she needed a hand and the rest is history.
I took some excerpts from an interview Ty did on examiner.com, I will put the link at the end of this post.
Did you ever imagine you would be where you are now? What were your plans as a child for your future?
- I was always into fashion growing up. My Mom would always ask me my opinion on what she should wear when I was growing up. I was voted best dressed a lot in middle and high school. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be where I am today. There weren’t a lot of celebrities coming out of Texas growing up.
I was informed that you got your start off of a whim with an encounter with Beyonce’s mom, please expand on this. What were your thoughts at this time, and what made you decide to stick with it?
- I was doing Visual Merchandising at boutiques in Houston, TX, and Miss Tina would come in and shop for the four girl’s of Destiny’s Child. She would always come in asking me for my opinion. The girl’s would all come in by themselves to shop. I met Michelle first, then Kelly and lastly Bey. None of them knew we all knew each other. So, one day Miss Tina told me, “I’m gonna get you out of here.” And two weeks later I was at the Grammy’s, and the rest was history.
What advice do you have for those looking to get into the fashion industry? When is the best time to start?
- My thing is to really believe in yourself. Do not let your environment keep you from doing what you want to do. I never thought a little boy from Texas would be styling one of the biggest pop groups and stars in the world.
What an inspiring story!!! Now on to the style...
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| Photo Credit: www.necolebitchie.com |
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| Photo Credit: www.bgclive.com |
Photo Credit: www.idyck.com
For the full interview go to: www.examiner.com
Until Next Time,
*Chris*
