From Brazil to London: how Manuela moved to the fashion capital to study and become Online Stylist at Selfridges

Commencing her styling career in Brazil, Manuela executed various internships and assistant positions before deciding to rather moving to London. She took a job in retail and afterwards started to intern at Elle and Marie Claire, Red Magazine, Dazed and Matches Fashion, whose positions build up her skillset and made her CV valuable for the competitive London market.

Today she executes the position of an Online Stylist at the prestige retailer Selfridges. In this interview, she shares her experience of moving countries for the passion for fashion and some Magazine insights with you.

1. Hi Manuela. We are happy you are open for sharing some of your incredible experience with us. May you quickly introduce yourself?

Hi Lilly and hello to the Glam Observer community. My name is Manuela Soliz I’m 34 and I’m from Brazil. I moved to London 5 years ago to study fashion and, after finished my studies, I decided to stay in London and work in the fashion industry here. I began my career interning in a number of fashion publications and went on to work as an Stylist Assistant for MatchesFashion.com and Boutique 1. Currently I’m working as an Online Stylist for Selfridges, one of the biggest multi brand retailers in the UK.

2. Your career firstly kicked off in Brazil, where you started working as an assistant stylist. What is the fashion industry in Brazil like?

Before I started my BA in Fashion Design in London I studied on some courses in Brazil where I was able to meet and work with people from the industry there. I am from the south of Brazil, from a city called Port Alegre, and back then the ecommerce market was just starting and it was very small. My first job there related to fashion was with 2 small independent designers and I was involved in helping chose fabrics and trims, designing ideas, researching, creating look books and even selling at small events or street fairs. The industry now in Brazil has grown a lot and most of the companies are based in the commercial centres like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo where some of my friends have moved to get better opportunities.

3. You then moved to London, a place not really close by your home country. What made you decide so and how did you manage the moving?

When I decided to change my career in Brazil and started to work with fashion, I begin to look for some short courses so I could have a better understanding of the industry and what I could do. After a year of studying in Brazil I choose to apply for a BA in Fashion Design here in London because it’s one of the most important centres for the fashion market in the world. I was accepted to study at Heriot-Watt University in London and so I decided to move here and study for while. I had never been to London before I moved here and so, at the beginning, everything was very overwhelming and a little bit scary. I had to manage my studies with a part-time job and being away from my friends and family wasn’t easy. But I knew that if I didn’t try I would regret it later and the experience here would be great.

4. Have you started applying to positions in London before moving there? How did you hear of certain positions?

Before I move to London, I had no idea how the market worked here. I presumed that there were a lot of opportunities but I also knew that it would be very competitive. I didn’t apply to any jobs before I moved and while I was studying I worked part-time as a shop assistant. It was only when I was finishing my BA that I started looking for more fashion related jobs. After completing my degree in Fashion Design, I decided that I didn’t want to be  a designer so I started looking for roles related to what I was more interested in which was Styling. I started looking for people in the industry that worked in these roles through social media and printed publications. I decided to email them and see what was going to be the outcome. I emailed their assistants with my CV and a cover  letter explaining why I wanted to do an internship and I got my first opportunity to  intern for a month at ELLE UK magazine.

5. Your first internship in London has been at Elle Magazine, which was followed by Marie-Claire, Red and Dazed. What did these internships teach you and do you think that this experience gave you an advantage to other applicants, when applying for new positions?

Interning was a big and a very important part of my career. I learned a lot in every single one of the internships I did. They might look the same when you see the description but it’s completely up you to make them different and to try to absorb as much as you can. Because some places only offer you a month of internship, I always tried to make the most out of it, that included working extra hours and staying with a positive attitude all the way, even when it was hard or sometimes even when the work was very repetitive, I was always thinking that the quicker and more efficiently I finish my task, the quicker a new one would be presented and with that I was going to be able to learn more.

I believe that I wouldn’t be where I am right now without the internships. They  allowed me to gain experience in the industry, build connections and have a strong work ethic.

6. In how far did the fashion internships at the publications differ? What belonged to your tasks and do you have any recommendations on what to ideally put on your CV and Cover Letter when applying for internships at fashion magazines?

As I mentioned before, as much as the description for the internship looks the same, is up to you to work hard and make them different. There are some basic procedures that I did in all of them but I was always trying to learn more and show how important it was for me to be there and doing that job. Most of the publications require interns to do returns and pick ups of samples from PRs and keep the fashion cupboard organised. These are some of the main tasks. The harder you work on those tasks, the more different ones will be presented, such as sending emails to PRs to request samples and keep track of the items, going for appointments, doing research for shopping spreads or any photoshoot that they are planning and building moodboards with relevant imagery that can be used for the stylist or assistant to do their job, and finally assisting on a shoot.

When you are applying for a position make sure you describe every task that you’ve done before so they can see your experience. On your cover letter describe your skills, your motivation for the role and why you think people going for the same position and you have to make someone believe that you are the most suitable for the role. Once you get called for an interview, there’s no problem saying that you don’t have enough experience regarding what they are asking, just show that you are willing to learn and you are able to do it. Be confident and have a positive attitude. Also being organised, punctual and aware of the season shows are key elements to work in the industry.

7. What was the biggest challenge for you, after having settled in the UK?

My biggest challenge since I moved here is believing in myself and believing that everything is going to be fine. Opportunities don’t fall into your lap, you have to fight for them and staying motivated all the time is not easy. But I was never afraid or ashamed of doing simple and small tasks – I’ve learned that it is how the industry works and picking up a cup of coffee for someone is not the end of the world. Once you are settled and at peace with  yourself you will realise that there are a lot of people in the same situation as  you and you will have a lot of stories to share. The fashion industry is competitive but the way you see things and approach them will make this competition disappear. You can make great friends along the way too.

8. Any advice on how to start building a network and entering the industry in a foreign country?

My advice would be to discover who are the people in the industry that you admire and that you would like to work with in the country you are based.  If it’s a big name and you don’t think you have enough experience to approach that person yet, try to retrace their steps. Look where they worked before, who they were assisting, what type of experience they have and, from that, build your way.

9. You now work as Online Stylist at Selfridges. How did you apply for this position and what does an online stylist do?

I started to work at Selfridges in January of 2018. I applied to the position through their website and I was working as an ecommerce assistant for a year before I applied. I had enough experience before I decided to move positions and I knew how an ecommerce company worked and the processes in a photo studio.

My role consists of styling the looks for products on the website. Because Selfridges is a multi brand company, I have to research the different brands that we stock and build the looks according to the brand/designer’s perspective while also integrating the company’s style to it. As a Stylist it is important to know not only the brand but also the costumer profile, brand adjacencies and trends for the season. When you work as an Online Stylist you have to be aware that you are trying to sell an item to someone, so you have to make it desirable and also wearable.

10. What does a typical day at the office look like for you?

Because of the way that Selfridges works I have two typical days. One day I receive the products that I’m going to shoot on the next day, so I spend the entire day researching the brands, trends, shows and editorials to allow me to build the looks together, choosing the style pieces, accessories and shoes that will complete the outfit. On the second day, I am on set with a team and I shoot my rail according to my research from the day before. On this day everything is trial and error, sometimes the look that you built in your head works, sometimes not, so I’m always thinking about options in case something doesn’t look or photograph the way that I imagine. One day complements the other and it is very important to love what you do so you can make the best out of it.

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