Today we’d like to introduce you to Estelle Aporongao.
Hi Estelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started off working in retail during college as a full-time student. Took up several assistant jobs during the time in various PR showrooms around LA and even in a few modeling agencies. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to work with fashion – I grew up on Vogue, House of Style, and the fashion/culture of hip-hop and basketball as a child. Through my background, a cultivation between style, music, and culture coalesced into something bigger for me. It was a part of my lifestyle as a whole.
While in a college still, I eventually worked my way up into corporate at Forever 21 and joined the Styling Team in their Photo Studio as an E-Commerce stylist – working on their campaigns, branded content, and advertisements. As a result, I met so many new creatives (photographers, makeup artists, creative directors, other stylists, etc.).
When I graduated, I took on a role as a PR Account Executive for a sustainable denim company called Father’s Daughter LA where my position dipped into various facets of production, styling, and content development. I began wardrobe styling on the side. Soon, the colleagues and friends I met along the way started to reach out to me for other projects and that’s essentially how I fell into fully focusing my time on wardrobe styling and creative direction. I have so much gratitude for the many creatives I met and continue to meet because they continue to reach out to me for various projects – whether it be styling for other brands, editorials, campaigns and shoots.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh, no. It’s definitely had its ups and downs – and it still does. The fashion/retail industry is inherently cutthroat and I invariably come across many difficult situations ’til this day. Whether it be the projects and occasionally, the people, I’m still learning how to navigate through all of it. I still find myself learning how to deal with the few intense personalities/projects I come across in work – but that’s always a given. Like any job, you’ll have to come across that.
I just believe that since we work in an environment that’s so heavily based on image curation, it’s a little more intense. However, I also take everything and everyone as a lesson. Despite the fact that I’m no longer in academia (for now), I’m still a student, constantly learning about different aspects of the fashion/retail industry and the people in it.
I’ve had projects where I felt like I was stretching myself too thin. I’ve had shoots where I came across personalities that clashed with mine. But through it all, I take everything and reciprocate nothing but kindness. Because at the end of the day, it’s your work that will speak for itself.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love the artistic and creative aspects of fashion. I’ve had my fair share of experience in corporate and e-commerce, but I realized that it’s the art that I love the most. As such, I find myself more so focused in editorial styling and creative direction. As of now, I’m still trying to find my niche in terms of how I style – like, I’m trying to stick to a specific way that can characterize me when I style. I want people to see my work and be like,” Ah, that’s Estelle. That’s how she styles, that’s her work.” So far, my work has been very diverse and doesn’t reflect a specific look quite yet. But I’m getting there.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Oh god, yes. I learned how to simmer down, recollect myself, and re-think how I want to move in my career. Prior to the pandemic, I feel like I was taking up any job someone threw my way, but now I’m more selective on the projects that I do because I want to curate a specific path for myself that reflects who I am creatively. I think the pandemic offered the perfect opportunity to give myself some time to sort of re-brand myself and figure out what work I want to put out in the world.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.styledbyestelle.com
- Instagram: estella.png
Image Credits:
Cover Story Image Credits: Photographed by Randy Drevland (IG: @cawfee) with Estelle Aporongao and Riley Rasmussen (depicted). Image 1: Photographed by Yoshi Uemura (IG: @36neex), Kyra Santoro (depicted). Image 2: Photographed by Yoshi Uemura (IG: @36neex) with Wolftyla for Amazon Music. Image 3: Photographed by Chad Martin with Ivan Wang for Pump Magazine. Image 4: Photographed by Ethan Choi (IG: @ethan.bc) with Kassie Guericke for Moevir Paris Magazine. Image 5: Photographed by Malcom Joris (IG: @studio.joris), Anthony Newbill, Ismail Hameed, Jermaine Hillsman, Jalin, Vince Harrington, Lael River and Kenny Nogueira (depicted).
