Conflicts, pressures, low pay… Red carpet stylists united for the first time in Great Britain.

And the red carpet became a field of social struggle. On July 14, Hollywood actors’ union SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers sounded the death knell for premieres and other summer movie events by voting to strike. The two organizations thus joined the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which has been on strike since April 18. In the era of streaming platforms, the latter are especially seeking to raise wages and improve working conditions. They are not the only ones. British designers working in the entertainment industry are also organizing to protect their rights.

Thus was born the Celebrity Stylists Union, the first union to advocate for celebrity stylists, led by Michael Miller. In the summer of 2021, this Brit (who dresses the actor Game of ThronesAlfie Allen or Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, from the series after) is in discussions with the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theater Union (Bectu) of England’s Media Professionals Union, with the firm intention of improving working conditions for its peers. Only on May 24, 2023, the first meeting of the Society of Celebrity Stylists took place, which formed a branch dedicated to celebrity stylists in Bectu. The project is unprecedented and the list of grievances, especially for an unknown profession.

Unknown profession

What’s behind climbing the stairs, getting to the Met Gala? Michael Miller details his missions on the Let’s talk about podcast hosted by stylist Sarah Edmiston. “There is a whole preparatory phase, exchanging about one hundred and fifty emails. Sometimes ten answers, sometimes it’s two. Then you need to bring the clothes, organize the fitting session and bring in the designers for the alterations. And then there is the “after-sales service” – explaining to the brands why they were not selected, negotiating the terms of the loans with him. Then comes D-Day. Finally, you need to be able to restore the view after the fact.

Question pay

This work is spread over three to five days, paying an average of $500 (€456) per outfit, again according to Michael Miller. The Netflix platform will commission the stylist about sixty looks per year. If the latter were calculated on an hourly basis, the wage would be £6.25 (€7.27) an hour, which is significantly lower than the legal minimum in the UK since April 1 (which rises to £10.42 ( 12.12 euros). This is compounded by the many ancillary costs incurred by the worker, including couriers. “Platforms would never ask cameramen filming ad interviews to bring their own equipment or pay for lights, would they?” in a WWD article. the upset stylist.

“False information is my skin.”

In addition to the lack of attention and extremely low wages, the stylists union decries the working environment and sometimes toxic practices, especially for the industry of dreams. Lough Roach, one of the discipline’s stars, testified to the defamation last March. “Politics, lies and false information have been my skin. You won…I’m not there anymore,” the Celine Dion and Zendaya character signer announced in an Instagram post that sent shockwaves through the industry. If he has since returned to service with the actress Euphoriahis condemnations, although vague, find their response in the demands of the union.

There are many ways to improve the working conditions of the stars’ stylists: establishing contractual conditions, clearing the floor so that stylists know their rights better, providing them with legal support, setting standards to clean up the relationship between players in the field… And thus lay the foundations of a profession that hides in the spotlight for too long.