Stylist, Natalie Roar: On Making Yourself Irreplaceable

Natalie Roar landed her dream job styling some of the UK’s biggest artists completely off her own back. By treating each day as an opportunity for new firsts, she’s able to learn, grow and build from every shoot that comes her way with bright-eyed tenacity and open arms. Taking the term ‘multi-faceted’ to an all new level, she’s currently a fashion stylist, costume designer and creative consultant – but she’s not done yet. Still working up a portfolio and kick-starting her career, this is Next In Line with fashion’s most-loved new girl, Natalie Roar.

“I never truly realised being a stylist was an option until I studied fashion journalism at uni. I read a lot of fashion magazines growing up, but I think there was a bit of a disconnect for me between what you see on the page and what goes on behind the scenes. As soon as I realised it was a career path, I started contacting every single editor, assistant and art director I could for an internship. I sent about fifty emails and only got two replies – but from there, I got to intern at shoots, which gave me the tools and experience I needed to do my own test shoots and start my career from the ground up.”

“After that, I moved to L.A. for three months, and it was there that things started to shift and take shape. I contacted as many photographers and directors I could to collaborate and soak up the skills I would need to further progress my career. Once it was time for me to return back to London, I had developed my portfolio and found my creative style. This really helped me land my first full-time job as a stylist at a fashion mag.”

“Working at the fashion magazine was amazing, as I worked on a lot of talent-led shoots with musicians, which has now become one of my main specialities as a freelancer. As a creative consultant, being able to help artists build themselves creatively really resonates with me, because it feels more than just a one and done kind of job where you're in and you're out. What’s good with working in the music industry is I’m able to help regular clients catapult their careers and confidence.”

“I feel like every project I’ve worked on has got me to where I am now, so I can’t stress enough how even just one shoot could help you get closer to your dream job. Everyone in the fashion world is so connected: if you work on one shoot, you might meet another person who will recommend you for something else the following week. Every opportunity counts. I’d say the biggest moment in my career so far has been styling two artists for the Brit Awards the same week as doing costume design on my first TV show… I’m still experiencing a lot of firsts, even now. The biggest piece of advice I can give to someone wanting to forge a multi-faceted career is to keep trying new things. That way, you’ll become completely irreplaceable.”

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