Manny angelo: exclusive stylist chat
How long have you been working as a stylist? I started styling 4 years ago but got into the industry officially 3 years ago. I used to work at Buffalo Exchange when I first got to NYC and got close to a guy working there who was doing photoshoots. I assisted him with a shoot and that’s how I got into styling. I’ve been into fashion my whole life but honestly didn’t think I would go this route. If my younger self said I was going to be a stylist, I would have said “I don’t think so.” After moving to NYC, everything changed.
What are your favorite things about a career in styling? I like having my own creative arena to do whatever I want and let my creativity roll free. I love meeting people on set – the models, makeup artists, and photographers – they’re all contributing to one project. You get to shine in your avenue when styling.
Can you share some highlights from your previous styling experiences or projects?
My first highlight is the shoot that got published to Vogue. It was so unexpected, and we did not plan for it to get picked up by Vogue. It was supposed to be a test shoot…
We had specific looks we were going for, but we ended up playing around with it all. The pictures came out fantastic. We ended up submitting it to Vogue and they picked it up. That was a major highlight. This goes back to me saying “you just have to be yourself and let your creativity roam free. Surround yourself with the people who share your drive.” When everyone got the email that Vogue was going to publish the photos, we were shocked and so happy.
Another one is when I assisted Dione Davis on the show that was for Deveaux New York. I did not expect to be on this. I reached out to Dione and she invited me to help out. From there, I met a lot of really cool people. That was a major highlight. The looks during this shoot were very sophisticated and minimalistic with some architectural designs. We had 30-40 looks!
Where do you see your styling career taking you and what are your goals? I want to impact the industry in a way that nobody else has done. I want to break barriers and stereotypes. I am doing what I feel inside. I trust my intuition and passion.
As much as I like to have goals, I don’t like to give myself unrealistic expectations. Styling is like art, and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. Some people are lucky enough to break into a very successful place, but as long as I work hard and have the passion, I will get to the place I want to get to. I am striving for my best.
I see myself in an even better place in 1-2 years. My goal is to style for more brands and more shows. I want to have my own creative agency and have a space where creatives can have a safe space to network and have the resources to grow. I know what it’s like to start and not be seen and not know how to get your foot in the door. I want this to be an all encompassing creative agency and foster rare talent.
What’s your dream brand to style for? It fluctuates. One season I like Celine and the next I like Balenciaga. As of now, it will be Phoebe Philo. She just released her own brand. She did so well and her pieces sold out in less than 2 hours. After 8 years of no industry presence, she sold out right away! Phoebe is someone I have loved for a long time. Other brands I love are The Row and Balenciaga. These are my top 3 brands. I COULD KEEP GOING THOUGH!
How would you describe your personal style aesthetic? I wear a lot of black and white clothing. That is my color palette. I do wear beige sometimes and some gray. Most of my clothing is black and white. I am very minimalistic. I have some great jewelry, and I love rings and necklaces. I don’t like chunky necklaces. My style is sophisticated with a little bit of an edge. I don’t think of my outfits in advance – I wake up and get dressed based on how I feel. I can wake up and say, “I think I want to dress like Bottega today” or maybe I want to step it up and add a lot of jewelry. It depends on my mood. I am always myself when I get dressed. I know my pieces and what looks good on me. I know where I shop.
When do you have the most fun styling others? I really enjoy when I style my own projects. It really depends, but I enjoy when I style my clients and they take what I say and listen and go with my advice. I like doing editorials and individual clients – it’s a balance of both! Let’s say you’re working with a client or a brand, sometimes you don’t have full reactive power. You might have something you want to do but it won’t get approved. As a stylist, you are sometimes limited. If it’s my own project, then it’s always fun. Not having full creative power is what takes away the fun.
Are there specific fashion trends or styles that you particularly enjoy working with? I am a very minimalistic person and go for a lot of architectural pieces. I do not follow trends. For my personal style, I don’t follow a certain style or fashion. I am just modern. I could see a piece from an archive and just wear it. I’ve been into trends and styles, but I am now going for a lot of elevated pieces and elevated basics.
How do you stay updated on the latest trends in fashion and styling? For the most part, I use IG and social media. I follow a lot of magazines and newsletters. I love doing research. Before certain projects, I will research for 3 weeks. On IG, I follow a lot of magazines and see what they publish and stay in touch. I see what stylist has worked on what project and compare these looks. Social media is a huge tool.
Fashion green and red flags?
Green: I love to see when someone is well (1) color coordinated. If you can put yourself together well, that’s a green flag. Style is something you have or you don’t. You can’t buy it. Another green flag is when (2) girls wear high knee boots. High waisted short skirt or a leather jacket or oversized blazer – that’s a green flag. (3) Black and white peeps! We know each other – if you rock B&W, we are aligned. Love brendahashtag and have been following her for many years, even before she turned her hair blonde. She has been a style inspiration for me for a long time. Her style and closet are incredible and she has so much knowledge on fashion. She’s a great source for archival fashion – follow her page disruptiveberlin.
Red: I personally do not like when people wear (1) sneakers with a leather jacket. It annoys me so much. Leather jackets are supposed to be worn with boots and should be dressed up, not down. Another red flag – (2) skinny jeans. Also, I’ve been seeing everyone wearing (3) adidas sambas but they have been here for years – red flag. The (4) white Air Forces are a disaster. If we are going out for drinks, please do not wear dirty white Air Forces. Especially with the leather jacket and jeans and white air forces — NOOOO!
Any fashion regrets? Yes, I definitely have some. (1) I am a victim of the skinny jeans disease. Everybody wore skinny jeans. Hedi Slimane popularized skinny jeans at Saint Laurent and made it go down in history. He changed the game completely. PHOTO INCLUDED IN SKINNY JEANS
Do you remember (2) Supras? Everyone would wear them with skinny jeans. Do you remember the red Kanye West boots? Those were OH MY GOD a huge regret. This is bringing back so many memories…
What else…I used to wear a lot of (3) sweatpants and basketball shorts. That’s a regret. Now I don’t own any shorts at all. I also don’t own any sweatpants. I don’t own any adidas. I don’t own anything from Nike. I don’t have any sneakers – only black slip ons from Vans. I don't like (4) shoes with laces. Laces bother me. I only have one pair of boots with laces. I used to wear a lot of shoes with laces but not anymore.
Final thoughts? I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and introspection. Passion is huge. If you love what you’re doing and have a passion for it, just keep doing it. Surrounding yourself with the right people is so important. I’m finally surrounding myself with the right people and the right support system. Just make sure you stick to that passion and have that drive you…and keep it stylish while you go.
