Ava: Hey everybody. It's Ava here. Today is a very special day because it's the first installment of my new column, Off the Record. And we are talking to the wonderful Taylor Stine, the current director of merch and styling for Season magazine. Upon starting this column, I felt it was only right to begin with the one current member of season with whom I have shared one of the most impactful experiences with, that being the role of director of merch and styling. So, thanks for letting me interview you today.
Taylor: Hello, thank you.
Ava: Let's start from the beginning. How did fashion first capture your imagination? And do you remember the moment you knew styling was something that you had to pursue?
Taylor: I think back to some of my earliest memories of me as a child, I just remember my kindergarten school picture. My dad dressed me and he put my shirt on backwards. That just sticks out to me because then afterwards I never let my parents pick out my outfit again after that. So I was literally in kindergarten and first grade choosing all of my own outfits. I did my own hair, chose my own shoes, all of that. I think unconsciously that's where my skill kind of started. Besides that, my grandma would always take me shopping. We would go to the mall and go to Justice. That was my favorite activity of all time when I was young. And I think I didn't know that styling was an actual thing until I got to college, honestly. I joined Season and was looking at the different departments. I was like, okay, wait, that sounds like something I would like. And then as I kind of started getting into fashion and more specifically fashion magazines, I just discovered this niche of it and that it can be a whole job. It can be a whole career. I fell in love with that idea and the role that stylists get to play in the creation of a shoot.
Ava: Yeah, I was obsessed with Justice. All baddies were.
Taylor: For real. All baddies were hitting up the Justice.
Ava: Next I wanted to discuss how there's an undeniable power in fashion to create a dialogue about culture, identity, and expression. How do you see Season Magazine contributing to that conversation?
Taylor: Yeah, I mean, I think one of the main focuses and goals of Season is just being an outlet for everybody to be able to express themselves and to be able to tell whatever story they want to tell openly. That just kind of opens the door and just creates a space for a lot of people of diverse backgrounds or diverse interests, cultures, and niches to have a space to share whatever it is they want to share.
Ava: I feel like there's not really anything else like it at IU.
Taylor: Yeah, and I think we really prioritize making sure everybody is heard, in whatever form that may be.
Ava: We all carry pieces of advice that stick with us. What's the best piece of personal or creative advice you've ever received, and how has it shaped you?
Taylor: I think the one thing that I can think of, and that I kind of always think of, comes from Neely, who was our merch and styling director when I first joined. She just made it really known that you shouldn't be scared to share your ideas and that you should be involved. What I've taken from that, even just from the very beginning, is to speak openly and confidently about my ideas or my thoughts about certain things because you just never know what sort of impact it will have.
Ava: Yeah, that makes sense. I feel like being a new member in Season can be really intimidating. I think everyone is scared at first, because you walk into this room full of creative people in really cool outfits using fancy words. And they already know how all these things work, and how to shoot film, and all of these things that you don't know about because you're a freshman and you just started college a week ago and you have no idea what's going on.
Taylor: I know, exactly. I was the only freshman that got hired onto the styling department when I did and so I didn't know a single person. I had found out what the magazine was a week prior when I was searching for a new major. It came up and I was like, “okay, wait, the callout meeting is next week, I'll go.” It was just a complete step out of my comfort zone and I think if it wouldn't have been for Neely and for her confidence in me, I definitely wouldn't be here today.
Ava: Shout out to Neeley, she really is the best! I guess we kind of touched on how intimidating it can be to be a new member and sometimes that comes with some feelings of doubt. I think every creative has those moments of doubt. How do you overcome those times when maybe your vision isn't clicking or when you're questioning your direction?
Taylor: I get these thoughts and feelings with almost every creative endeavor that I embark on and I feel like what's worked for me is really just taking a step away from it, whether that be for a night, or a month, and then eventually through that time away you get random thoughts of “oh, this could be really cool” or “maybe I should add this” and just jotting little notes until you feel confident and comfortable enough to fully jump back in. I feel if I force anything too much, then it only stresses me out, and makes things worse. I feel too forced and that's not authentic. I think just taking a step back and letting my mind go everywhere else except for that project.
Ava: I totally agree. I feel like when you're so involved in something you can't see the big picture of how awesome it actually is sometimes. And it's like, wait, you're actually slaying.
Taylor: Literally. And you just forgot. You're just so used to slaying and you just can't see it anymore.
Ava: That's so real. Basically, you've actually been slaying the whole time and you didn't know and you just forgot how to identify it.
Taylor: Exactly. You're so busy looking at other people slaying and then you forget that that's you too.
Ava: Yeah, it’s hard to remember that sometimes. So as director of merch and styling, you're kind of a known character amongst the Season crew. But, what is something that most people don't know about you? A side of your personality or a small quirk that might surprise people who only know you through your work.
Taylor: Well, something about me is that I'm currently training for a marathon.
Ava: Oh my gosh!
Taylor: Yeah, I've been a runner my whole life. My parents were runners and I ran all throughout elementary, middle school, and high school. All of that. I'm currently training for the Chicago Marathon. It's in about two weeks.
Ava: Wow! So, it's grind time out there.
Taylor: Literally, I'm serving looks in the streets, on campus, at our meetings. But I am running all the time.
Ava: She's serving speed.
Taylor: Running, not speed, but distance.
Ava: Oh, she's serving, uh –
Taylor: I'm serving endurance.
Ava: Endurance. That's awesome.
Taylor: I think that's probably something that people don't know about me.
Ava: Any advice on where to find cute workout clothes? You know, I feel like it's hard if you're not an athleisure baddie.
Taylor: Two target sports bras, two pairs of Nike shorts. That's all you need.
Ava: You heard it here first.
Taylor: Yes, keep it simple, keep it sustainable.
Ava: Gotcha. Great advice. So, okay, last question. We have both been director of Merch and Styling. Now that you're in the role I once held, and you have some experience to look back on, what's one piece of advice that you'd offer to someone who may be coming in after you? Something you've learned that you wish you knew when you started?
Taylor: I would say just don't underestimate yourself. Kind of like what we were saying, you are a slayer, that's why you're in this role. Each semester is the same format and process, yet it looks completely different as Season grows and takes on new endeavors. Nobody's experience is going to be the same, so even if you look back on the previous two directors and feel like “Wow, they were doing so much better of a job than I am,” you have to remember that this current point in time, the semester that you're in, is different from anything in the past, and so you have to take it with a grain of salt. Keep this in mind and try to stay confident in what you are doing.
Ava: That is some advice that will always remain true. Thank you so much for letting me interview you today, and for being our first interview of Off the Record.
Taylor: Thank you for having me!