Fashion stylist Ade Samuel started from humble beginnings, helping her grandmother make clothes before her rise within the fashion industry, and is now styling major events and celebrities.
Samuel’s talent comes from her “eye” for color and texture, giving every look a distinct and unique touch. According to Yahoo, the Los Angeles native, who now lives in New York, styles anything between magazine covers, editorials, music videos, commercials, live performances and, red carpet looks.
Her most famous fits have been for celebrities like Khalid, Michael B. Jordan, Big Sean, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Letitia Wright.
“I saw my work and could see why people are always like, ‘I love your bold colors, and I love your prints,’” she told the outlet. “I think that naturally, that comes from my background, being African and living in this vibrancy of colors and prints and patterns and textures.”
When asked about how she began her career in fashion, she told the outlet that she began interning and working with multiple companies and brands between New York and L.A.
“I came back [to New York], did a stint at C.R. Fashion Book under Shiona Turini’s direction with Carine [Roitfeld], and realized I wanted to go fully into the styling thing. I ended up getting a call from Nicole Richie’s best friend, [celebrity stylist] Nicole Harouche,” Samuel said.
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“At the time, she was doing Miley Cyrus and Christina Aguilera, and she was like, ‘I heard you were a great stylist, and I would love for you to come to L.A.’ So I took the opportunity and came out here and ended up diving right in for a couple of years before I was offered my first opportunity with a rapper, Big Sean, who was my first client. I was working with Yara Shahidi and Big Sean, and that was the start of my business,” she said.
She was then asked why she chose to dive into styling, to which she said, “I really loved the idea of the storytelling aspect with clothes. When I saw what I was doing as an editor, it was putting together the idea, but the execution from the stylists was what drew me in. And I found that what connected to me was the same execution that I would have with helping my grandma.”
Samuel was asked about racial inequity in the fashion industry and how it’s progressed over time.
The fashion mogul, “I do think that there’s been progress. I just think that there’s been an awakening across the board about humanity and how people all deserve the same equal everything. People are more aware of the internal aspect of their business and how to equally create opportunities for everyone and ensure that the workplace is suitable. Also, giving space to new brands — that really helped so many brands come alive and be seen and be heard.”
Samuel was raised in the Bronx, New York, and said that her Nigerian culture inspired her signature style.
