Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Li.
Lisa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I went to college really trying to please my parents and fulfill my happiness through theirs but that failed miserably lol. I graduated from UCI with a Business Economics degree and worked as a tech recruiter, financial advisor, and lastly a menswear buyer with a start-up in the Bay. I get bored so easily lol I tend to jump ship fairly quickly so holding a job for several years was difficult for me. When things got stagnant at my buyer job, I decided to pack up and move to LA after putting in my two weeks- this was about 4.5 years ago. Shout out to my parents for their patience and support because once again, I was leaving the Bay and with little to no plan. I knew I’d make it once I got out here, I just needed to get the hell out here.
So I did and stayed in a shit apartment near Chinatown for two years with my dog and interned for a PR showroom in WeHo where I worked with a ton of stylists. I realized I didn’t necessarily want to work on the PR side of things but that maybe I should try styling. I had always loved fashion and felt that I had a good eye. I interned for my first stylist who hired me shortly after to be her first assistant for a few years, where my styling career really took off. I’m blessed and grateful to have experienced the things I already have, worked with the people I’ve worked with and been to the places I’ve been. I’m really looking forward to the future of styling and my future in it.
Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not, lol. I think people have the perception that if you have great personal style then how hard could styling be? There’s so much that goes into it! From market to scheduling, to knowing what would look good on someone else’s body and not yours, BILLING! Oh my god, billing. Receipts, just endless receipts and taping. Prepping and returns. Mis-returns. No sleep, no meals. Your credit score. Lack of support. And not to mention the literal physical load. These bags aren’t gonna walk themselves onto set, are they? Lol, it’s rough. You have to really want it to make it as a stylist. The turn-over rate is insane. But if you’re dedicated, willing to work hard, are reliable and organized, you’ll be in a great place.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I’ve been a wardrobe stylist for a few years now and I think my (kinda new found) specialty is costuming. Which is totally a new thing to me. A client asked me recently if I’ve been working on more styling jobs or costuming jobs and I didn’t even realize that I do dip into the costuming pond a lot. I think with COVID especially, the styling game has changed so much, especially in LA. It’s really tough to use local resources since a lot of places that we used to go to have closed down. I’m always wondering how I can be creative with resources we do have here, especially if budget and time is a factor. I’ve been really into pulling at costume houses as opposed to stores recently, even if it’s not for a themed video. I guess another thing I’m known for is music videos. I’ve done an insane amount of them and have probably worked with your favorite rapper.
I think what sets me apart from others is really the respect level I carry for people I work with. I always treat others the way I want to be treated. It’s such a simple and rudimentary thing that unfortunately people often forget to do, especially in the industry. I’m all about spreading love.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
This is a tough question because obviously yes. I would not be able to do this job if I was still living in the bay, I wouldn’t have half the amount of opportunity or connections and it just wouldn’t make sense. If someone was just starting out, I would recommend them starting out there if they were a quality candidate. The market is so saturated right now, so even if you’re a hard worker, there’s someone out there who’s willing to work just as hard and maybe for half the price. It’s rough, especially for assistants. I don’t know that the city can do much of anything to help with these issues to be honest.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lisali-styles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisamarieee/
Image Credit:
(Julie Andrews)- Brian Bowen Smith, (Aminé) – Jack Begert, (Kendrick Lamar) – Theo Wargo, (Normani) – Dave Meyers, (Cactus Jack) – WhiteTrashTyler, (Rhyon Brown) – Ev Salomon, (SZA) – Amanda Charchian, (bts shot of myself and Jay Rock) – Pete Da Silva, (image of myself) – Ben Pham
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