Melina Gold: Kenyan celebs need to invest more on stylists

Melina Gold, 26, is a musician, fashion designer and stylist. She focuses more on styling celebrities. The transition to music hasn’t been easy. It’s been hard to get into people’s heads because many know me as a stylist. But the transition has been beautiful. I have received so much love.

Having been a stylist for most celebrities has been enjoyable. It is the bridge I needed to get into the music industry. I've made a lot of connections in the industry. The biggest challenge I have encountered since I joined the music industry is having to put my life out there. That has made the transition bumpy.

There is always confusion between fashion and style. Fashion is what you buy but style is what you do with the fashion. In that regard, there is a big difference between a stylist and a designer. A stylist is someone who can manipulate fashion. One who comes up with stylish, unique looks.

Fashion designers are the creators. They basically sit, think, or get inspired through different things to design clothes. Fashion designers create the fabrics from scratch. As a stylist, I am mainly responsible for choosing and coordinating outfits, accessories, and shoes to come up with complete looks and provide fashion advice to the client.

No school teaches styling by the way. Proper styling just comes naturally, it’s a gift that you perfect by practice. Creativity is key here. You have to know how to work well with colour coordination, fabrics, moods, and all that. I don’t think you need academic papers to be one.

Kenyans still don’t understand who stylists are and why they should pay someone to dress them when they can copy a dress on Instagram and take it to a tailor or buy boutique clothes and dress up. We still have a long way to go.

I think Noti Flow was the first celebrity I ever styled. Celebrities need stylists. It’s a crucial part of their career. A stylist helps create the artist's image and keeps it consistent. For an artist, image is everything. See how other countries invest in stylists.

Diamond and Burna Boy are some African celebrities who even fly with their stylists because they are responsible for how these guys will show up. They sometimes go shopping for them.

Here in Kenya, there is so much fakeness. You will find celebrities who don't know how to dress up, others wear fake designers. They dress worse than their fans and expect to be adored and supported. Is that a joke?

My biggest highlight in styling was when I dressed Adekunle Gold. He really understands the value of a stylist. I also enjoy working with Erick Omondi. He knows how to invest in his image which keeps him trending.

Ooh, and yes there is good money in this field. You just need to be smart about it and I am testimony to that. Mine is a luxury brand so I can attest that the money is good based on how you position yourself.