Happy Monday! It’s time for another Stylist Spotlight. Today we are interviewing stylist Simone Harouche. Simone is a big time stylist, she was named one of the top 25 stylists by the Hollywood Reporter. Yep, kinda a big deal, which makes us extra happy that she took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to talk to us. Simone styles some of Hollywood’s and music’s biggest stars. She is the stylist to Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Nicole Richie, and Ashley Tisdale (but don’t even begin to think that the list ends there).

In this interview, Simone dishes on what inspires her, what she looks for in an assistant stylist, and what she is up to today. Just keep reading to find out all of that and much more.

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

Simone Harouche: I love fashion. Its in my blood. My dad, and sister are both in the fashion industry. It was only a matter of time till I found my own niche in fashion.

How long have you been styling?

7 years.

Who are some of the artists that you have worked with?

Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Richie, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, Demi Lovato, Kim Kardashian, Avril Lavigne, Good Charlotte,Panic at the Disco, and Nicole Scherzinger.

Who have been some of your favorite directors/photographers to work with?

Ellen Von Unwerth, Mert & Marcus, Mathew Rolston, and Rankin.

How did you get your start as a stylist?

To make a long story short, I knew Christina Aguilera socially and she liked my style. She would always ask me to do little things for her- but I was scared because I was still assisting and didn’t think I could do a huge pop star all on my own. But she was very persisitent and kept asking me to do little jobs, and then she asked me to help with Album packaging for “Back to Basics” which was gonna be shot by Ellen Von Unwerth!!! I was so scared, but I couldn’t say no. it was an amazing opportunity!

How long did you work as an assistant?

2 years

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

All over… from movies, to music, to history, and always from travelling. Travelling really gets my creativity flowing!

What was your most memorable experience as a stylist?

Working with the Rolling Stones!!!

What is your favorite aspect of the job?

I love that in styling you can really let your imagination run wild. You can create imaginary worlds where anything is possible.

What was your most disastrous experience as a stylist?

I plead the fifth.

What is you least favorite aspect of the job?

Schlepping all the garment bags! People don’t realize how much stuff you have to lug around. Its crazy.

What is your greatest (styling) accomplishment so far?

Being named one of the top 25 stylists in Hollywood by the Hollywood Reporter! That was really gratifying for me.

Do you have a signature style?

I would say my signature style is bohemian with a little bit of rock and roll.

What is your favorite piece in your closet right now?

My Balenciaga black leather motorcycle jacket.

What trends do you love right now?

I love all the bright colors that are happening in fashion. Nothing helps an outfit like a bright pop of color in a shoe, handbag or accessory!

Any trends that you are completely over?

Feather hair pieces.

Name your favorite shopping destinations?

Tokyo and Paris!

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

To be a great assistant / or intern, you have to be super eager and willing to put in extra hours. You also have to be super organized.

What are your worst assistant pet peeves?

Assistants that talk over you, or think they know more than you do. Your job as an assistant is to be listen and learn by watching.

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

Intern, intern, intern! Don’t be afraid to work for free to get some experience and face time with a stylist. I had to do it, we all did. And if you are good, your boss will notice and snatch you up fast!

Where can we see your work?

Right here on Margret Maldonado.

It’s been a while since we’ve featured a stylist in our Stylist Spotlight but we are back with a great one! Today we are spotlighting Negar Ali.

Negar is a ridiculously talented stylist who has worked with some major A-list celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Hudson, Eva Mendes, Tom Hanks, and Beyonce. Just to name a few. Not only has she worked with some major celebs, her work has been featured in major publications such as Elle magazine, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, In Style and W.

Impressive, huh? Well that’s just the tip of iceberg. Keep reading to find out how Negar got her start, what she has been up to during the last 12-years of her styling career, what she looks for in the perfect stylist assistant, and much more.

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

Negar Ali: Originally, I wanted to be a foreign correspondent!! I was living in New York at the time and all of these incredibly renowned stylists like Edward Enninful and Carine Roitfeld were asking me to assist them on shoots. I did and I really loved it. That was over 12 years ago.

SOS: Who are some of the artists that you have worked with?

NA: Reese Witherspoon, Eva Mendes, Keira Knightley, Jennifer Hudson, Tom Hanks, Usher, Rihanna, and Beyonce.

SOS: Who have been some of your favorite directors/photographers to work with?

NA: Mario Sorrenti, Michel Comte, Mark Seliger, Carter Smith, Rankin, Norman Jean-Roy, Jill Greenberg, Bryan Barber, Anthony Mandler, Liz Freidlander … The list is very very long.

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

NA: While in college, I worked at PAPER magazine and that’s where it all began.

SOS: How long did you work as an assistant?

NA: 2 years

SOS: Where do you find inspiration for your work?

NA: I do tons and tons of research, old movies, books, in nature, on the street. There is inspiration everywhere, if you pay attention.

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

NA: Costume designing a film called the Living Wake in Maine. I met my husband!

SOS: What is your favorite aspect of the job?

NA: I have had the pleasure of collaborating with incredibly talented and brilliant artists. The collaboration and the process of creating with people whom I admire is what its all about.

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

NA: Being tremendously over-budget is never fun.

SOS: What is you least favorite aspect of the job?

NA: Schlepping!

SOS: What is your greatest (styling) accomplishment so far?

NA: Even on the smallest jobs, there is always a bit of magic that takes place. My hope is that there is something in the looks/images I create that may inspire others. That to me is the ultimate accomplishment.

SOS: Do you have a signature style?

NA: I am a chameleon. I enjoy working in all genres.

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

NA: Don’t make me choose between my babies!

SOS: What trends do you love right now?

NA: I’m loving a tailored look for fall.

SOS: Any trends that you are completely over?

NA: Slogan t-shirts

SOS: Name your favorite shopping destinations?

NA: Isabel Marant and Celine in Paris. Bergdorf’s and Jeffrey’s in New York. Des Kohan in Los Angeles.

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

NA: A strong work ethic and a highly organized person. Multi-tasking is a must!

SOS: What are your worst assistant pet peeves?

NA: Laziness and someone who says “like” a lot.

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

NA: Its all about paying your dues, work hard and keep your eyes and ears open.

SOS: Where can we see your work?

NA: On my agency’s site, Margret Maldonado.

As you all may have already noticed, we’ve recently decided to start a new blog series featuring some of our favorite stylists. Many of which our fearless leader, Luke Storey has been privileged enough to work with throughout his career.

In this edition of School Of Style’s Stylist Spotlight we wanted to take a minute to pay homage to one of Luke’s longtime friend, colleague, and world class stylist … B Akerlund. Luke first met B years ago while he was working at a boutique on Sunset Blvd. He later had the opportunity to work with her on a number of styling jobs.

Luke once watched as B transformed the The Red Hot Chili Peppers into 10 decades of musical history in a 3 hour fitting, while prepping the music video for “Dani California”. It was from B that Luke also learned the fine art of creating a mood board worthy of a fashion coffee table book while they prepped the Madonna directed film “Filth and Wisdom”.

Most recently, B has been a great help to School Of Style by being a steady recruiter of our grads via our internship program, which she affectionately calls … “B’s Bootcamp”. B has been gracious enough to help quite a few of our grads learn the ropes out in the styling world.

Well that’s just about enough of our blabbing. Lets find out more about B and her incredible career as a stylist in her Stylist Spotlight. Enjoy!

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

B: The fact that I could get paid for something that I love to do.

SOS: How long have you been styling?

B: For 17 years.

SOS: Who are some of the artists that you have worked with?

B: Madonna, Lady Gaga, Fergie, The Black Eye Peas, Blondie, Ozzy, Robbie Williams, and more.

SOS: Who have been some of your favorite directors/photographers to work with?

B: My favorite is my husband Jonas Akerlund. He is the inspiration to my life!

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

B: By paying my dues and believing in myself as an artist and never giving up. But most of all following my dreams …

SOS: How long did you work as an assistant?

B: For me … not very long. I learned the hard way by teaching myself and making mistakes!

SOS: Where do you find inspiration for your work?

B: People I meet, travels around the world and doing tons of research.

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

B: Not sure, there are too many. They all seem to blend together.

SOS: What is your favorite aspect of the job?

B: Creating new characters for people to vibe off of.

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

B: Oversleeping on a job and not knowing where to be.

SOS: What is you least favorite aspect of the job?

B: The politics of money and keeping within a budget.

SOS: What is your greatest (styling) accomplishment so far?

B: Having my own style on things and making it my own.

SOS: Do you have a signature style?

B: Yes more, more and more and them some.

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

B: Don’t have one … I love it all!

SOS: What trends do you love right now?

B: I don’t follow trends, I go with what I feel is right.

SOS: Any trends that you are completely over?

B: The skull trend! It’s my thing and everyone should keep it moving.

SOS: Name your favorite shopping destinations?

B: I can shop anywhere since I am a shopaholic, so the destination doesn’t make a difference to me. You just have to be open to finding treasures everywhere and at times you will.

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

B: Dedication, organization, and inspiration.

SOS: What are your worst assistant pet peeves?

B: Having bad personal timing and not taking direction.

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

B: Work hard, play hard and find your own signature style!

SOS: Where can we see your work?

B: www.BCOMPLETED.net

A few months ago we styled the cover of Beyond Race Magazine with actress Krysten Ritter. Here are some behind the scenes shots from that shoot at The Standard Hotel in downtown LA.

Epic jacket!

That jacket weighed about a thousand pounds ..

Room service anyone?

Cover look

The cover!

When you enter stylist land you start hearing crazy phrases like “pulling clothes”. To us it makes perfect sense but to non-stylists we just sound like crazy people. Pulling clothes is basically going shopping for a styling job. Except you aren’t just confined to the mall — you can pull clothes from stores, showrooms, PR firms, etc … We won’t get into the nitty gritty (you have to come to class for that … hehe).  But check out this video! Its 39 seconds of expert advice on pulling clothes that you just can’t miss!

Shopping like a stylist often means “borrowing like a stylist”. Uh huh, borrowing. As you may have read in one of our past posts or you may have learned this during our Class 1, being a stylist isn’t all about shopping on Rodeo and lunching at The Ivy.  In fact, that rarely happens … especially when you are just starting out.

As a stylist and as an intern/assistant stylist you are going to spend a lot of time at Los Angeles showrooms and PR agencies. This is where you will find samples from a variety of designers. These clothes are loaners and can only be taken out with permission.

Here is a list of some (7 to be exact) of our favorite showrooms/ PR spots to pull from in Los Angeles:

1.) Dietch Public Relations: We LOVE Dietch! The nicest people in the world work at Dietch. Seriously, we just chat up a storm with everyone while pulling awesome clothes from the lines they represent. Some of the lines you will find at Dietch include: Functional, Gabby Applegate, and Rich & Skinny.

Dietch PR- 817 South Los Angeles Street Los Angeles, CA 90014

2.) A- Line Media: Whenever we need cool shoes, we hit up A-Line Media. A-Line represents Velvet Angels shoes and we can’t get enough of them!

A- Line- 560 S. Main Street, Suite 7W, Los Angeles CA 90014

3.) Caro Marketing: Two words … Plastic Island. If you haven’t checked out that line, then you are really missing out. Caro Marketing reps them and we love pulling that line for all of our celebrity and editorial shoots. Also, one of our SOS grads works there and we love to pay her a visit from time to time :)

Caro- 7720 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90046

4.) Red Light PR: Talk about your one-stop-shop! Red Light PR has it all, from womens to mens to kids clothing. Also, they have lollipops. What? Can’t a stylist enjoy a quick sugar rush after a long day of pulling?

6525 Sunset Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Hollywood CA 90028

5.) Pure Consulting: Tucked away on a hidden little street in Beachwood Canyon, Pure is your place for classic dresses with a twist. They also rep Skingraft and Elmer Ave if you are looking to get your rock and roll style on, which we always are ;)

Pure- 2168 1/2 Beachwood Terrace Ave, Los Angeles CA 90068

6.) Trent PR: While you are over at Pure, you really should stop over to see Jessica Trent. Jessica always has some awesomely unique treats that are like the cherry on top of your ice cream sundae. Last time we saw Jessica we picked up some sweet avant-garde masks and bitchin’ sunglasses.

7.) BluPrint: Its a little far away from all of the other LA showrooms but BluPrint is definitely worth the trip, especially if you are styling men (helloooo … John Varvatos is here). BluPrint also has one of our favorite womens lines, Grai. Grai has some of the best leather jackets in LA. If John Varvatos and Grai aren’t enough to get you over to the Westside, then do it for Diddy Riese.

BluPrint- 10914- A Kinross Ave, Los Angeles CA 90024

If you want to avoid getting a one-way ticket to the fashion police then always remember this: Take off your studio service tag after you leave the department store!!

Some readers will laugh and know exactly what we mean. Others are sitting at their computers scratching their heads saying “WTF?” If you identify with the “WTF” category then let us explain.

When pulling clothing from a department store you can’t just roll in there like a regular schmo. You have to go through Studio Services. Studio Services is a special land devoted to working with stylists. Part of the Studio Services process includes wearing a gigantic name while you shop for your job. That tag explains to world and the department store employees that you are not a regular person … you are a stylist!

That tag is all fine and good in the store but once you leave — not the best look in the world. Just sayin’.

We shot Sia backstage at Coachella 2010. Sia had incredible energy, just being around her made everyone smile. Sia wore a bitchin’ scarf that she made herself out of fishnets and homemade pom pom balls, a button down from H&M, a vintage pair of jeans shorts, and shoes from Top Shop.