Talking style with Shea Daspin

NYC based fashion stylist Shea Daspin brings her quirky and playful style to shoots with some of the biggest names in fashion. We caught up with her to talk inspiration, style and social media’s effect on the fashion industry.

When did you know you wanted to be a part of the fashion industry in a vocational way?

I knew when I was young, probably about 7 or 8, but I wanted to be a supermodel, not a stylist. I had my growth spurt years before anyone else my age and was teased a lot for it, so I decided early on that I would use my height to become a model instead of a weirdo. After realizing a model wasn’t the most realistic career goal, I opted for writing and magazines – which eventually led me to styling.

You’ve worked with big names and brands. Give me an example of a shoot that really inspired you or challenged you.

My toughest shoots were probably when I was still in college. I was afraid to let people know my age because I didn’t want them to take me less seriously. My toughest was probably a music video I did when I was 20. I was in the middle of finals my sophomore year and also in between moving apartments. I showed up to an important meeting with the ad agency one morning with paint in my hair because I had been up all night painting my walls to get my security deposit back and am pretty sure had a final to get to later that afternoon. Somehow I still managed to book work with that same producer after all was said and done.

Styling so many shoots, what keeps it from becoming routine/just another shoot? What keeps you interested?

I think bouncing around between projects keeps me interested. I’ll be doing editorial for a while, then to e-commerce for a break, then to video work then on to ad jobs. It’s fun for me to have complete creative freedom in editorials, but it’s even more fun for me to meet the challenges that present themselves with ad jobs and new clients.

How do you become/stay inspired?

I always have the most fun shooting “real girls.” I started my career as a personal shopper, and I think that’s still my favorite part of my job. I love seeing “real girls” AKA non models, enjoy dressing up and feeling confident after seeing the different ways to dress for their body and discovering trends they never thought they could pull off. I got into fashion because I love getting dressed, and I love being able to spread that joy.

How do you feel about social media and the effect it’s had on the fashion industry?

I think a lot of people are quick to bash social media in the fashion industry, but I think to do that is totally regressive. Fashion has always been about creating new trends and styles, so I think it makes perfect sense that social media has taken such a strong hold on the industry. It’s wild to see bloggers from Middle America having such strong and influential voices, but if that is what other people are responding to, then I think everyone should be listening.

Describe your personal style in five words.

Quirky, girly, edgy, fun, colorful.

What’s coming up for you?

A lot more digital work. E-commerce, videos, social media, GIFs, fashion films, virtual reality; all the new advancements in technology are making the digital space for stylists (and all other creatives) really exciting!

Photography by Christopher Boudewyns

For more on Shea, head over to www.sheadaspin.com