Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Williams.
Aaron, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Well, how I got started was kind of a fluke, to be honest. I was an acting major in college, at the University of California at Irvine, and was trying to balance performing in shows and working part time at Disneyland in their T.V. Productions Department. At school, I started to work in the Costume Department to obtain much-needed credit each quarter for what they call “crew hours.”
Most of us just called it mandatory free labor, but it introduced me to everything on the spectrum from basic sewing skills, to cobbling shoes, to styling wigs, to you name it and I got to do it. Also during this time, I was taking a musical theater performance class, and part of our assignment was we had to costume our own shows that we put on. No matter how big or small my part was, I was dressed head to toe and people always were kind of taken back. It just felt really easy, and was really fun for me! So while that was going on at school, at work, I was becoming familiar with the behind the scenes of the t.v. world works and that also introduced me to the world of wardrobe stylists. On one particular job, my boss at the time came to me and asked me if I could help them out and that they were in a bind. They told me the job I was on now needed a wardrobe stylist to dress some extras, but they didn’t have it in their budget. I was told it was super easy, that the extras would bring their own tops and I just had to make sure that they weren’t in the same color. I thought hmmm, this could be fun. And so as I worked on more shoots, I met more wardrobe stylists and starting assisting both for Disney and other clients on outside productions. I thought this was sort of hilarious at the time, and shared it with my then-roommate who went to the same school as I did and graduated with a degree in Costume Design. I mean I was an actor who was getting really into this role I was playing. So all of this sort of came to a head when I was introduced to a husband and wife team who owned their own production company. He was a photographer and she a wardrobe stylist.
I quickly was taken under her wing and for the next few years I learned everything from steaming techniques, to pinning and clamping clothes to billing, and the other ins and outs of the business. While I was in this apprenticeship, I met a photographer who was looking to expand his book, and was curious if I would like to test. I said yes, and well here I am. I currently find myself in the advertising world working with such clients as The Allergen Company, Land’s End, and yes Disney. I also find myself working with up and coming singers and musicians looking to hone in on their personal style for photoshoots and music videos.
Has it been a smooth road?
It was a little bumpy at first moving to LA after college. I had a network and a routine which were incredibly valuable and then coming here you are sort of at square one again, and have to start all over.
Also, styling wasn’t my first love. It was performing, it was acting, and being a part of that artist tribe that I didn’t feel I had anymore. I really lived vicariously through a lot of my friends. I do have to say though that I had a lot of moral support and I am very grateful for that. People saw something in me and told me to pursue this path that I was on and to really go for it. It was another means of creative expression and I was being lead somewhere. I should see it through. So I continued.
What role has luck had in your life and career?
The role of luck, yes. I do believe in the being at the right place at the right time, and under the right circumstances. I believe in good luck and I believe in serendipity. Bad luck to me, just means that something wasn’t a right fit or I chalk it up to a learning experience. Overall, I feel I have been very fortunate in the course of my life to be at some event, meet some person, and then it’s sort of this chain reaction that just starts to have a life of it’s own. I started performing under serendipitous circumstances, which led to my styling career, and later led to me meeting the love of my life.
I feel I have been lucky in the sense, that I have had fortunate opportunities come my way and I have learned that when someone extends a hand you offer yours in return. I think of course you have to do your homework, use your best judgment, but also learn to trust your gut and intuition, and if a situation presents itself and it could possibly be a good one, go for it!
Do you feel like there are certain traits that increase the likelihood of success?
I think a big one for me, is I really strive for excellence. I put my heart and soul into whatever I am doing. My personal motto is either go all the way or why bother. Another one, I have been told is I am pretty easy to get along with. I enjoy people and how different we all are. When I meet someone, I love hearing what their stories are and what has shaped them. I always told myself if I were not in the entertainment industry I would be a psychologist or a therapist. I just think its fascinating number one, and number two I genuinely care. I think because of this, it allows me to get along with all different types of people and glide through situations whereas someone else might have a tough time.
The other one is I just enjoy the collage that is styling. I have always loved it, even as a little kid. I would sit in my room and have all of these random objects and make something new, and fun out of them. So I guess in a way, I was always styling…just now I do it for a living.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love LA!
The weather is hands, the down number one draw. It is a HUGE part of daily life, and it makes living so much easier and enjoyable. It gets hot here but no humidity and no snow…you can’t beat it!
The diversity that LA has. All the different neighborhoods, and the fact that you can find people from all walks of life is really important to me. Living in a city like LA, you can be who are and who you want to be…it’s really liberating!
The food!! We have so many great food options running the gamut from high end to low, to heathy, to not so healthy but amazingly delicious! You can find it here and there are always more and more options and fusions popping up! It’s really great!!
The LA nightlife, whether it’s a hotspot or just some little dive I happened upon, you can definitely find a good time here.
All in all it’s the variety and options, you have in a great weather that makes this place fantastic!
Now the drawbacks. Number one is the traffic and parking. Traffic is just unavoidable. You have your “pockets of good times” to be on the road but I just always have my laptop with me or meet up with someone if I am in a certain part of town. Better to be doing some work at a coffee shop or having a drink, as opposed to sitting in your car. It’s going to happen so you just plan ahead and make the best of it. Parking! Parking just seems to take so long to find a spot or you have to pay. You also have to read EVERY SIGN and pay super close attention! Once when I first moved here I was ticketed and towed in a span of 4 hours with a full carload of wardrobe!! Yeah, that never happened again!!!
While I am on the subject of getting around town, I really wish we had a better transportation system like other cities on the same scale as LA. While I love being in my car, and it is a must for work, it would be really nice if our transportation system was fully integrated and more developed…definite drawback as you HAVE to have a car to get around! It’s true…nobody walks in LA!!
The “LA people”. I remember when I first moved here I was venting to a friend of mine who was born and raised in LA. I was having a bad day and I was complaining how everyone seemed so phony and flakey and what was the deal? He corrected me and told me, it’s not the people who are from LA, its the people who come here putting on an LA persona trying to be LA, as opposed to just being themselves in a big city. I had a little a-ha moment! I am sure you add the Hollywood element and that just exacerbates it. Granted it is not everybody, and there are some really lovely people here but because we are so spread out and because we are a city of transplants, it can be hard to meet people and find your tribe. It can feel lonely at times. I always tell people who just move here to give it time and find things you love to do and eventually you will find your groove and the city will really open up to you.
Overall, this is a great city with a lot to offer you just need to invest your time and energy and discover what really speaks to you. It really is up to you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aaronwillstyle.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: aaronwillstyle
- Facebook: aaronwillstyle
Style: “Porcelain pastel”
