Welcome to our latest edition of Stylist Spotlight, where we seek to teach, inspire and encourage up-and-coming stylists by interviewing some of the world’s most talented key stylists and costume designers.

In this post we are very proud to feature another of Luke’s colleagues from back in the day, Carol Beadle. Luke sites Carol as one of his biggest influences early on, as she has amazing taste as a stylist but is also well versed as a costume designer. Luke assisted Carol on some very creative jobs such Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter” video as well as “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. It was Carol who taught Luke the fine art of combining vintage costumes with designer clothing to create unique, one of a kind looks for performers. It was also Carol who taught Luke the virtue and importance of such brands as Christian Lacroix and Balenciaga.

Carol is one of the industries most creative and versatile stylists, and we are very pleased to present to you this interview for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

School Of Style.: What made you want to become a stylist?
Carol Beadle: I didn’t actually.  I wanted to be a designer but literally just fell into it designing for a music video.

SOS: How long have you been styling?
CB: 15 years

SOS: Who are some of the artists that you have worked with?
CB: David Bowie, Christina Aguilera, Marilyn Manson, Muse, Leonard Cohen, Tricky, Pixie Lott, Kanye West, Sigur Ros…….

SOS: Who have been some of your favorite directors/photographers to work with?
CB: All who are collaborative and respectful, usually the ones who are extremely talented are and thankfully I’ve been able to work with some.

SOS: How did you get your start as a stylist?
CB: A friend of a friend asked me to assist her art directing and styling.  After a couple of jobs she dropped the styling to focus on Art Direction and I took over her spot.  That was with the director Floria Sigismondi’s first two videos.  Then we all continued to work together on some pretty amazing projects.

SOS: How long did you work as an assistant?
CB: I really only did two jobs as an assistant but that is very unusual.  I think it’s good to assist some talented stylists and costume designers for a while.

SOS: Where do you find inspiration for your work?
CB: The usual, books, pop culture, architecture; very often in  music.

SOS: What was your most memorable experience as a stylist?
CB: Working with David Bowie … I’ve won a few music video awards but only was able to attend one of the ceremonies or shows, and the one I did was pretty special.

SOS: What is your favorite aspect of the job?
CB: Designing. I like doing print although I don’t get to do as much as I’d like.

SOS: What was your most disastrous experience as a stylist?
CB: Being way too exhausted on one of many extremely hard and detailed music videos; I got the job done but it was not a good experience for many other reasons and I subsequently lost that longtime client.  I was very hurt.  Sometimes it’s better just to say no to a job and rest up!

SOS: What is you least favorite aspect of the job?
CB: Sitting on set.  It can be so boring you want to chew your arm off.  Thankfully I am usually kept pretty busy. Some people really enjoy that aspect and are very good at it.

SOS: What is your greatest (styling) accomplishment so far?
CB: I was named as “People to Watch for in Film” by Variety magazine this year for “The Runaways” which was pretty fantastic. Also just taking on that film and getting it done.

SOS: Do you have a signature style?
CB: Not sure … I guess I’m known for being quite creative or avant garde but I like to think I can interpret many different styles, I guess we all do.

SOS: What is your favorite piece in your closet right now?
CB: A plain black Balenciaga shortish skirt that I seem to wear at least 3 times a week.

SOS: What trends do you love right now?
CB: Digital prints and kitten heels.

SOS: Any trends that you are completely over?
CB: Washed leather and anything that looks like a direct rip-off of Rick Owens. Happily that may already be over, as well as ballet shoes and fur vests.

SOS: Name your favorite shopping destinations?
CB: Liberty of London and Beyond the Valley.

SOS: What qualities do you look for in an assistant stylist or an        intern?
CB: Intelligence as well as style and a good eye.

SOS: What are your worst assistant pet peeves?
CB: Coming in super hungover……talking too much

SOS: What’s your best advice for someone looking to get into   wardrobe styling?
CB: Be open minded.

SOS: Where can we see your work?
CB: Carolbeadle.com

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

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 ; )

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!

While surfing the web we came across an article listing the Top 10 Dream jobs. Guess what job made the list? Yep, Hollywood Wardrobe Stylist! Make your dream a reality at School Of Style. We make stylists, you know!

Check out the article below or read the full article here>

Laura Morsch, CareerBuilder.com writer

Hollywood Wardrobe Stylist
Wardrobe stylists rely on their keen fashion sense to create outfits for on-screen characters in commercials, TV shows and movies. This means staying on the cutting-edge of fashion and plenty of shopping.

Jessica Replansky, a freelance assistant stylist who has worked on productions that include “Sex and the City” and the soon-to-be-released “The Devil Wears Prada” movie, has had duties ranging from shopping and setting up fittings for actors to handling payments. Even her shopping assignments are diverse: Sometimes she’s sent to Prada for a specific pair of silver shoes, and other days she is told to pick out whole outfits that fit a certain style.

While the job is glamorous, it can be inconsistent. “The downside is you never know where your next job is coming from,” Replansky said. Wardrobe stylists can be offered multiple assignments at the same time, or could go through long stretches without work. Still, you’ll always be fabulously dressed: Wardrobe stylists get to keep some of the clothes.

Salary: Ranges from $1,000 to $10,000 per week, depending on duties, experience and type of production.

We had a really fun Class 2 last week. There were only two students as opposed to three this time, which meant Lauren got to come along for the fun. We hit three LA showrooms, a great store called Epic Independent Co-op, Western Costume, Bloomingdale’s Studio Services, and a bunch more fun places!

If you want to join us for Class 2 this summer, register now.

Versace shoes at Chic Little Devil

School of Style at Showroom 7

Lauren showing off some amazing new pieces at Dietch PR

David Dietch talks to SOS students at Dietch PR

The Cooper Building

Epic Independent Co-op

Annette at Epic

Sweet sunglasses at Epic

Lauren wearing those sweet sungalsses at Epic

Luke and the girls at Western Costume

Checking out some hats at Western Costume

Weird boob suit at Western Costume

Luke trying on some gear at Church

We caught up with another one of our grads, Jill McDonald, who is out there working as a stylist (they make us so proud. Not only is Jill working, she is working with some of the best. Jill recently styled a shoe campaign for Betsy Johnson and Penny Loves Kenny shoes that will run in Vogue and in Elle! Yep, you read that right — one of our grads styled a campaign that will be featured in Vogue and in Elle magazine. Amazing!!

Learn more about Jill and her path to becoming a working stylist in our interview with her below.

School Of Style: Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Jill McDonald: I was raised in Santa Monica; my fashion influence began early in my life, my mother sewed most of my clothes for me. I had hand made hip huggers, triangle tie tops, dresses and bikinis. My grandmother took me to major departments stores at a very young age. One of my first jobs was in a clothing boutique. I graduated from Venice High and was influenced by the Venice skate era. I spent years in Hawaii, surrounding myself in arts, culture and music. Topanga is my home, I love to hang with my family and the animals. I get lost in my office dreaming of fashion. I adore magazines and my favorite days are spent downtown with friends in the fashion district. Inspiration for me can arrive at any moment, I am inspired by nature and any new situation where the energy of people and places is unique and late night conversations with friends always leads to inspiration and ideas.

SOS: Did you have experience in the fashion industry before attending School Of Style?
JM: Yes, selling, buying, managing boutiques, repping lines and working in showrooms.

SOS: When did you know you wanted to become a wardrobe stylist?
JM: 3 yrs ago I started my business, but I have been styling for pleasure since my late teens.

SOS: When did you graduate from School Of Style?
JM: August 2009

SOS: Which classes did you take?
JM: 1 and 2

SOS: What was the most valuable thing you learned at School Of Style?
JM: I was on my path; I was in the right place, with amazing people who shared visions. Having a relationship with Luke was the most valuable asset to me. He has been kind enough to mentor, share, teach and expose all of his amazing knowledge and resources.

SOS: What was the most shocking thing you learned?
JM: How much credit line you need when you are rolling with jobs.

SOS: Have you been able to find work since graduating from School Of Style?
JM: Yes, I styled a shoe campaign for Betsy Johnson and Penny Loves Kenny shoes that will run in Vogue and Elle, I worked on a Lucky Brand runway show and ad campaigns, I styled a shoot for Box Eight Studios for L.A. Fashion Week that is published in LA Confidential, I have also been busy with album covers, look books, editorials and building my portfolio of clients for personal shopping.

SOS: Describe your ”style” as a stylist:
JM: My work reflects whatever the clients needs are. I enjoy collaborating and most of the clients have some sort of idea that leads me to a concept that works for them. It’s important to understand and create different styles and genres, most of my jobs have served the commercial arena. I am not one to only offer “my style”. I know if I can do “basics” well, in time the opportunities for high glamour, edgy punk, pop, etc… will come.

SOS: Is that different than your personal style? If so, describe your personal style:
JM: It is different, if I was styling solely for myself everything would be black and grey. I lean towards, distressed, worn, rock, hippie, influence adding lounge-wear and sportswear into the mix, I luv luxury fabrics.

SOS: Who is your dream client?
JM: Eddie Vedder

SOS: Who are your favorite designers?
JM: Gregory Parkinson, Karl Lagerfeld, Jennifer Shon, Karen Zambos, Norma Kamali, Barbara Bui, Ralph Rucci, Helmut Lang, Stella McCartney, Andrea Lieberman, Martin Margiela, Christophe Decarnin, Vivian Westwood, The Olsens, Armani, Irene Neuwirth, Marc Jacobs, Rick Owens, Cynthia Vincent, Mara Hoffman, Nicholas Ghesquiere, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, Leticia Garcia, Tom Ford, Jeremy Scot, Alber Elbaz, Betsy Johnson, Jutta Neumann.

SOS: Favorite trends?
JM: Military, sheer, shimmer, shine, boots, menswear, distressed

SOS: Trends you wish would die?
JM: Ball gowns on the red carpet, there are so many amazing designers and options, the runway looks should transfer to the red carpet and the gowns and celebrity looks should be modern and current.

SOS: What are your favorite places to shop?
JM: Madison Malibu, Foley & Corina, Kiki de Monteparnese, Nation LTD.com, Sigersen Morrisen, blaec.com, adidas.com, lesportsac.com, Maxfield, Barneys, Lulu’s Manhattan Beach, Ron Herman, Patricia Field, netaporter.com.

SOS: Any tips you would like to share with other stylists who are just starting out?
JM: Keep being creative and serve your clients, create alliances with models, photographers, make up artists, hair stylists and designers. Work in a boutique, it offers a great hands on experience and you learn designers and labels and how to dress real people with body issues.

Luke and the girls hit the town for another Class 2 date, and found some amazing treasures at SKINGRAFT, as usual.

Here’s Jared Tate Johnson showing of his Jewelry line Dear Raymer. Body jewelry is the new wedding ring!

We loved the rattlesnake rattle necklace by Dax Savage.

More from Dax.

Check the 12 foot foam dress!