Stylist to the stars, Engie Hassan, is the founder and President of EngieStyle and Fashion Editor for HudsonMod Magazine. EngieStyle is a world-renown company specializing in fashion styling, personal shopping, creative directing and brand imaging and is catered to women and men from all different countries, cultures, religions and customs. Some of their most reputable clientele include, Lady Gaga, Orlando Bloom, and more than one princess. For Engie, who started her career in fashion interning at Vogue magazine, hard work, dedication, and limitless passion have helped make her dreams a tangible reality.
At EngieStyle, we're an amazing company that thrives on creating magical moments.
About Engie
Tell us about your background in the world of fashion.
I started out as a student from FIT with the dream of someday becoming a world-renowned fashion designer, and now I’m the president and a stylist for EngieStyle!
I decided to act upon my dream at a very young age interning with Vogue. Through my time at Vogue, I started to learn the basics of styling and how to dress well, then I pursued internships at other publications, like Teen Vogue, French Vogue and Euro Magazine. I fell madly in love with the work and with every opportunity stylists are afforded, from fashion shows to celebrity clients, to red carpet prep, to look books. After my various internships ended, I dove in deeper by gaining more hands on experience as a stylist’s assistant. Then I decided to go out on a limb and start my own company called EngieStyle. At the same time, while starting my company, I worked at Bergdorf Goodman in the men’s store, and I was a specialist for Ralph Lauren and Tom Ford. It was the best kind of busy a woman in my industry could possibly be! I found myself surrounded by fashion, extreme work ethic, and my dream.
Tell the bSmart community about your favorite experience styling for a client or an event.
I count myself lucky that my first client was a princess; actual royalty. So I have to say, my most amazing experience styling was for Princess Princess Ameerah Al Taweel of Saudi Arabia. It was a huge honor. I had so much responsibility to make sure that she, a 28 year old at that time, was perceived as the face of the country, looking classic, chic, and fashion forward. I remember one time she was doing a dinner for President John Carter, and I had to get her a dress with only twenty-four hours notice! It was literally five minutes before she had to speak that everything came together. She appeared wearing a beautiful gown from Reem Acra. For me that was a highlight to have somebody who was hosting a dinner for a president - a big night for her and my first night doing something that big and it all working out. She was so happy, and she just looked flawless. There were a lot of tears and a lot of thank you cards and roses. Those are the highlight moments when I style somebody.
What have been some of the greatest lessons you’ve learned styling celebrities and royalty?
You’ve got to have a foundation of understanding and honesty with the client. You have to understand what they really want, and you have to work with it! You’re allowed to give style advice and your opinions and explain to them the overall style picture. But, it's important to ask what their goal is to look like, and how they want to be branded. A lot of celebrities, or even people in general, have so many fashion goals. They bring me pictures of another celebrity they want to look like or they bring me their raw measurements. It’s really difficult to style somebody, to make them stand out and become a brand on their own, if they’re constantly trying to overshadow or eclipse somebody else. That’s why an honest and open foundation is paramount for success.
What is your favorite part of styling?
My favorite part of styling is the ‘moment after.’ For example, the next day or that stunning moment on the red carpet when a client texts me and says ‘I feel like this is the best day of my entire life’ or ‘Thank you so much!’ and cries. I remember styling somebody for a pre-Oscar party, and the moment when she put on the dress her whole family all went ‘Ahhhh!’ and they were tearing up. I think that moment made me realize I’m doing something right in my life. I’m making people happy and making people feel special on their important days that they’ve worked hard for, and to me, that is why I want to be a stylist. I feel like we're an amazing company and team, and together we make magical moments.
I found myself surrounded by high fashion, extreme work ethic, and my dream.
bSmart With Your Style
How do you define good style?
I think good style really comes from being your own person. I find that everyone can wear a black dress, but the way you accessorize it has the opportunity to make a ‘wow’ statement. My style advice is to accessorize everything. It’s not just the shoe, or the brand name, but it’s more about the texture, the layering, a vintage ring, a special color, something bold, something that gives extra character to a look; a hint of you. You meet so many people in your life, especially these days. You can meet sixty people at an event, but how do you remember one person by their name? I’ve learned that a pair of earrings, a tie or a pin, or even a very special shoe can change how you're remembered. Just ask Cinderella.
What is one thing bSmart members should buy or wear in 2014?
I’m bringing back chokers! Chokers are going to be really in style in 2014, and I think everyone should start their year off by purchasing one choker!
I feel these days everything’s a trend. Everyone’s getting away with every kind of look, but I feel an accessory, like a jewelry piece, is going to make you stand out. Like I said, I’m bringing back the choker myself, personally! We’re going to be pushing that, a lot of stylists, a lot of us in editorial magazines. So invest in a choker!
What is your personal style advice for bSmart members for:
The Office
How to dress well in the workplace starts with a simple base. Then, accessorize to add hints of you. I recommend a crisp white, button down shirt with some subtle detail on it, and perfect, fitted black pants. Keeping that in mind, I would add a wonderful trench coat, and also a great cuff, and a pair of earrings that are a little bigger than medium-sized. A cardigan would be great to invest in as well, and a silk scarf for the winter months.
Black Tie Event
Though it's age-old style advice, it is forever true: every woman needs to invest in a black dress. Make sure that the silhouette fits and flatters your body perfectly, that the length is four inches below the knee, and that the silhouette is classic. For a black tie event, if you're going to wear a black dress you can utilize different colored accessories depending on the season, or what’s in style. Right now, add something in salmon or red.
Date Night
Date night should always be fun and flirty! You always want to show the best silhouettes of your body, that's truly how to dress well. Always dresses, and always accessorize something great around the neck area to keep great eye contact. Always wear a bracelet!
Tropical Vacation
Get fun, get playful, get colorful; lots of different shades, lots of different silhouettes! Depending on where exactly you’re going for your vacation, I would always invest in a white, cotton shirt, and a pair of jeans that are relaxed. Don’t forget to pack a sundress!
Weekend in the Country
Stay rustic and classic. You definitely need cardigans and denim. Also, mix it up with a pair of khakis, and invest in a great pair boots!
What is the biggest fashion mistake you see young women making on the streets of New York?
I feel that in New York, everyone has a personality and you can get away with a lot. That being said, I am not a girl who wears Uggs; I don’t think anybody should be wearing Uggs. Does Victoria Beckham wear Uggs? How to dress well, in my opinion, does NOT begin with a pair of Uggs.
What is one thing every bSmart member should throw out from her closet?
I think every bSmart member should throw out sweatpants that are not used for exercise. You should not be wearing sweatpants out and about. Live, have fun, be cute and flirty, but wear clothes!
You offer personal shopping services, what are your favorite stores in NYC?
I love to shop at Bergdorf Goodman because all my favorite designers are there, and you can also find inspiration for yourself and your clients. Also, I love to go to Soho and explore all the mom-and-pop stores there. I also go to Owen, Saks, Loehmann’s, Century 21, everywhere I can find inspiration!
Good style comes from being your own person.
The Future of EngieStyle
Can you tell us about the styling you've done for women from different cultures?
A client’s background, heritage, and religion play a big part when you’re styling them. For instance, I could be styling a Muslim who needs to be conservative and covered in certain areas, and I have to keep that in mind when I’m shopping. They want to look absolutely amazing and like a style icon, so it’s really important to study the culture, what’s appropriate, and what’s not. It ultimately gets you inspired. You start learning about other silhouettes, which are really beautiful, that can be worn in certain ways with your body; different colors and their meanings and why they’re worn. I’ve worked with people from Japan and have learned why certain colors are worn at weddings, for example. I’ve worked with clients from India and have learned why they wear certain colors for everyday work. It’s important to approach a client with respect and with an open mind, and be open to do the work to about style around the world.
What is your vision for EngieStyle 5 Years from now?
My vision for EngieStyle five years from now is to become a fully-realized, world-renowned brand, where I and other stylists work with people from all over the world. We’ll get them ready for life’s most magical and meaningful moments, from the red carpet to their big wedding day. I also wish to someday have an accessory line that is going to consist of all different kinds of jewelry - classic pieces that everyone loves and boasts about having in their personal jewelry boxes, but this time, they will have my name on them.
My vision for Engiestyle is to be a world-renowned brand and one day have my own accessories line
Comments (0)