Stylist Mia Morgan Discusses Her Fashion Career

Mia Morgan: This cape is so incredible

Female: I love it.

Mia Morgan: I didn’t see this until today. Designers are very close to their
collection and they kind of need somebody who is very close to
them that understands what’s going on in the rest of the fashion
world that can kind of say, you know, maybe this kind of pant is
more in style this season, will look great with that kind of top.

They also need somebody to work with that has more of an
objective perspective. They have been working on their collection
for so long so that’s kind of thing that we bring a lot to the table.

I decided to be a stylist, I guess it’s just sort to happen organically
because I was always working in fashion even from when I was
very young at age. So you know I didn’t know what a stylist was
when I first started in this business.

I was a textile designer for one year. I was designing patterns for
fabrics and I thought it was my dream job when I’ve got it because
I thought I would you know I was designing, it was so exciting but
actually sitting there everyday in the same place has drove me nuts.
And that’s when I realized that I needed to find something where I
could keep the energy going and be in different places and interact
with different people and that’s why I love styling. It’s like being
out there and taking elements from the world then putting it all
together and getting inspired by what’s going on in the culture or
art or society.

You’ve got something in your head and then all of the sudden it
has turned into visual images that are beautiful and such a
wonderful process.

Male: I'm sure we can pull that together.

Mia Morgan: I'm just kind of thinking like pulling the elements of the birds out. I
know Amy has got some feather pieces that we could use.

Male: Well, that’s a good idea.

Mia Morgan: I'm working on a photo shoot right now with Gomillion and
Leupold, a great photography team that I worked with for shoot for
Blanc Magazine, and we’re going to be shooting at Grant’s
Memorial and I'm just pulling all the clothes together now for the
shoot. We’ve been working on the inspiration for a little while, and
it’s very much inspired by like a Parisian feel, a little bit inspired
by Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel that sort of thing. Lots of dark elements
to it, very strong, very seductive.

Male: Right now her hair is too similar as to a little dark.

Mia Morgan: Right.

Male: So we’re just thinking a really fiery idea.

Mia Morgan: I love that like I love that.

I guess there’s a bunch of different designers that I like to work
with and it depends on the project but some of my favorites right
now like I love Matthew Williamson. I’ve been working with him
a lot with his showroom and I love Marc Jacobs. And if you’re
working in the shows you’ll realized that a lot of the designers are
doing sort of similar things even though they’re not talking about it
with themselves. So you go, “Oh that’s going to be a trend next
season.”

Right now, the 80s are very big back again but the 80s really have
been back again for quite a while. It’s just each year it gets
reinterpreted in a different way like the big shoulders are in this
year which is definitely in 80s thing. So people will back and then
I'll say, “Oh, 80s are back in, big shoulders are in” but it’s not. It’s
not styled the same way that it was in the 80s, so that’s a lot where
styling comes in because in the design element, you can find
something that will be inspired from a past trend. But the way that
it’s styled makes it modern.

Yes, those are perfect. Well just make sure you can walk on them
okay and they’re not going to be too big. In a fashion show, there
are all sorts of elements that change the last minute and then lot of
that is out of your hands. In a photo shoot it’s a much more
controlled experience. If a shoe doesn’t fit, you just stuff the toe or
you Photoshop it so that it looks like it fits. But if a shoe doesn’t
and the model is walking down the runway and she trips that’s a
whole different experience, one that you don’t want to have.

When you’re seating in the audience everything seems flawless
and magical because that’s the experience that you want the
audience to have. But backstage there is a lot of stress as it gets
closer to the production because so many elements change and you
have to adjust with it.

That was amazing.

Male: Just magic.

Mia Morgan: The clothes that you really want to wear too. I mean I have to
charge on you.

Male: No, I mean—

Mia Morgan: After show, it’s amazing because you’re just like—but you know
also seeing the beauty of it and listening to the music and watching
the girls and everybody is so magical. It’s just like an amazing
feeling.