CHENNAI: A student of ‘experience’, an artiste who started from scratch, and claims to love colours, Malaysian stylist and make-up artist Yogeshwaran came to meet this reporter wearing a plain maroon tee with blue ripped jeans. As simple as his appearance was his personality.
In town for a client’s photoshoot, the 30-year-old stylist, who calls himself ‘Yogash’ because of his love for Aishwarya Rai, says styling is very subjective. “A stylist should always experiment with different looks and add his own magic touch. That’s how you come to master it and add your own signature touch,” he says.
According to him, customer is king and their needs should be given foremost importance. “Give space for the client and understand their requirements. That’s paramount. I may be a master in a certain style. But I can’t apply the same formula for everybody,” he says.
He begins by processing all the cuts, colours and patterns, to create a customised look for his client. If they buy his idea, he will source it from various designers for the fitting. “I explore different looks that matches the event. It will either be what my client requested or what is needed for the event. At the end, however, it’s always a win-win situation,” he explains.
Yogeshwaran says that team work is inevitable in the fashion industry, and that being flexible is very important too. “My team members and I share a good rapport. I am open to suggestions, both from my team members and clients, and I try to implement most of them well. For example, on film sets, the director may want a certain look and the stylist may have a look in mind. So bringing fresh perspective and taking inputs from a third party can help achieve that ‘aah’ look,” he shares.
However, he agrees that no stylist can be called a stylist if he/she doesn’t do his/her homework. “Research is very important. You need to know the ABCs of what you’re doing very well. Plus, you need to build a rapport with your clients - you cannot make it big in fashion without doing this,” he smiles.No wonder then that his clientele includes Miss Malaysia, Miss India Universe and Miss Singapore, all of whom he has been styling for the past few years. However, the icing on the cake was when he got the opportunity to style 28 international table tennis players for a press conference at the Asia Pacific Table Tennis tournament held recently in Malaysia. “They gave me complete freedom to do whatever I wanted to do, and how I wanted to for that event. And I was very happy with the results and so were the organisers,” he grins.
So what has been his toughest stint? “I was given the task of styling looks for 17 custom-made designer dresses for Miss Universe Malaysia 201, and after much huffing and puffing, I was able to do it. I think by far, nothing has come close to being that hard. The designers who brought those dresses to life also deserve special mention,” he says.
For aspiring stylists, he has only one advice: Come with research, resources, content and contacts. “Never wait to create an opportunity. I started styling my family members first. In my initial days, I did my sister’s bridal makeup. I did photo-shoots with my cousin sister. If you don’t show people you know what you are doing, they won’t accept you,” he says.
Accentuate your best assets
● If you are a little overweight, go for straight lines to create an illusion of thinner contour
● If you are skinny, mix and match pastel colours to look healthy
● If you have long legs, don’t always opt for slits, go for pencil skirts until knees
● Always love your heels