Emily Balius
We spoke with LA based stylist Emily Balius to discover the approach she took to styling our latest campaign in Mexico, the one piece of styling advice she swears by and her dreamy travel plans for the year.
“You recently styled our latest campaign in Careyes, Mexico. Tell us about this experience: ”
My time in Careyes was magical! There was a small team of 6 that worked really beautifully together. It truly felt like a working holiday with the team. We stayed at the most beautiful houses right on the water, looking out onto the bay. We worked hard, ate lots of good food, and snuck in a few nighttime swims. The trip felt exactly as the photos look: relaxing, beautiful, and luxurious. It’s one of my favourite jobs to date.
“What approach to styling did you take with the looks?”
I always envision the women in the clothing and on the trip. This is a tasteful woman who wants to relax on vacation, yet maintains a chic and cool heir. I like to over-style each look and then pull back when finalizing everything in order to find the perfect balance. I worked closely with the Faithful team to handpick each item for every single look. Quite a few of the pieces were vintage or vintage-inspired which was super fun and helped us build on our Faithfull women. We wanted to ensure that we were telling a cohesive story for this collection, and I was so thrilled to see that we did!
“How did your career in styling begin and do you have any advice for those wanting to do the same?”
My career in styling has been less than conventional. I earned my college degree in Conflict Resolution and Justice and Peace and worked in social justice for almost a decade. I started styling later in life when I realized how burnt out I was from my previous career. I knew fashion was something I had always been interested in and that I could create positive change no matter what I did as a profession. If someone is wanting to get into styling I would tell them: It’s never too late, and you gotta want it. Styling is a very demanding job, physically and mentally. I would also encourage people to do it in their own way. There isn’t solely one path to success in styling. You do not have to do it in the same way as other people in order to be successful.
“Who, what or where do you source your creativity? ”
My biggest creative bursts come when I give myself time to sit and do nothing. Often times this is in the evening. When I give myself space to just sit, my creative ideas seem to float to the top of my mind. I leave a pen and paper on my nightstand so I can write everything down while I’m trying to fall asleep.
“If you could give one piece of fail-proof styling advice it would be:”
Embrace and express yourself unapologetically. You can’t go wrong with being yourself…no one else will do it better than you.
“Your style icon/muse is: ”
A modern icon has to be Sissy Chacon. She’s an amazing stylist based in LA. She’s chic, timeless, and unapologetic.
“Do you have any travel plans for the year? If so, what would we find in your summer suitcase?”
I’m heading to Nicaragua in May for a couple of weeks for my birthday. I chose Nicaragua because it’s a great place to surf this time of year, and the weather is unbeatable. I’m taking another trip to Mexico at the beginning of June to surf and potentially to Copenhagen in July. My brother and sister-in-law are having a baby in June so I will also be travelling to Minnesota (where I’m from) to meet the new baby! Last but not least, my partner and I are hoping to sneak in a trip to Morocco to plan our postponed COVID wedding.
In my suitcase, you would find vintage Chanel Sunglasses, Rag and Bone sandals, tanning oil, a Faithfull swimsuit, a crochet dress, and a good book.
