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

Jess Pecoraro didn't know what a stylist was until she walked into the Cosmopolitan fashion cupboard. By 23, she had worked her way through some of Australia's biggest magazines. Then she walked away from her dream job with no clients, no title and no safety net, betting she could build something bigger on her own. Today she's one of Sydney's most in-demand celebrity stylists and fashion brand consultants. Her work spans Fashion Week runways, GQ Men of the Year, NGV x Cartier Gala,  luxury trunk shows, brand consulting and private clients on retainer.

In this episode, Jess breaks down the many hats a stylist wears beyond the clothes themselves. On a runway she's across the fittings, castings, hair and makeup briefs, music and lighting. Brands bring her in before a collection is even designed ("700 tops for one pair of pants"), and she tells her favourite clients to "just tell me the budget." She's honest about cash flow, the Covid-era business she launched and closed, learning to be on camera, and why she kept her second pregnancy quiet to protect her client base. It's a rare, candid look at building a service business in a small market, and what "effortless" style really takes behind the scenes.

INSIDE THE EPISODE:

00:00 — Intro: From Cosmo Intern to Stylist

04:11 — Quitting at 23 to Go Freelance0

9:04 — The Money Side Nobody Teaches

11:34 — A Covid Business & Camera Fear

16:16 — How Stylists Really Get Paid

19:10 — Why Brands Need a Stylist

23:13 — Big Projects & Private Clients

28:18 — Inside Fashion Week & GQ

39:09 — Motherhood Without Losing Clients