Stylist Spotlight: Haidee Findlay-Levin
It’s been a minute since we’ve featured a stylist in our Stylist Spotlight, so we’re making up for lost time with an incredibly talented stylist, Haidee Findlay-Levin. Haidee is next level talented who has worked with the world’s best photographers, models, magazines, celebrities, and musicians (psst – she also uses School of Style graduates as interns). Haidee took the time out of her extremely busy schedule to chat with us about how she got her start, what inspires her, what she looks for in an assistant stylist, and much, much more. Keep reading to learn more about Haidee and to see some of her incredible work.
School of Style: What made you want to become a stylist?
Haidee Findlay-Levin: It was accidental. My intention was to be a film director or photographer. When I started out, in South Africa, I did it all; I made and styled the clothes and then took the picture.
SOS: How long have you been styling?
HFL: Too long!
SOS: Who are some of the artists that you have worked with?
HFL: When I first moved to the US form London I was as fashion editor for SPIN magazine, so I was working with a lot of musicians. The most challenging of all were Whitney Huston and Trent Reznor/Nine Inch Nails. But now I tend to work with more actors (Ashton Kutcher, Ewen McGregor, Raiph Fines, Chris Pines) and actresses (Cameron Diaz, Rachel Weiss, Kristen Scott Thomas, Eva Longoria, Joy Bryant, Vanessa Hudgens, Tina Fey and Helen Mirren).
SOS: Who have been some of your favorite directors/photographers to work with?
HFL: I have had the experience and sometimes pleasure of working with Steven Klein, Annie Liebowitz, Terry Richardson, Marcelo Krasilcic, Anouschka Blommers and Niels Schumm, Cedric Bouchet, Maciekj Kobielski Karen Collins, Matthew Brookes, David LaChapelle, Michelangelo di Battista, David Slyper, Horst Diekgerdes, Kevin Mackintosh and Anne Menke, amongst others.
SOS: How did you get your start as a stylist?
HFL: I had studied film and costume design at University with the ultimate intention to direct. I began working in the film industry on costume and sets. I was asked to cover for a fashion director on a magazine for a few months. After 3 days she was made editor and I took her job as fashion director. Into the deep end, I went.
SOS: How long did you work as an assistant?
HFL: I never assisted anyone, I had to learn from my own mistakes.
SOS: Where do you find inspiration for your work?
HFL: Mostly from travel (which I do extensively), from film, art and fashion history. Vintage clothing is a wonderful source of inspiration; I am constantly trawling flea markets and vintage fairs.
I firmly believe that without an understanding of what went before, you cannot create something truly modern.
SOS: What was your most memorable experience as a stylist?
HFL: My most memorable experiences usually involve traveling to far flung destinations such as Mongolia, Bolivia, Cuba, Iceland or some remote part of India for Japanese Vogue, and then trying to style the locals while simultaneously taking inspiration from the locals, in order to style the models.
SOS: What is your favorite aspect of the job?
HFL: Travel, working on shows and on developing a collection with the designer.
SOS: What was your most disastrous experience as a stylist?
HFL: Fedex losing an Issey Miyake dress. It was an archive piece that was on its way from Africa to Paris for Irving Penn to shoot as part of an exhibit there. The dress was later found in Canada.
SOS: What is you least favorite aspect of the job?
HFL: Returns. Paperwork, budgets and receipts.
SOS: What is your greatest accomplishment so far?
HFL: I don’t believe it’s happened yet.
SOS: Do you have a signature style?
HFL: Yes. It’s strong and bold, but clean. My personal style always involves a pair of glasses.
SOS: What is your favorite piece in your closet right now?
HFL: It is usually shoes or glasses – White Celine platform shoes and my new flesh pink metal glasses.
SOS: What trends do you love right now?
HFL: I don’t follow trends, but I am always excited by big volumes.
SOS: Any trends that you are completely over?
HFL: What I call ‘Rock and Roses’. I cannot stand anything with a skull or a cross. Not in jewelry, not in a print, not ever.
SOS: Name your favorite shopping destinations?
HFL: It usually involves 18 hours of travel to some obscure destination and buying it off a local person who is wearing something I haven’t seen anywhere before.
SOS: What qualities do you look for in an assistant stylist or an intern?
HFL: Someone who is smart, uses initiative, is very organized and with good computer skills. Someone who has a good work ethic – the hours can be long and hard.
SOS: What are your worst assistant pet peeves?
HFL: Those with a sense of entitlement, otherwise know as “lazy”.
SOS: What’s your best advice for someone looking to get into wardrobe styling?
HFL: Research, research and more research. Read books go to libraries and see old movies, new movies and foreign movies. Study photography and the work of important photographers. Go to art galleries. Its not just surfing the internet, you need to look at people on the street. Its important experience the culture.
SOS: Where can we see your work?
Miguel shooting Lynn. Lynn wearing Rodarte and Alexander Wang
Lynn wearing Haider Ackermann, Armani, and super cool sequin pants
How cool is that Givenchy necklace?
Majorly heavy Gasoline Glamour necklace/ shirt
You’ve gotta be strong that wear that piece- it’s seriously heavy!
How amazing is this wool cut-out dress?
Leather sleeves are all the rage right now
AMAZING = Givenchy leopard leggings
So amazing we have to look at them twice
Makeup artist doing her thing on Leven
Lauren’s taking care of business during downtime on set
Hair stylist making sure each hair is perfectly in place
