School of Style

Yesterday we discovered a cool new boutique on Melrose called Zainab. For all of you working stylists out there, it’s right near People’s Revolution. It’s actually crazy that we have never been inside considering how often we are in the neighborhood for Class 2. But better late than never …

Zainab’s selection was out of control!! Every rack had amazing pieces and the shoes/ accessories were to die for. We were seriously freaking out at some of the great pieces, including these:

So please, stop reading this post and go shopping :) Oh and if you are out and about on Sept. 10th for Fashion’s Night Out, you should stop by Zainab because they are selling the FNO shirts.

Happy shopping!!

If you are anything like us and were glued to the Style Network back when The Look for Less and Fashion Trance were in full rotation, then you totally know and love Jess Zaino.

Jess is that girl with the bubbling personality and the style to match. She was one of the stars of Style Network’s Modern Girls Guide to Life (great show, btw) and has appeared as the on-air stylist for Style Network’s ‘How Do I Look?’ and ‘The Look for Less’. If for some reason you haven’t seen the Style Network (shame on you), then perhaps you have seen Jess on HSN, the TV Guide Channel, on USA, or on VH-1’s Glam God (where Luke Storey first met Jess).

Point we are trying to make is that Jess Zaino is an awesome stylist. A stylist that is so awesome that the world gets to see her on television on a regular basis. We got a chance to interview Jess for our Stylist Spotlight to find out what she is up to today and to find out how she got started as a stylist. Check it …

School Of Style: What made you want to become a stylist?

Jess Zaino: To be honest, it happened organically. I had an early gift for trend forecasting (mix & match colored high top Converse in 5th grade), paired with an insatiable relationship with pop culture, Old Hollywood and of course, Long Island Mall culture and its clothing. For me, as a Stylist, one thing fatefully led to another.

SOS: How did you get your start as a stylist?

JZ: I was hosting a music television show in NYC and making my wardrobe, deconstructed tees, that sort of thing. Kelly Osbourne was a friend of a friend and requested a few shirts for a tour. A Stylist was Born!

SOS: How long have you been styling?

JZ: I met Kelly in 2001 which was when I consider properly “dressing a celebrity”. Other than that, I’ve always been styling, son.

SOS: How long did you work as an assistant?

JZ: I didn’t. I jumped right in.

SOS: Where do you find inspiration for your work?

JZ: Everywhere. The streets of New York City. The Red Carpets of Los Angeles. My sister. My cutie boyfriend. Glossy, girly fashion mags. Google images of old Hollywood: Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, photographs by Ellen Von Unwerth, Annie Leibovitz, music and pure Rolling Stones, Madonna, Gaga, Cee-Lo Green, Beach Boys, White Stripes rock n’ roll, high concept marketing ads for high brow brands like Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo, the Latina mamis at the bodega on my street corner, people watching the NYU teens leaving the Forever 21 in Union Square.

SOS: What was your most memorable experience as a stylist?

JZ: The fan mail from my television appearances and the girls on the street who would stop me to say my unique style allows them to be themselves.

SOS: What was your most disastrous experience as a stylist? 

JZ: I worked a charity fashion show with Jason Bateman hosting and Iman Chanel walking. The steamer broke before the show and I had to hairspray all of the looks to de-wrinkle the clothes

SOS: Who are some of the people/clients that you have worked with?

JZ: Kelly Osbourne, of course. Fergie, Ashley Tisdale, Ashlee Simpson, Adrian Grenier, Janice Dickinson, Giovanni Ribisi, Eva La Rue, Marla Maples.

SOS: What is your greatest accomplishment so far?

JZ: Persistence.

SOS: Do you have a signature style?

JZ: Yes! Street Chic. A Little Black Dress paired with Nike Dunks, hoop earrings and Chanel Rouge Red Lips.

SOS: What is your favorite piece in your closet right now?

JZ: My Prada Virgin Lamb Wool Black Dress. J’adore. And my Jessica Simpson Cobra Over-the-Knee Riding Boot.

SOS: What trends are you loving right now?

JZ: Animal print on everything, especially a warm pashmina for fall. A trench. A faux-fur vest. Over the knee riding boots. Neon nails. Oversized neutral bag. Leather.

SOS: Any trends that you are completely over?

JZ: Believe it or not … jeans.

SOS: Name your favorite shopping destinations?

JZ: Bal Harbour Mall in Miami, Robertson Blvd. in L.A., the Smith Haven Mall on Long Island, Ha. Barney’s, Saks, Tiffany, Nordstrom, Zara, Forever 21

SOS: What qualities do you look for in an assistant stylist or an intern?

JZ: Someone who can quickly pick up how I work and fill in the blanks without my direction. Someone who lends their own style to a job yet still keeps working order.

SOS: What are your worst assistant pet peeves?

JZ: Laziness. Lateness. Excuses.

SOS: What’s your best advice for someone looking to get into wardrobe styling?

JZ: Start out working at a Department Store to learn brands, trends, fits, fabrics, pricing, it’s in all in one education before the job starts.

SOS: Where can we see your work?

JZ: I’m on Jess-Zaino.com, Facebook, Twitter, and other than that you can Google me ; )

It was a full house at Smashbox Studios this past weekend for School Of Style’s Class 1. Check out all of our awesome aspiring stylists for the month of August.

If you missed out, fear not because our next Class 1 in LA is on September 25-26th and on October 9-10th in NYC.

Hope to see you in class!

“Hi all! My experience at the School Of Style was by far the most informative session I have ever obtained in such a short period of time. The money was well invested and such an amazing value as the information you receive will take you years of experience to figure out as no one tells the nitty gritty details of becoming a stylist! What it really involves.

I strongly recommend this to aspiring stylists before you attempt an internship seriously as there is so much more to becoming a wardrobe stylist than you may think!!

Thanks school of style”

– Sarah G.

” I took the day 1 class and it rocked! I learned so much and the class has helped immensely in getting my career going. Worth every penny.”

– Ashley H.

” School of Style was the compass I needed to get me going in the right direction with my career as a stylist. The School of Style spares no detail in what you need to know about this career and while you have to do the work, they teach you everything you need to know to be successful.

Additionally, the School of Style has opened a multitude of doors and provided opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise be aware of. Seriously, School of Style is worth every pretty penny if you are serious about becoming a stylist.”

– Jamie S.

” What can I say about The School of Style? Really, I had such a great time, it was sick! Not only did I learn so much, but you are in a room full of life. Everyone who goes to The School of Style, goes because they are ready to take the steps necessary to get ahead. Thats what Luke and The School of Style offer. What meant even more to me is that it does not just stop or end their. Luke is cool and kind enough to help out even when you finish a class. He goes above and beyond to keep us connected and informed.”

– ROBERTO VINCENZO M.

“Thank you to Luke for putting this School of Style together. Honestly it was the first of it’s kind. And as an FIDM grad, I swear I feel I learned more in Luke’s Day 1 and 2 classes than I did in a year of FIDM schooling!

Luke’s teaching style makes him a natural. He is really easy to listen to, funny, smart, informative and most importantly..patient ;) He really seems to know his business inside and out!

I think Day 1 is great for people who are curious and maybe trying to get a real idea whether wardrobe styling is for them. Because if you make it to Day 2 you are already sold! I live in SF, so having a hands on tour of LA including secrets hot spot tips and how to get work done while avoiding traffic was a must!”

– Christina R.

“I was browsing through Craig’s List looking for a “stylist” job or anything close to it when I stumbled upon the ad for the School of Style. After going to the site and concluding that it wasn’t totally bogus, I finally forked over the cash to take all 3 days. This all happened within about 2 hours of debating and in the wee-hours of the night. Next morning feeling a little nauseated from the amount that I had spent so quickly and seemingly nothing to show for it and possibly concluding that this might have been a bad decision. Thankfully I quickly recovered and was so excited start and sad that I had to wait 2 more weeks til I could actually attend this elusive bootcamp of a class!

So finally the day had come and by the end of the day I had felt like it was the best chunk of cash spent! Luke is one of the coolest and down to earth guys you’ll meet which is super important because he lets you pick at his brain and ask him any questions about being a stylist. By the end of the day (a little over 8 hours) I was still wanting to learn more and was now super excited to see what Day 2 had in store.

Luckily, Day 2 was just a couple days after Day 1 and to my luck and the fact that I have my Blackberry glued to my hand 24/7 I was able to jump at the chance to attend Day 2 because of a last minute flake. WHOO HOO! Day 2 was even funner then Day 1! Who knew! It was an amazing learning experience and fun at the same time. Luke divulges all of the precious information of being a stylist!

I absolutely cannot wait for Day 3. Thank you so much Luke!”

– Jewell P.

“I’ve only taken day 1 so far, but planning to take day two and three as soon as I can! I learned so much in day 1, got amazing tips, that usually would take weeks or months to learn in an internship. It was a long day, but the whole day remained so interesting! Luke made it fun, and he shares great secret tips in the industry!”

– Maja A.

“Luke is a seasoned stylist and is willing to share his industry secrets for a price. Most stylists will make you intern or assist for years to get these insider secrets, but he will tell you in just one day…. something you really can’t put a price on, in my opinion. Who has time to waste finding out the hard way how to borrow and make returns at the costume houses and PR firms in LA?

He won’t teach you how to be a better stylist… which was actually a selling point for me because I feel I’ve got that part down, but he will give you the ins and outs of the business side of it, which is a much over-looked part of most classes in fashion styling/design, etc.

Lastly, he’s really serious about what he does. Obviously, the school is a business and he’s there to make the most of that, but he takes it seriously and if you do too, you will get a lot out of it. I would recommend this to anyone who is thinking about getting into the styling business… even if you decide you don’t like it after all, he’s saved you years of time wasted trying to figure that out.”

– Kelly D.

As stylists we are always looking for great new places to shop, both online and out in the wild. We recently came across a really cool site called Pretty Pennies. Pretty Pennies has awesome clothing that won’t cost you more than a few pretty pennies ;) Alright, maybe the clothes cost more than mere pennies but seriously … the clothes are super-hip and very affordable.

Pretty Pennies carries brands like Cheap Monday, BB Dakota, Dolce Vita, RVCA, Wildfox, Joyrich, and more. Since we are awesome we are hooking up our readers with a special 20% off discount. Simply enter “Schoolofstyle’ to receive 20% off of your purchase.

If you need any shopping inspiration, be sure to check out Luke and Lauren’s Pretty Pennies picks …

If you missed this weekend’s Class 1 at Smashbox Studios, you’ll be happy to know that the next Class 1 is September 25-26th. Registration is open today!

Class 1 (Classroom)

Date: September 25th-26th
Time: 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Location: Smashbox LA

REGISTER TODAY!!

One of our awesome grads shot and edited this great video of our ‘Class 3 Portfolio Shoot’. Check it out …

If you dig it and want to get in on some of the action, our next Class 3 is on November 13th.  Sign up today!

Friday, August 27th + Saturday, August 28th
12pm – 7pm on both days!
7428 Hollywood Blvd, #305
Los Angeles, CA 90046

All Jenny Dayco jewelry is 60% to 75% below retail!
All one of a kind, vintage jewelry is also on sale!
Prices starts at $10!

Cash only please!

Building is on southeast corner of Hollywood Blvd and Vista St.
Two hour parking is available on Vista St, until 6pm
After 6pm, park on Gardner or Hawthorne
Entrance to building is on Vista St.