Session stylist and groomer, Joe Mills, shares his experience and industry insights – and his tips for starting out in the world of session.
"Let's face facts, if you want a career in session styling there's likely to be unpaid work along the way. I've worked in session for twenty years and I still occassionally do unpaid work for the experience or the opportunity. But you have to know your own value and have an income stream that will support you in the beginning. We all need to pay our bills, even the most established session stylists still cut hair in a salon and have other business interests.
"My perspective is that the individual has to decide what a session career is worth to them financially. Are you happy to work collaboratively, sometimes for free or for the experience – at least at the beginning of your career? Being a successful session stylist is not just down to your skill or experience, it's down to your networking abilities, who you have assisted and what you have worked on. I think session success relies on how much you're prepared to put yourself out there. My first job at Fish back in 1991 came about after I phoned the manager and basically blagged it! That's often how it starts in session too. I'm not saying you have to 'fake it', but you have to put the time in, be seen at industry events, get to know photographers or fashion stylists and the session stylists you aspire to be. Don't pester people, but show you that you want it. You might just find yourself in the right place at the right time.
"When I started out we'd do 'go sees', taking our portfolios to face-to-face meetings. Now, we look at people's social media platforms. Your social profile is an amazing opportunity to show who you are, the quality of your work and what you want to do. But I think there still needs to be an element of personal connection and in-person communication. Just because someone's work is outstanding doesn't mean they are necessarily going to work well in a team or in a session environment.
"Therein lies another misconception about session styling. The term 'session' encompasses so many different areas – editorial shoots, fashion shows, TV, film, advertising campaigns, celebrity styling, music videos... they all fall under the session umbrella. But that's the great thing, there's so much opportunity to explore different avenues.
"Start out assisting people to make connections, but one thing I will advise is this – if you aren't being paid make sure you are being credited. There's definitely a part of the industry where getting paid less or not at all, is the norm. Sometimes the most creative jobs come with the least financial reward. Yes, there's elements of the industry where there isn't budget, primarily editorial, but can this help you create a portfolio? As a creative you need to assign your own worth and if it is an unpaid job, how is it serving you? You have to look at the bigger picture. There's a wider conversation to be had too – how do we value ourselves as hairdressing professionals? Remember you need to look after yourself.
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