Higher National Diploma in Image & Fashion Styling
What You Will Learn
A fashion designer is responsible for designing clothes, while a fashion stylist works with clothes, accessories and even background props when necessary, to put together a complete look or style. Stylists are also frequently called on to conduct individual makeovers and to select the appropriate models to showcase outfits in the best possible light, so the ability to assess body types, proportions and individual characteristics is just as vital to success as an eye for style. Good stylists have an ability to transform the mundane into something that looks visually exciting and desirable, and that’s why skilled stylists are in high demand, creating a look that works and presents their client in the best possible light. Having mastered the basic skills that are required to become a fashion stylist in the first part of the course, we now move onto the more commercial end of styling and look at styling for large companies, brands, corporations and stores. While the diploma teaches you the artistic and creative skills needed to operate successfully in the styling industry the HND teaches you more about how the industry actually operates. We look at the personnel involved, various other avenues and directions for a stylist as well as how to position yourself within the industry and learn the more business-focused skills of a successful stylist.
- Elements of Style
- Individual Analysis
- Working with Colour
- Clothing and Accessories
- Hair and Makeup
- Professional Practice/Development (2 modules very similar listed here under one title)
- History of Fashion
- Sketching
- Commercial Styling
- Working with Garments
- The Fashion Industry
The Elements of Fashion & Style - Some people have a natural sense of style and flair, but the right training can teach anyone how to develop an “eye” for the details and this is the key to ongoing success. This course will introduce you to the individual components of style and design, and it will teach you to recognise how those components work together in creating a successful or unsuccessful look, as the case may be. This understanding will enable you to de-construct and reconstruct different styles effectively, regardless of your own personal preferences, and it will give you the vocabulary and industry terminology to communicate with others confidently and knowledgably. In addition to working with clothes and outfits, you will also learn how to select visual props, backdrops and accessories that appeal to specific audiences, by communicating a fashion story that entices people to buy. This technique can be used to present your styling ideas in a persuasive and enticing way, to achieve success both for your clients and yourself.
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Individual Analysis - Kate Moss has a “rectangle” body-type, Jennifer Lopez has a “pear” shape and Catherine Zeta Jones is definitely “hourglass”. All of these famous women have completely different body shapes and characteristics, yet they each know how to make the best of what they have and present themselves in the best possible light. As an Image and Fashion Stylist, your role is to help every client develop a style that makes them look and feel great. However, before you start advising clients on what to wear, you must determine their body type, proportions, facial shape and skin tone. You will begin this module by learning how to accurately identify bodily characteristics, and then you will learn which clothing details and combinations will enhance or detract from these natural features. Looking good is always in style and whether you are working with male or female clients, you will be shown how to sift through the clutter and give clients smart advice about what will work best for their features AND their lifestyle.
Working with Colour - Colour is one of the strongest visual elements perceived by the human eye and understanding how to work with colour is vital to success in the image and fashion industry. Whether you are working with inexpensive ranges from high street chain-stores or top designer labels and haute couture clothing - colours that are clashing and ill-chosen can create an effect that’s cheap and garish, while the right colour combinations can transform something mundane into a visual feast for the eyes. Whether you are putting together an outfit or coordinating a range of outfits against backdrops for a fashion show, the key to success is knowing how to achieve a harmonious balance between the colours of the clothes themselves and accessories. Developing skill in this area alone can help you to become highly sought after, and this will show you how to create winning colour combinations every time.
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Clothing & Accessories - Many people think that image and fashion stylists help people to dress “correctly” for work, selecting the right suits and accessories to make a strong business impression. While some consultants certainly specialise in “Corporate Dressing”, the majority will work with clients to develop a style that makes them look their best. Furthermore, the style should be appropriate for the clients’ lifestyle on a practical level, and reflective of their unique personality and character. With so much choice in clothes and accessories it is easy for the untrained person to get it wrong, but this module will show you what to look for and what to avoid. You will learn how to develop a core wardrobe for male and female clients, and use selected accessories and details to update this with each new fashion season. Once you have completed this module you will know how to use clothes to bring out the inner beauty and confidence in all your clients, and help them to be themselves in a way that makes the rest of the world take notice!
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Hair & Make-Up - Make-up can transform a woman’s face immediately, yet relatively few women ever learn how to apply make-up professionally, and even less know how to choose the products and colours that complement their natural tones and skin-type. There are numerous different make-up styles and looks, and knowing which approach is appropriate for your client is just as important as knowing how to apply make-up professionally. This module will teach you what you need to know and it will also cover hair care and grooming. Hair style and colour can dramatically alter someone’s appearance, but the right hair style can also make someone appear taller, slimmer and even younger. Furthermore, hairstyle and grooming techniques are just as important for male clients as they are for female. By the time you complete this module successfully you will learn how to enhance your clients natural facial characteristics and create the right impression by focusing attention on their strongest features and creating the illusion of balance where necessary.
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Professional Practice - The role of the image and fashion stylist revolves around the ability to create a visually pleasing look, and when clients are paying they will expect you to get it right first time. This might seem like a tall order, but there is a tried and tested method of working that can enable you and your client to envision the end result quite accurately, and it is also a formula for repeated success. In this module you will learn a professional approach for developing your styling ideas and communicating those ideas professionally. The ability to visually communicate your ideas is the only way to determine that everyone understands the creative direction for a project, and it can also help you to sell your ideas to clients in away that communicates both professionalism and creativity. You will also learn how to price your services and a number of forms and templates will be included that you can adapt for future use in the industry. To work as a professional stylist in the industry, some business savvy (as well as your fashion knowledge) is a must. In this module we teach you how to approach styling projects with knowledge of how the business operates and to make the most of your skills and talents by marketing yourself in the right manner. Large styling projects such as styling for advertising or producing fashion events for example, require large teams of skilled members so team management, delegation and negotiation are vital. No matter how small or large the project, fundamental skills such as budgeting, resolving conflicts and scheduling are key to the success of a project and this module will guide you through these important aspects of styling as well as forming contacts, building strategic alliances and networking.
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History of fashion - The history of fashion, style and accessories is a fascinating subject which begins at the dawn of time when men fashioned animal skins to cover their bodies for functional purposes. We look at fashion through the ages, its birth and development as well as the key influences along the way. Culture, art and design, politics, music, technology, religion, travel and the environment have all had a huge part to play in our fashion, hair and make-up and textiles history. As a stylist it is vital to understand who and what influences fashion; and once you have a firm understanding of what has been done in the past; then it makes it easier to know what is coming in the future. Studying the history of fashion; helps us to envision its future.
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Sketching - Fashion sketching and illustration is not only a beautiful art form in itself but an extremely important tool for a fashion stylist who can articulate and create visual images for clients in minutes or seconds, drawing their ideas quickly with expression and flair. We teach you how to sketch the fashion body in proportion to the “Fashion Cannon” and to style it with your own details and panache. Garments never sit flat on a body but drape and fold around the body depending on the type of fabric they are made of. Learn how to draw garments and accessories giving them the correct texture, colour, surface treatment, and details and produce your own fully rendered, fashion illustrations. Fashion sketching is often used in the industry -especially if the garment does not already exist-for example in customisation projects, wedding styling, theatre and wardrobe styling as well as with individual clients and / or celebrity clients.
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Commercial styling - Commercial styling spans a wide range of styling services. In this module we examine visual merchandising in detail; from planning the shop layout to displaying the garments in unique and commercially viable ways. Learn how to read a merchandising manual, recognise a planogram and a mockshop and use creative fixtures and fittings for display purposes. Commercial styling also involves styling in the media; TV and film. Learn what’s involved in these widely unknown areas where you need to be able to read and create your own storyboards and use your sketching skills to plan a sequentially styled shoot or advertorial. Fashion event management is another area of commercial styling where you will be dealing with agents and large brands so you will need to learn about product placement and alliances with celebrities and other commodities.
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Working with garments - A stylist needs to have an experienced touch when working with and manipulating garments. From customising them by adding embellishment, dye, studs, print or beading to altering and adapting garments through sewing and creative cutting. We teach you the basic sewing skills you need and these combined with artistic customisation techniques will open up a wide range of opportunities for imaginative and unique styling. Do you know your Designer labels from your highstreet or your valuable vintage from your second hand rags? We examine how to source specialist garments such as haute couture, eco garments and vintage and look at the legal legislation that is involved in borrowing and returning garments from designers and clothing companies.
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The Fashion Industry - The fashion industry is an industry unto itself and operates at an extremely fast pace and to its own calendar. Understanding this calendar will help a stylist to know when and where to get the styles they need and allow them to stay ahead of the trends. We look at the clothing manufacturing process as well as how a design gets from the designers sketchbook to the catwalk to the high street “rip-off”, as well as how a designer researches and designs a collection. By being able to “read” a collection correctly and understand the message the designer is trying to send across in the garments allows a stylist to get the best use out of the clothing available to them. An understanding of brands -what they offer and who they are aimed at makes your styling job easier and more efficient allowing you to source and supply exactly what your client is looking for.
2 Major Projects - (1 at end of Diploma and 1 at end of HND) plus 1 mid way project after assignment 35.
Receipt of the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Image & Fashion Styling will acknowledge your proficiency and skill in the Fashion Styling Industry , and will give you the confidence to pursue a career in the lucrative world of Fashion Stying.
