These Four Rising Stylists Are Fostering a Community in NYC

These Four Rising Stylists Are Fostering a Community in NYC
Photo: Rasaan Wyzard

Stylists do much more than put outfits together. While clothing is the medium, storytelling is the end result. Thinking back to the ’90s, trailblazing stylists like Melanie Ward, Venetia Scott, and Edward Enninful brought a fresh sense of realism to fashion editorials. All three grew up in London, and captured the mood of the city’s eclectic street style, lending a decidedly raw edge and vibrant personality to the polished minimalism that ruled the runways of the time. They also put forward new designers and models in the process. Now Vogue’s European editorial director, Enninful often styled his i-D covers with grungy thrift store finds, and on talents such as the British-born rapper Monie Love and Nigerian model Oluchi Onweagba. He made a point of collaborating with Black creatives, in a moment when they were systematically ignored by the industry.

Thirty years on, and it seems a seismic shift of similar proportions is underway in fashion. Following a global pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests of last summer, many in the industry are hungry for change. In New York, the cataclysmic events of the last 18 months have most certainly renewed the spirit of community. Among the new wave of creatives on scene, one crew of young stylist friends in particular is bringing a fresh perspective to the art of image-making. Meet Marion B. Kelly II, Milton D. Dixon III, Rasaan Wyzard, and Edward Bowleg III.

The four Black creatives all met while assisting styling on various projects in New York over the past five or six years, and they now operate as a loose collective. “We’re a support system for each other,” says Milton. “We’re a sounding board for ideas, advisors to each other for tough situations,a listening ear to vent and let frustrations out.” While fashion talk is always on the table, they often find that their discussions on anything from politics to art can inspire them most. “The beauty of our friendship is being able to leave work at the door and talk about everything else,” says Rassan.

The four stylists have different aesthetics, but all use their work to highlight and uplift underrepresented talent. They’ll spotlight Black models such as fresh new face Simone Embrack and fitness model Lu Faustin, and style them in cool, Black-owned labels of the moment—think, Connor McKnight, Bianca Saunders, and Bed on Water—many of whom they count as creative collaborators. Their distinctive images have been featured in i-D, W, and Vogue Italia.

“Being a Black creative doesn’t mean just one thing,” says Edward. “We all have different experiences, different interests, and different stories we want to tell.” For Marion, styling is a means of being part of a larger cultural conversation, one that’s more urgent than ever. “We’re living in a time where everything and everyone is on social media. Anyone can be a stylist,” he says. “There are new voices with different points of view that need to be heard. That defines the approach to styling now; you don’t necessarily have to go through the fashion guard.”

Below, meet the four stylists as they talk about how they got their start, what inspires their work, and what they hope to achieve next.

Marion B. Kelly II

Marion B. Kelly IIPhoto: Rasaan Wyzard

How did you get your start?

It all started years ago, when I was growing up in South Carolina. At an early age, I had an interest in music, art, and fashion. My sister and I would have DIY photoshoots where I would style and shoot her on my disposable camera. I was blessed to grow up going to museums, watching music videos, dabbling in the band, art, and sports. Those early formative years really shifted me and laid a strong foundation. Even though I had a love for the arts, the idea of working in fashion never crossed my mind. It wasn’t until 2014, right after graduating college, that I decided to move to NYC. I didn't know anyone and had no connections whatsoever. Within my first year, I landed an internship with the stylist Mel Ottenberg. Even though I was working three jobs and interning, it was well worth the sacrifice. I later got a job as a fashion assistant at Allure magazine under Paul Cavaco. This was where I saw the world of editorial and cut my teeth in fashion market editing. Within a few years, I was promoted to fashion editor, working at both Allure and Teen Vogue under the fashion directors Nicole Chapoteau and Rajni Jacques. In 2019, I took the leap of faith and went full-time freelance.

What’s your approach to styling today?

I approach styling how a professional athlete trains or a jazz artist approaches their show. I’m always pushing myself to condition my lens through strategic planning, research, and constantly seeking inspiration in everyday life. I love bridging opposite worlds. Art is something I always subtly reference in my work. [It could be] a painting that inspired a color pallet, or a sculpture I tried to emulate in a silhouette. I'm a heavy documentary and history junkie, so I pull a lot of ideas and references that help build different characters in my head. Nightlife has been a huge inspiration in my life since I was younger. I loved watching my older cousins prepare for a night on the town. Inherently the Lowcountry of South Carolina, where I'm from, always finds its way into my work, too. The small nuances of growing up in Gullah and southern tradition, the Black church, dirt roads, BET Uncut, HBCUs, Crown Vics with candy paint on 26 [inch rim]s, hole-in-the-wall clubs—these concepts have guided my creative inspiration.

Why is it important to have a support system in this industry?

It's easy to burn out in the fashion industry, but a support system helps you realize why you're here in the first place. The fashion industry can take a toll on your mental and physical health, so it is essential to have people in your corner to keep you grounded. It's also crucial that I have a community that understands what being Black is and the level of anguish we experience daily—if it's not being the only Black person on set, or dealing with micro-aggression, there is always something. Having that support system is vital.

What's been your proudest work moment thus far?

I’m thankful to have had a lot of great experiences working with amazing creatives and talented people. Having the opportunity to have worked with different publications and brands such as Vogue Italia, W Magazine, CR mens, High Snobiety, Connor McKnight, Daily Paper, and Farfetch has truly been a blessing. However, I'm never really able to take those moments in; I'm too busy wondering what's next. That's something I'm trying to work on though.

What was your New York Fashion Week highlight?

This past NYFW, I styled the Connor McKnight show. It was such a gratifying experience to be there in the beginning stages, and to witness our ideas come to fruition. Connor and I were constantly sending each other references gathering ideas to find the right elements to fit his world. His team is mostly his friends so everything felt authentic and like family.

What do you hope to still accomplish?

I want to find the space to continually evolve as a creative. I want to create intentional work that inspires and evokes emotion. Using styling as a platform to speak on untold stories that highlight the underdogs and emerging talent. Other than that, I have a list of photographers, artists, designers, brands, and directors I hope to work with one day.

Milton D. Dixon III

Milton D. Dixon IIIPhoto: Rasaan Wyzard

How did you get your start?

My first real fashion experience was interning for Nicola Formichetti and Brandon Maxwell, in the Gaga era. I’ve also worked in a bunch of magazine fashion closets, Vogue included. I assisted a handful of really amazing stylists.

What’s your approach to styling today?

I’m still working on perfecting my process and finding a formula that fits me. Now, I’ve really been leaning into building characters or understanding the cast first, finding the story. Once the skeleton of a story is there, you can add the meat to it—the clothes. [What inspires my styling is] people, nightlife, southern Black culture, my community of friends, hip-hop, older Black people’s style, and art. I’m open to inspiration from everywhere.

Why is it important to have a support system in this industry?

My support system has gotten me through hard times. Uplifted me when I wanted to quit, helped me navigate through business deals, and so much more. It’s also just nice to have someone that understands how it is to maneuver your way through predominantly white spaces.

What's been your proudest work moment thus far?

My work with i-D. It was such a coveted book for me growing up. I would rarely find it where I’m from, but I remember stumbling across one for the first time in a Barnes & Noble and immediately being obsessed. It’s wild to work with them now and have my name on their pages. It’s a very surreal feeling.

What do you hope to still accomplish?

There’s so much. I’m just starting really, so there’s a lot I’d like to do. The list really goes on and on.

Edward Bowleg III

Edward Bowleg IIIPhoto: Rasaan Wyzard

How did you get your start?

I got my start by interning at Interview in New York. From there, I interned for Patti Wilson, and then at the New York office of Vogue Paris. After two years of internships, I made the jump to freelance assisting. I worked with different stylists and editors before going on to become a first assistant to two incredible stylists, Beat Bolliger and Joe McKenna, over the next seven years.

What’s your approach to styling today?

I always aim to bring a sense of reality to what I do. Even if it is a small detail, I like to have an element that is somewhat relatable. It’s always a goal of mine to expand upon who or what is considered beautiful. Creating a diverse world within my work, collectively, is very important to me. A bit of everything [inspires my work], to be honest. I look at art and I visit different galleries and museums. Walking around whichever city I am in and observing what people are wearing inspires me as well. Sometimes I’ll look back at magazines and collections from when I first started to develop an interest in fashion, as it brings me back to a time when I was super curious about everything, and the cycle goes on from there.

Why is it important to have a support system in this industry?

Having fellow Black creatives as a support system in this industry, especially in this moment, is important. Many of us have had similar experiences or situations in which we can share knowledge and advice, as well as words of encouragement. The sense of community among us is also helping to welcome and usher in a new generation of Black creatives. The support we give to one another is something that I hope future Black creatives see and understand that the sky really is the limit, if you stay dedicated and put your heart into what you do.

What's been your proudest work moment thus far?

My proudest work moment thus far was taking the leap from assistant to working on my own, as a stylist.

What was your New York Fashion Week highlight?

I styled the Prabal Gurung show—my first!

What do you hope to still accomplish?

So much! I’m never quite satisfied with what I’ve done; I’m always looking forward to another project or another chance to tell a story, or explore a different element I am interested in. With that said, I am also interested in challenging what it means to be a ‘Black creative’ by staying true to what I know and what interests me. Far too often, I feel we are lumped into a box in terms of what our tastes and capabilities are. Challenging those preconceived notions is important, as we are all unique.

Rasaan Wyzard

Rasaan WyzardPhoto: Rasaan Wyzard

How did you get your start?

After graduating with a BA in Fashion Merchandising and moving to NYC in 2010—at a time when interning without pay was illegal and they were meant to gain college credit—I worked my way through every creative agency’s rosters of stylists, to essentially beg for an opportunity to gain experience. Brandon Maxwell, who was assisting Nicola Formichetti at the time, gave me that opportunity. Photography came a bit more recently. With the last year filled with uncertainties (social distancing, financial security, systemic racism rearing its ugly head), photography was a way I was able to gain control of my artistic vision without being at the mercy of a willing collaborator.

What’s your approach to styling today?

As far as personal projects go, my creativity is well informed by nostalgia, or personal experiences. From there, I dig deeper into research on the subject matter, and then align fashion to fit the inspiration. Most importantly, my personal connection with the subject also informs my art—this way the result is authentic, rather than a meaningless costume without context. Since I was a child, I’ve always been enamored with the idea of museums—being able to view seemingly archaic works of art that transcend time and culture. I’ve always wanted my work to feel timeless in that way. Fashion, for me, has always been a form of social studies or anthropology, where dress can apprise exactly what is happening at that moment, but I don’t mean in the general sense of a trend. Authentic representation is always my starting and end point when approaching styling.

Why is it important to have a support system in this industry?

For so long, Black creatives were meant to feel like crabs in a barrel. In order for one of us to succeed, we had to climb on top of one another. Personally, the day I realized that what I have to offer as an artist is unique to me—I can’t do what my counterpart does, and vice versa—I was totally liberated. Once the element of competition is eliminated from the equation, we’re left with more room to support one another. One generational curse I hope to eradicate is the idea of not mentoring those that come after us in fear of them ‘stealing our clients.’ It was something I always heard as an intern and assistant.

What's been your proudest work moment thus far?

My proudest moments would have to be my ongoing project of dressing and photographing my family, which I’ve been doing for nearly 10 years.

What do you hope to still accomplish?

I hope to create a body of work that I can exhibit in a solo show.