Shop 'til you drop; and get paid

"I'm in and out of shops all day," says Attapon Yospeem, a stylist for Polyplus Entertainment. "And, it usually ends up with lots of bags."

Attapon, or Tum, starts his workday preparing clothes for celebrities. And, he does not need his own money.

"Stylists go shopping for free. We get a budget from the producers," says Tum, a stylist for five years now.

He has worked for television shows like Boodsaba RimRour and T-Det Jung.

Now, he works for the entertainment-news programme Daow Kra Jai on Modernine TV.

Tum prepares accessories, clothes and shoes for hosts and celebrities invited to appear. "What I do is to make sure they look great from top to toe," he says.

Working with different people a stylist has to deal with various wants and desires.

"To me, dealing with people is a challenge," says Tum, 27. "Shop owners sometimes don't lend us their clothes because they have been returned dirty or not on time in the past."

"This gives stylists a bad reputation. I feel great if an owners lends me just one evening gown," says Tum.

Punctuality is vital. Tum says, "Fashion stylists must return items on time. Otherwise, you will lose your credit."

Tum explains stylists should have a good eye for things that look "hot and new" and be aware of fashion. "Each month I spend a lot of money on fashion magazines," he says.

Before getting this job Tum sold clothes at Medium Rare and assisted designers and stylists. In his five-year career he has learned experience as an assistant is very useful.

He turned to design and style in spite of leaving university with a major in advertising and public relations from Krirk.

"To get into the field of fashion you should show the pros all you can do when assisting them." He says, "If you can do it well and be responsible, they may give you an opportunity to work for them as a stylist yourself."

Hathaichanok Sangchoei

Special to The Nation