Visite Chez – Lester Garcia

Lester Garcia, 31, Stylist, New York City

I recently had the pleasure of meeting freelance stylist Lester Garcia. For over half the day we discussed art, design, and what it means to be a stylist. He gave me some insight into his creative process. From his inspiration, a vision is born, which is then worked into the magazine. The latest of such efforts can be seen in the September issue of V Magazine and the editorial of American ELLE.

Photos, Video, Text: Philipp Langeheim

Who are you?
I am just a young artist trying to realize all of my dreams.

When did you decide, that you want to become a stylist?
Well, I think I‘ve sort of known all along that I am a stylist at heart. I think I just finally started realizing the first steps to become a notable and respected stylist about five or six years ago.

Was that was the time when you ended your studies?
No, I ended my studies when I was 20 and then after that, I sort of decided to launch myself as a stylist. I didn‘t really know the way to make a living out of it and earn respect among my peers and actually become a stylist. I just figured out I‘m a stylist and it takes experience and time, it takes drive, ambition and passion also a lot of other things. So it wasn‘t until my mid twenties that I decided, Okay if I‘m really gonna do something in the fashion world then I really have to take the right steps and measures to be able to get to where I want to.

What is your usual process, and how does it work for you?
First I get a call from my agent to let me know that I have a project coming up. If it‘s for a magazine, I usually have ideas that I want to realize, and I have concepts that I’ve been thinking about, or ideas that I have of what I want to do as far as fashion story goes. So once my agent let‘s me know that I‘m going to be doing a story for any issue, for any magazine. First I think about the magazine that I‘m working with and try to think about the reader, and how to keep it up to the level of the magazine. So I start to think of an idea or a concept that is suitable for the magazine and for myself and from then I go out and research. I like to have a laid out research, a tangible image of what I think is appropriate for my story. From there I draw inspiration and take different elements from old fashion, or a book, or whatever it is, and I translate it into my story idea. Then I start the research with the materials, and I start to look at the clothing, maybe hair options, and hair Ideas and any sort of inspiration that could lead me to a final product, what I want to do, and just take it and realize it.

Do have plans for the future concerning your career?
As anybody would, you have your ambitions, as you would say, of what you want to do. I definitely don‘t consider myself just a stylist. I consider myself a creator of style, of image and I definitely want to become a master at that. I want to become a master at creating an image and creating a brand. I wouldn‘t say it is my final destination. One of the final things I definitely would like to achieve within my career would be to own my own magazine, or be the fashion director at a very notable fashion magazine. Or possibly consult some of the biggest names in design. I think those are probably my ultimate goals for what I want to do. But at this point, I don‘t really see there being a finish line. It‘s just things that I want to achieve.

What is your favorite area/place in the City (NYC)?
I have a few blocks that I really like. I definitely enjoy 22nd St between Park and Broadway. The feeling of the block is just really nice. It‘s quite, it‘s beautiful and slightly residential. The lighting just hits in the most unbelievable way, I think it‘s just really beautiful. I would say most areas in TriBeCa because they are very desolate and I like the cobblestone, it gives the feeling of an old city. I think those are probably my two favorite areas in Manhattan.

What do you hate about New York City?
New York City can be really, really raw sometimes. It can be very exposed. I have a love/hate relationship because I love so many things about it, and every now and then there are a few things that can really get to me. Sometimes it‘s the fact that New York City can be really really small. It seems like it‘s really big, but if you run in the same circles it tends to be a really small city. Everybody knows you, and everybody knows everything about you. For some reason it seems a lot bigger than it really is, but it‘s not as big a city as people perceive it to be.

Why aren’t you living in Manhattan?
After nine years of living in Manhattan I decided that I want to be able to disconnect my work life from my real life. I‘ve just found myself recently in Williamsburg and I enjoy being off the island, out of work and at home. I felt like living in the city I would constantly be surrounded by the energy of the city. It‘s an amazing energy to be in, but as far as a permanent thing it‘s really difficult to be there and plugged in at all time. It feels good to disconnect and have a life outside of that.

Thank you for the Interview!

Concept inspired by freunde von freunden