There's a version of success in this industry that can look a lot like luck. You attend the right event, make the right connection, get into the right room.
For celebrity, fashion, and editorial stylist Monaè Everett, luck was a factor in rising to the top — but it only paid off because of years she spent building a foundation.
At the recent Be+Well Beauty and Wellness Show in New York (formerly the International Beauty Show) the master stylist, Sally Beauty Ambassador, and Monaè Life Academy founder drew ambitious beauty professionals to her master class, Behind the Chair to Behind the Scenes: Techniques to Unlock High Fashion Gigs.
Everett work’s spans editorial sets, Fashion Weeks, A-list events, and red carpets, but she drew a room full of hairstylists hungry for more than a mood board. They wanted a tried-and-tested playbook to landing top gigs, and she gave them exactly that.
1. To Book the Job, Build Your Book
For stylists eager to land editorial, fashion, and celebrity work, Everett says the transition starts with creating a solid, well-documented body of work, and showcasing it online. “At bare minimum, your top nine images [on Instagram] need to show you can do the work.”
She advises stylists to pursue test shoots: free, collaborative sessions with photographers, wardrobe stylists, and makeup artists all focused on building their portfolios together.
“Start with test shoots before you move on to paid work, because the way you style hair is going to surprise you when you see it in photos.” Meaning: what looks amazing in person doesn’t always translate on camera.
Training your eye to understand that gap, she says, is an essential skill.
2. Master a Method, Not Just a Look
Next step: developing a repeatable process. Everett relies on her own styling method, the SCALE System, which she says applies equally in the salon, backstage, for weddings and events, and on film and TV sets:
- Study the Hair (evaluate texture, density, porosity, elasticity, and shrinkage);
- Create the Foundation (leave-in conditioner, detangle, apply mousse or gel);
- Arrange the Structure (section the hair and establish direction);
- Lift and Shape (build silhouette and balance volume);
- Elevate the Finish (refine shine and ensure camera readiness);
Product selection, Everett says, should be less about brand loyalty and more about the ability to achieve what’s needed for that look, that hair type, on that day. “It’s not about the brand, it’s about the science."
Everett walked the class through four categories every high-level stylist needs to command: moisturizers, hold products, heat protectants, and shine enhancers.
Knowing the function behind the formula, she explains, is what separates a skilled stylist from an elite one.
3. On Set, Collaboration Is the Real Currency
In that world, Everett says, it's critical to understand who holds the power: The photographer.
“A photographer is the North Star. They decide who's on set, and they decide who gets what.”
More than that, the photographer drives the project's creative vision, meaning hairstylists need to come prepared to interpret that vision quickly, adapt on the fly, and collaborate (rather than simply execute).
Knowing how to read that dynamic and build relationships within it, she says, is a crucial factor that keeps stylists getting booked and rebooked.
4. Do It All or You Won’t Get the Call
Another is “eclectic expertise” — the ability to deliver at a high level regardless of texture, length, gender, or hair type.
An impressive range, Everett says, builds the level of trust that keeps stylists in demand, turning them into a bankable brand with a reputation that books itself.
To make sure she stays plugged in between gigs, Everett scours global fashion publications, tracks trending colors, and cross-references looks across textures.
“If I see a great style on a model with straight hair, I ask myself, ‘How I can make it work for curly hair?’” she says. “That's the cheat code.”
5. Turn Every Opportunity Into the Next One
Perhaps her sharpest insight for the class dealt with building momentum. Everett describes her own career as a series of deliberate pivots, each opportunity engineered to open up the next.
Teaching at a show led to brand partnerships. Brand partnerships led to more stages. “I do one thing, and I leverage it into my next thing.”
For stylists ready to make that leap, Everett's message was as practical as it was galvanizing.
She reminded everyone in the room they already have the skills — all that stands in the way between them and their dream jobs is the right path to get there.
To book education with the Monaè Life Academy, tap here. For Monaè's upcoming classes, tap here.