Creative skills and a leap of faith

A stylist is always faced with challenges, from the creative to the logistical. During the course of my career, I have had to fill a bath with baked beans three times in three locations (having strained them first), design and commission a full length dress made of peacock feathers within 48 hours, and set dress a house and garden in Clapham to photograph family scenes over four seasons for Norwich Union. We were shooting over two cold days in February and the models certainly earned their fee posing in shorts and t-shirts for a summer barbeque shot while the crew were wrapped up in warm coats. In each case the end result was successful because of good teamwork, great creative skills and a leap of faith.