This is one of the most common questions I get asked, and the honest answer is no.
When I first launched Style ME Training back in 2012, I genuinely thought I’d have fashion graduates and die-hard fashionistas walking through the door. I imagined people who had lived and breathed fashion since they were teenagers.
But that’s not what happened at all. Instead, we had mums, lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers and corporate professionals. People who had built careers in completely different industries but wanted something more creative, more flexible and more fulfilling.
And I should have known as I was once one of them. I came from a very corporate background. I wasn’t working in fashion. I started because I wanted to do something alongside my career that I’d really enjoy, and I wanted something that fitted around my lifestyle. Eventually I did this full-time, but it didn’t start that way.
Some of my delegates want to build a full-time styling business. Some want a flexible career around family life. Some want a side hustle. Others simply want the confidence and knowledge for themselves.
There are no “requirements” to start. What matters is your willingness to learn.
When you train with me, I teach you from a blank canvas. Even if you’ve been styling friends for years. Even if you think you already know quite a lot. I strip everything back and build you up properly, because foundations matter.
We have people on the course who have never done anything fashion-related before sitting next to people who’ve worked in retail for 10 years. The training is the same.
I also keep my groups small, which makes a huge difference. It means I can read the room, slow things down if needed, and adapt depending on who is there. No one feels left behind, no one feels bored, and no one feels intimidated. And the best thing about small groups is that you learn from each other. The lawyer brings analytical thinking. The mum brings empathy. The retail assistant brings hands-on customer experience.
You’ll see from Jem’s video below — she’s actually a Detective. No fashion background whatsoever. But what she brought into that training was: Curiosity. Attention to detail. Analytical thinking and the ability to ask brilliant questions.
View the video, to take a look at her journey and look at her confidence grow at each stage.