Today we’d like to introduce you to Khiamma Ptah.
Hi Khiamma, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been interested in fashion, even as a child. From reading magazines to studying episodes of America’s Next Top Model, to say I was obsessed would be an understatement. I distinctly remember carefully ripping out fashion editorials from different publications and taping them to my wall for daily inspiration. Little did I know that I would be practicing the same techniques as a fashion stylist today.
In 2012, I attended California State University Northridge for Apparel Design & Merchandising. While pursuing school full-time, I worked in fashion retail, and on my off days took photos for my style blog. One day I needed to take photos for a blog post, but didn’t have anyone to help me at the time. So I went to a location with a white wall and tried to take them myself. As I was fumbling with my tripod, a girl from across the street, who I now know as Lex Gallegos, came over with her dog and said that she could help me, as she was a professional photographer. She grabbed her camera from her apartment, and within the first few minutes we got the shot! After that, Lex and I met up to shoot for another blog post, and needless to say, it didn’t take long for us to get shot yet again. After finding that we made a great pair, we quickly became friends and kept in touch.
A few weeks later, Lex invited me to be the stylist for a major photo shoot that she was doing for a few artists in the music and entertainment industry. Even though this was my first time doing this, I fell into the role quite naturally. It brought me so much joy to style the wardrobe on set, and that’s when I knew fashion styling was what I wanted to do as a career.
From then on, I continued to work with Lex on photoshoots around LA and began to think seriously about how I could make styling into a full-time job. Once I graduated college in 2016, I created my first website and featured all the photoshoots that Lex and I did together. I didn’t realize how tough it would be to break into the industry post-grad, and it unexpectedly took a year to find a position that allowed me to style every day as I wanted. I even gave up at one point and believed it would be better to settle as a visual merchandiser, since I studied merchandising in college. Thankfully, I decided to look one more time, and that’s when I came across a position as an in-house stylist and got the job. The ability to style daily with a bonus opportunity to style social media influencers and celebrities was the beginning of my path as a fully experienced stylist.
Even though I was doing what I wanted career-wise, I always made time to attend events around LA to network and connect with fellow creatives. It was during this time that I styled my first editorial for Local Wolves Magazine. At this point, I had more of a foundation and knew that it was time to take the next step. So I produced a studio collection called Autonomy to showcase my point of view as a stylist. For the first time, I casted and hired models, rented a studio, arranged the wardrobe, and above all, styled and directed the shoot with Lex by my side as the photographer. After finding success with this formula, I continued to work on more photoshoots in this way.
Suddenly COVID-19 hit, and the creative industry took an unexpected turn, and by that, I mean stopped. During the first and second lockdown, I had a lot of time to think about what mattered most to me, and styling was at the top of my list. I always wanted to showcase the behind-the-scenes from a stylist’s point of view, and felt that this was the perfect opportunity to replicate those moments I missed so much. I was eager to present the mood boards, magazine scraps, shoe piles, clothing racks, and everything in-between. Going back to my roots, I rented a studio and went from there. Because I didn’t have a crew, I was able to produce content in a way that was safe. It was me, my camera, and a 5 hour time slot to make my fashion memories come back to life. After about three studio sessions, I started posting the photos I took on Instagram, and people really gravitated toward what I was doing.
Eventually, stylists, makeup artists, models, and photographers were able to start shooting again, and because of what I was posting on Instagram, I was able to start right away. Doing what I love led me to a breakthrough in my career, as I styled my third editorial, and this one was in British GQ! Shortly after, I had another groundbreaking moment as I styled and directed my second independent production, La Vie En Rose. Today, I’m continuing my journey as a fashion stylist and look forward to unfolding what the future has in store for me.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Yes and no.
My journey was in part a smooth road because I happened to come across someone that not only led me to realize what I wanted to do, but has been working with me for years since then. That’s not something everyone will experience in their journey, so I consider myself lucky in that regard. However, it’s not just meeting Lex that led me to where I am today. It’s really about keeping the connection. A lot of work comes from the connections we make, so it’s important to network and keep in contact. You never know who’s going to recommend you to a potential client or say your name when a job opens up, so it’s good to have a sense of self-awareness everywhere you go. Nowadays, the best way to stay connected is to talk to people online, so I highly recommend finding peers in the field you’re interested in and get to know the people in your industry.
With the pursuit of a career in any field, struggling is a part of the process and provides us the opportunity to learn from our mistakes, which inevitably helps guide us in the right direction. However, here are a few obstacles I’ve had to overcome.
1. It’s not as glamorous as it seems. A common misconception people have about fashion, especially when it comes to styling, is that everything is glamorous and easy. While there are some glamorous aspects of the job, working as a stylist requires a lot of patience, adaptability, flexibility, and physical endurance. In the beginning, I wasn’t aware of the physical intensiveness, and had to adapt rather quickly. Carrying several pounds of clothes, shoes, and accessories, throughout the day, up and down flights of stairs, in the heat, in the rain, and so on can be intense. But once I learned the hacks, like panic purchasing a wagon from Target the night before a shoot, transporting the goods around town became a lot easier.
Also, navigating the streets of Downtown LA is not cleanest nor the prettiest, and there’s zero glam in that. However, the city is full of creative individuals, and it can be quite exciting to come in contact with so many people that share a common interest in fashion. Being patient is the key to getting through the harsh beginnings, but everything gets better with time.
2. Expect to do a lot of unpaid work, especially in the beginning. More often than not people break into the industry by doing an internship, usually unpaid. These positions can favor those that can afford to take on the job without income, so these opportunities may not be available to you if you’re unable. With that, a good alternative is to collaborate with other creatives for trade, so you can develop a portfolio on your own. However, once your portfolio gets to a place where it’s presentable, make sure that you take some time to determine your rate so you can start getting paid for your work.
3. Lack of stability, specifically freelance. Not knowing where your next paycheck is coming from including the inability to obtain benefits like PTO, vacation time, health insurance, and so on, might not be for you. I know it wasn’t for me. Thankfully there are other avenues of styling that you can take on like being an in-house stylist that will provide a regular paycheck in addition to benefits. Just know that these positions often require a college degree and a few years of experience to be considered.
4. Being afraid to post my work on social media. At first, I never shared the shoots I worked on beyond my website because I thought it would be annoying for my followers to see professional photos on their feed. Looking back, it would’ve been so much more beneficial for me to share my work back then because now everyone uses social media as one of their main forms of communication. Thankfully, I recently started posting more fashion-based content online, and it has allowed me to take on more job opportunities. Also, don’t be afraid to post some non-conventional content to showcase your point of view. One of my signatures is taking polaroids and making Instagram Reels so I can balance out the professional posts. People love relatability, so just go for it!
5. Feeling discouraged. It’s easy to feel discouraged, especially when you’re not finding success right away. But if styling is what you want to do, don’t give up. It took me years to get where I am today, and it definitely didn’t happen overnight. You never know when the next opportunity will present itself, so continue to stay focused and eventually you’ll find what you’re looking for. Also, don’t be afraid to try something outside your comfort zone. If it wasn’t for the challenges that I faced in the pandemic, I wouldn’t have pushed myself the way I did creatively. Knowing what you want and doing what comes naturally will often lead you to where you want to be.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a fashion stylist and contributing creative director specializing in supporting the wardrobe for campaigns, editorials, and fun individual side projects. Having a multi-faceted eye gives me the ability to direct the model and photographer on set because I understand the point of view of both roles. This sets me apart from other stylists because I can be of service beyond the wardrobe. Overall, I love executing an idea, and when you have a solid team, creating those moments feels like magic.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.khiamma.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khiamma/
Image Credits
Fashion Stylist + Creative Direction: Khiamma Ptah Photographer: Lex Gallegos HMUA: Jenny Bouton Model: Anna Cruz Flowers: Kaitlyn Leonard + Quanitifiori
