Stylist Elixir Update
We’ve Rebuilt the Substack — Here’s What’s New
Hello Everyone,
Before anything else — thank you.
To everyone who’s subscribed, shared, replied, sent kind messages, or quietly read along — this Substack exists because of you.
When I started writing ten months ago, I didn’t know where it would go.
But post by post, we built something honest, useful, and real — a space to talk about what it’s actually like to work in fashion, freelance, or both.
There are now over 80 newsletters and guides in the archive.
And while that’s something I’m proud of, it’s also made it harder to find what you need — especially if you’re new here.
So I’ve given this space a proper reset.
It’s still Substack. Still Stylist Elixir. Still weekly posts.
But with a clearer shape — and a name that reflects what this has become.
Welcome to the Stylist Elixir Journal.
This isn’t just a newsletter.
It’s a journal of what it means to build a creative career in fashion —
when you don’t have connections when you’re figuring it out alone,
when you’re trying to stay creative and survive at the same time.
Now, the Journal is divided into four sections — so you can explore it in a way that actually serves your current reality:
The Career Builder
Practical strategy for building, booking, and moving forward.
Inside this section, you’ll find pitching guides, freelance planning, portfolio structure, career resets, and more.
Start here if you’re trying to break in, shift direction, or finally get momentum.
Includes:
• The 1-Year Plan to Break Into Styling (Part 1 & 2)
• The 1–3 Year Career Reboot Plan
• The Booked Stylist Formula
• The Networking Guide
• How to Succeed Without Waiting to Be Discovered
…and more
Stylist Protection
This section is about safety — financial, legal, and personal.
It’s the stuff no one teaches you until something goes wrong.
Inside:
• Insurance, contracts, and financial planning
• Setting boundaries with clients
• Protecting yourself in a system built on unpaid labour, grey areas, and invisible rules
Includes:
• The Fashion Freelancer’s Safety Net
• The Insurance Post
• (And future posts on rates, contracts, usage rights, payment terms)
Creative Corner
This is where the creative process lives — the real behind-the-scenes work that goes into shoots, sourcing, and styling at a high level.
Inside:
• Sourcing clothes from PRs and showrooms
• Styling high-profile clients
• Moodboarding, art direction, shoot planning
• How to lead creatively (even as a freelancer)
Includes:
• How to Source Clothes
• The Moodboard Guide
• The Art & Hustle of Editorial Styling
• Styling High-Profile Clients: The Real Rules, Risks & Rates
Industry Truths
This is the emotional centre of the Journal.
The stuff that doesn’t fit in a template.
The honesty about how it really feels to work in fashion — especially as a freelancer.
Inside:
• Burnout, doubt, creative confidence
• Comparison, isolation, self-worth
• Posts that name what no one else is saying
Includes:
• Am I Enough in This Fashion Industry?
• Everyone Else Is Faking It Too
• The Fashion Industry Is a Game
• What They Don’t Teach You at Fashion School
• How to Make Real Friends in Fashion
You don’t need to read everything.
Just start with what feels relevant right now.
→ Browse the Stylist Elixir Journal by section here
If you’ve ever felt stuck, unsure, or quietly lost in your freelance fashion career — this journal is here to help.
Whether it's a strategy post that helped you pitch, a breakdown that made the industry make more sense, or just knowing someone else gets what you’re going through — that support is real, and it’s here.
Becoming a paid subscriber keeps that going.
It’s £5/month — about the price of a coffee — and it helps us keep building this platform for you and others navigating the same path.
More importantly, it gives you full access:
to the breakdowns, the strategy, the behind-the-scenes no one else shares.
You can join here — or keep reading and choose when it feels right.
Disclaimer:
All guidance shared in this Journal is based on lived experience, community conversations, and insights from ongoing mentorships. No private or confidential information is ever disclosed. Stylist Elixir is an independent platform and is not affiliated with or governed by any union, brand, or official industry body. This content is intended to inform, empower, and protect freelance fashion creatives. It’s not legal, financial, or insurance advice — always do your own due diligence where needed.