KELLY HSU
28, FASHION STYLIST
@kllyhsu
Born in Taiwan and raised in Singapore, Kelly Hsu started her decade-long career as a freelance fashion stylist while she was studying for her diploma at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). She later pursued her BA in Fashion Media at Lasalle College of the Arts. Her expertise and focus was styling for commercial jobs, which was a different route to embark on, as stylists typically start as styling assistants.
Kelly considers herself fortunate to have crossed paths with influential individuals who have played a significant role in shaping her career trajectory. Eugene Siow, a commercial photographer she met when she was still in NAFA, offered Kelly her very first freelance styling opportunity.
Then, at Lasalle College of the Arts, her lecturer, veteran stylist Furqan Saini, helped open many doors for her as she worked alongside him on creative and commercial projects at his agency Major Minor.
“My first job in 2016 was for a Spotify campaign – I had not assisted a stylist before, nor did I have any related experience before the assignment. I went with my instincts, and thankfully did not make any amateur mistakes,” says Kelly.
Years later, Kelly started assisting fashion stylist Joshua Cheung, whom she now considers her mentor. “Joshua gave me the chance to explore doing fashion editorials for magazines. That was something I had never done before, and it was very different from styling commercial projects. I finally had a chance to explore my creative finesse in a completely new and refreshing way.”
What is a typical day in the life of a stylist?
For commercial styling projects, I’m involved in planning the visual direction by creating
