Styling for Prada, Cartier & Bvlgari: The Many Hats of a Celebrity Stylist with Jess Pecoraro

Process The Podcast

Sydney-based celebrity stylist Jess Pecoraro traces her unconventional path from magazine intern to independent fashion powerhouse, detailing the

Key takeaways

• Jess left her dream magazine job at age 23 with zero clients to go fully freelance, betting on her ability to scale independently.
• She manages intricate logistics for major fashion week shows like Vogue Amex and David Jones, coordinating up to 150 looks across multiple models with tight turnaround times.

Main topics

• Freelance fashion styling career trajectory
• Runway show logistics and creative coordination

Notable quotes

"There's so much effort that goes into being effortless."

Conclusion

The episode provides a grounded, operational look at the creative and busin

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) You're a stylist. Yeah. There's so many different things you can do. Going Speaker 2 (0:04) from having a job where you're so good at it and then you're in front of everyone and you're like... I don't know how to do this. And you just get better at it. Yeah. And like the more you do it, Speaker 1 (0:13) the more confident you get. And then I kind of got into celeb styling. So are you kind of helping them build their customers wardrobe? Wardrobe or just everything. Speaker 2 (0:22) One of the things that I love most about being a stylist is doing shows. Like I would do like Vogue Amex and you've got a hundred million brands to showcase in one show. I quite enjoy that. Do you personal styling? I have a few clients. They're all really big. busy people, very successful and have a lot going on. So they just need to look immaculate. Speaker 1 (0:43) Yeah. Talk us through, I guess, the ways in which you make money. Okay. Welcome to Process the Podcast, a meeting of creative minds. Let's dive in. Speaker 2 (0:54) Yap City. Speaker 1 (0:55) We've been trying to do this for a long time. Speaker 2 (0:56) I know, sorry. I feel like it was like fashion week, remember? Okay, Speaker 1 (1:01) so how did you being a stylist begin? My Speaker 2 (1:04) mum's a designer. Speaker 1 (1:06) by like fashion designer. Speaker 2 (1:07) Oh wow. Yeah I grew up in Italy. I moved here when I was eight. It's always been around that world. Then I feel like when I got into high school I was like oh I don't want to be a designer and I didn't know what a stylist was. I did textiles and design but knowing that I didn't want to be. a fashion designer. I was really into languages and traveling and I was like oh maybe I'll go to uni and do international studies. Like she's smart okay government I'm like god what was I thinking um so I feel like my from like year 10 to year 12 I was like no I am Buckling down, I'm going to go to Sydney Uni, because I'm also very much that character that I'm like, if I'm going to do something, I want to go to the best. So I had to work really hard. But then I took a year off. I was young for my year, so I was like, I'm taking a year off. I did get into uni, took a year off, went to Europe, came back, and I was like, I'm not doing that. I'm doing fashion. Wow. I think while I was away, I was like, I actually love getting dressed. Speaker 2 (2:11) all of that and I was very much still creative so I came back and my parents were like what but you've worked so hard like you wanted to do this can you please still do something like that you know still study and I found this course Raffles College when I was like oh I can still get a degree which kind of made them happy they were like okay great do that and you can do like fashion design and business I can't even remember what it was I didn't finish it I started interning at Cosmopolitan and I walked in there and I was like this is where I have to be. And it kind of just started from there. I still remember to this day walking through ACP and thinking all those old school icons like Christine in Isabel Marant boots and that kind of era where like magazines were a thing. And I started and I was doing one day a week and then I kind of jumped to three and then I was like, I'm coming every day and free. And then I think six months in, Nicole offered me like wardrobe coordinator, which... It's just like an intern, but you've got... you know, a title. Yeah. You have like an email. Yeah. And you like sit in a cupboard every day. And you're like, oh, I can steam that. Yeah. Oh, great. But then I'd get like, I would be on set a lot. Yeah. Which helped like the fashion assistants at the time. Yeah. Because then they would have to go and like, the poor fashion assistant would be doing that and then her job and managing everything. So the minute like a good intern came in, they'd be like, well, you, do you want to go on set? And I was Speaker 1 (3:35) absolutely like, I'm happy Speaker 2 (3:36) to go. Speaker 1 (3:36) My little baby Jess would have been so cute. I know, I had all my outfits. Speaker 2 (3:39) You just move around. Yeah. Like I'm always like, if you want to work in mags, you have to be there. Then I went to Dolly, stayed at Dolly for a bit. I think I started there as fashion assistant. Then I moved as like junior fashion editor. Then I went to Clio. Then you kind of dabble your like in Speaker 1 (3:56) everything. It's crazy. Everyone's like, wow, Justine Cullen just moved from whatever. And you're like, it's not that crazy. No, it's not. It's Speaker 2 (4:03) like you just move across. Yeah. And like you're Speaker 1 (4:05) already like. pretty much sitting next to those people. You know exactly what they're up to. You know how their world works. You're on the same software. Like it's fine. Speaker 2 (4:11) And it was so good then. Now I'm like, we lived the life. We had a courier job. Everything was just there. And then I left when kind of all the mergers started to happen. So then it turned into Bauer. Everything was merging. And it's funny, young and naive, I was given the opportunity to take a redundancy, which was now I'm like. Definitely I needed to be paid way more than what they offered. Or apply for a job that I was like, oh, I Speaker 1 (4:41) don't know if I want to Speaker 2 (4:42) do this. And at the time, the fashion director of one of the mags had left and I'd assist her every now and then on like weekend jobs. And it's funny, I met her when she was in magazines, saw her kind of transitioning out of that and going into freelance. And then seeing in like a matter of like six months how much her life changed, that she got a better car, started wearing cooler clothes. And I'm like... Because she was making more money. Yeah. And I feel like in magazines, well, here and also at that time, it's like, well, if you're at that level, you're going to be earning that. Speaker 1 (5:19) And I Speaker 2 (5:20) just remember I was like, I want to wear the clothes that we shoot and own them. And I know if I'm in this world here, unless I move overseas, or I'm in like that senior, senior, probably like editor, but by the time I get to that. I don't think I'm, you know, like no one's moving. Or I can go freelance. And I kind of left with no clients. Also, I was very junior when I left. I wasn't like fashion director. How old were Speaker 1 (5:46) you? Speaker 2 (5:46) I was 23. Okay. Like baby in that world. And again, you're up against now, I'm like, we're now up against an ex-fashion director. And Speaker 1 (5:55) I'm like, hi. Passion Speaker 2 (5:57) assistant. But I just didn't. I remember like the first time my mom was crying. She's like, you're Speaker 1 (6:02) leaving your dream job. And I'm like, yeah, I know, but I'll be fine. Speaker 2 (6:05) And if this doesn't work, I'll pivot. I'll get into real estate. I wish Speaker 1 (6:09) I kind of got into real estate. Wow. Yeah, I just. did it now Speaker 2 (6:13) i'd probably be like absolutely not well yeah because you don't know yeah it's kind of Speaker 1 (6:17) like yeah it's gonna be amazing and i'm so glad i did and also i think when we're that age we're looking up to so many people that were telling us great hard work girls like you and i were probably in that era of yeah Speaker 2 (6:27) you Speaker 1 (6:27) have to work so hard and we all boss like it's in the gritty trenches of the hustle and we were fine with it because it's all we knew like and burnout wasn't really a thing it was just like oh you're exhausted probably because also you went to a party on saturday night like it's fine Speaker 2 (6:40) and you're not eating proper food you're having lollies and like coffee like you know that stress when now it'd be like you need to take a day or two off it's like none of that yeah Speaker 1 (6:51) which is fine I'm like oh god you don't complain it's Speaker 2 (6:54) great and then I just went freelance which meant I had to say yes to everything I was also assisting at the time so I had assists like freelance stylists one of my good girlfriends used to work at GLM she was an agent there so she was like okay great I'll put you on like all these great jobs with you know certain assistants I used to assist Marina Ditovich like all of that which was great but then it got to a stage that I was like okay I can't keep assisting because I will always just be the assistant so I have to stop saying yes to that and just say no and do the worst jobs ever like just hustle and just say yes to like random jobs until I kind of you know, just grow. And, you know, you start doing lookbooks and e-com days where you're like, kill Speaker 1 (7:41) me. Speaker 2 (7:42) And then I kind of got into celeb styling. Yeah, how did that happen? Because Roxy Jacenko at the time was doing the PR for the Australian Turf Club and messaged me saying, hey, do you want to dress all their ambassadors? I was like, yeah, sure. Never done it before. Never been to the races. I was like, I don't know anything about this. But I was very much like, yep, cool, no worries. I can do it. And at the time they had, I think, like 27 ambassadors. It was like this was when racing was here in Sydney was such a thing. That's where I met like Kate Waterhouse, like all that kind of crew. And I just did it. I had no idea what I was doing. But I just kind of learnt as I went. And I was always like, yep, easy, I can do it. Like I had my little like golf and I'd drive from one person's house to another for a fitting. And I did it and like they've been one of my clients still for... For forever. The Speaker 1 (8:33) Turf Speaker 2 (8:33) Club? Yeah. Speaker 1 (8:34) Wow. Yeah. Speaker 2 (8:35) Yeah, that's crazy. It's amazing how, like, Speaker 1 (8:37) the relationships just compound. And Speaker 2 (8:38) I think because I've always been, like, a yes person. I'm like, yeah, no worries. It's easy. Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep. And I'm like, shit, who's a milliner? Like, I don't know any milliners here because I've never done it. Like, Nerida Winter, I'm like, hi. She's like, who are you? I've never heard of you. It doesn't matter. I need 50 hats now. Yeah. So it's like that and, you know, calling agents and they're like, well, no, we're not going to give you the number of the talent. We'll, you know. loop you in like because no one had ever heard of me how did you get to learning all the ropes around like invoicing and doing all that god i'm still not great at it now my husband oh no i'm good Speaker 1 (9:11) now i think i had to put my big girl pants on yeah i've had Speaker 2 (9:14) to do that a few times this year and i'm like i don't want to see it i don't want to see yeah right Speaker 1 (9:17) but like what about exposure therapy if we're just like used to it oh Speaker 2 (9:21) elliot and i always laugh about this like our partners are always like oh these two they've got no idea what cash flow is they're like i I've spent it all. My husband's like, what do you mean? You haven't even been paid for the job. And I'm like, yeah, but it's in zero. It's coming. He's like, no, no, no, no, no. It doesn't work like that. Because Speaker 1 (9:40) you can see the number of incoming and you're like, oh, that's going to be plenty. I Speaker 2 (9:44) can Speaker 1 (9:44) buy that jacket. I'm getting better at that. I Speaker 2 (9:47) am getting better at that. And it's funny, I'm such a good saver. Yeah, okay. But then when I spend, I spend. Like I go from zero to 100 really Speaker 1 (9:55) quickly. Speaker 2 (9:55) Same, I turn the tap off and then I fucking go. Yeah, I'm like if I'm in one shop, I'm like ting, ting, ting, ting. It's like I've stolen Speaker 1 (10:02) someone's credit card. Speaker 2 (10:03) You don't realise. I know, but I feel like in voice in all of that, I'm like you have to put things in place. My husband, Steve, is very good at that and he's like, okay, I'm going to sit you down with so-and-so, you're going to do that. And that's great, but then I still kind of. fall off a bit and I'm like, oh, that's not my thing. But I really want it to be my thing. Like I walk out of like the accountant and I'm like, I don't get it. And then sometimes I'm like, Speaker 1 (10:26) listen here, I don't judge you about your Speaker 2 (10:29) outfit, Speaker 1 (10:29) so don't judge me about my Speaker 2 (10:32) lack of knowledge about this. And he's like, I know just but. I'm like, no, Speaker 1 (10:37) no, no, no. Speaker 2 (10:37) no, no, no, no, but Speaker 1 (10:38) no. It took me getting a CFO. She gave me her cashflow templates. She built me like a proper P &L for me to actually understand it. That was probably two and a half months of investment and it changed my life. And now I have an offshore team of podcast production, content production, and Anna, who's like kind of an in-ops plus product content producing with me and just running all the logistics of call sheets and everything. She's now. trained up to do all of that. And you know, Molly Smith? Yeah. So Molly and I started working together like six years ago, I think. And she started handling invoicing and it just changed everything. Yeah. It changed for me. I think when I, when I heard something that's like, well, if you're not profitable, your business is just a hobby. Yeah. And I was like, so then I learned how to read. P &L properly and changed my life, thank God. But it's a big step. It's like, okay, we need to actually quantum leap into another version of the self. So obviously you had this epic career window and then COVID happened. Speaker 2 (11:34) COVID happened. And Elliot Speaker 1 (11:36) would have been in your surroundings. How did the moment happen? I Speaker 2 (11:39) met Elliot through Jacinta Franklin. She was a client. And then COVID hit and I had this idea. I'm like, why don't we do what we do? Online and I rang him one day and he's like, yep, let's do it and very Elliot. He's like all in straight away Which is what I love about him. Like I don't he kind of he doesn't think about it. He's like, yeah, okay cool Let's do it. I get on a plane like let's just not it out before we knew it. We were like sitting at the intercom in Double Bay, like brainstorming names. And we just kind of started with no idea, which again, I'm like kind of a blessing. I remember being at the Commons because Speaker 1 (12:17) I did one of your first shoots for you. Elliot and I shared glass. That's right. And he had Kate with him all the time. He was just such a Trojan working through it because you guys didn't know how hard it would be to do. And he's like, the fucking website doesn't work and like all this stuff. And like, I would just overhear him on speakerphone and it was just like Speaker 2 (12:33) all Speaker 1 (12:33) the things. Speaker 2 (12:34) Chaos. Yeah. And it's funny, like, we learned so much from that. We spend so much money and we joke about it all the time. We were like, at the time, you know, it was like, you know, the government was like handing out bonus. We were that. We were like, you want to work for us? Speaker 1 (12:47) Here you go. How much? And we just laugh about it and like, a lot. what were we Speaker 2 (12:51) thinking? Like we had like assistance full time. We had a full team. We had our own cash. We were like, okay. And again, very basic. We were like, hey, Ege, we need to pay this. Okay, cool. Let's, should we transfer another five grand? Okay, cool. Transfer another five grand each. Like it was very much that. Or we're the same. We're just like, oh, whatever. Like even when we like shut the business, it wasn't anything like, well, okay, cool. All right. Well. We're done. We're just the same. Like we couldn't care. We were like our friendship was like the most important thing. But we learned so much from Selectworks. I definitely did. Was that the first time that I'm like, oh, I've got this great idea, but now I have to be in front of a camera? Yeah. Speaker 1 (13:30) Like I don't do that. So it was basically like a website that people paid a membership to and then some of it was like little bites on socials Speaker 2 (13:38) and Speaker 1 (13:38) stuff that you got, but it was a full curation of like the perfect gene. the this, this, this, and you guys would assemble looks and then talk about it. Yeah, and it was like very much styling 101 kind of stuff. So you were on camera. Speaker 2 (13:50) All the time. And