Stylist Courtney Joe has built a reputation for her polished and considered approach to fashion, working across editorial, commercial and personal styling. She's also known as one of the warmest people in the local fashion industry, with her talent and hard work recently recognised by being named Stylist of the Year at the FQ Fashion Awards.
This year, Courtney is bringing that perspective to the runway, working alongside Juliette and Alice to co-style our NZ Fashion Week show - a collaboration that brings together a shared appreciation for considered dressing and strong, personal style.
She has a busy week ahead: also working as associate stylist and head of wardrobe as part of the NZFW wardrobe team, and attending shows too.
We caught up with Courtney to talk about her approach to styling, what she looks for when building a look, and how she approaches getting dressed for long days on-set, and backstage.
"I have long admired Juliette and Alice’s considered point of view when it comes to dressing women. It’s that balance of ease and structure that I feel they nail completely, so it’s a real honour to be working alongside them when their sensibility resonates so deeply with my personal style," says Courtney.
"I’m most excited about seeing the way the collection comes to life as it moves down the runway – the set design is very complementary to this. You’ll know what I mean when you see it!"
I’m a freelance stylist and consultant, working across fashion, editorial, and commercial projects for stills and motion, and currently, runway! While it's varied, my job at its core is shaping the visual identity of people through costume.
Every day looks different, but most are an early start – this routine makes for easier mornings when I have a ridiculously early call time. If I’m not on set, movement first thing is always the goal, before settling into some desk work to plan the day ahead.
Most days are spent on my feet – a few pauses for a meeting or range viewing here and there – but I’m almost always out and about sourcing, in the studio, or on location. No day is the same, and that’s exactly what I love about my job.
I always had the intention of working in and around fashion. More specifically, I was set on living the life of an archetypal early 00s rom-com protagonist. I missed the golden era of media by quite some time, so what I do today feels more like an evolution of that. I wear a lot of different hats, both intentionally and out of necessity. I think it's important as a freelancer to be able to offer a diverse, yet complementary skill set.
I studied communications and fashion, and ended up majoring in journalism. I have had some very fun roles working in house and agency-side in PR, brand and marketing roles for fashion brands, but it wasn’t until I started working in media that I started styling, and I really enjoyed it!
After a couple of years in media I was feeling quite burnt out, but hungry for a new challenge (make that make sense). I’ve long been interested in the art world and to be able to immerse myself in a fashion-adjacent industry felt like the fresh change I needed, so I took on a marketing role at a fine art auction house.
Surprisingly, when I made the move, I received a lot of styling enquiries – people had assumed I went freelance! I decided to leave that job and take on those opportunities, and I’ve never looked back.
As a creative, you invest so much of yourself in your work – you can’t help but not. As I’ve gotten older, my focus has shifted a lot. I’m less driven to do absolutely everything that comes my way and more interested in doing work that feels considered and reflective of my creative vision and values.
Getting here has, at times, meant saying “yes” to everything, but right now, the “nos” speak louder. I’m also more conscious of the value of my time and energy and where that is best spent – making sure I am giving projects my whole self, rather than spreading myself too thin.
There have been many! Having good filing systems! Remembering to file GST on time. Not ignoring difficult tasks – they don’t disappear overnight.
Knowing my worth, staying true to my values, and understanding that not every opportunity is necessarily the right one for me.
Being able to make people – whether that’s ‘real people’, talent, or models – feel really good about themselves, and to find confidence through their clothing.
Despite working in fashion, much of my job is less about the clothes themselves; they are but a medium to create a certain mood, feeling, or character.
What I often find challenging in my line of work is that so much of it is subjective. There isn’t always a definitive answer to a brief, which can make creative work quite difficult to navigate, especially when you’re putting something forward that is inherently personal, and knowing it might not resonate with everyone.
It also involves heavy logistical planning, which you never see in a final look or image. Countless calls, messages and emails, sourcing, fittings, returns, constant courier tracking, chasing things up and having a plan b (and even a plan c!) ready to go.
There are so many moving parts behind the scenes and making sure everything comes together seamlessly on the day is a huge part of the job.
Community. We have such a strong sense of community, and despite our scale, it is so infectiously inspiring how much people care about creating really good work. There is something so special about forging meaningful relationships based on support for one another.
I love how everyone is willing to share their wisdom, experiences and advice – it doesn’t feel competitive, but rather we are working collaboratively to better our industry as a whole.
As a stylist, there is often this expectation for us to be the best dressed people in the room! I can tell you that I am not! My clothes need to be hardworking, and hard wearing!
Denim is a no brainer, as is relaxed suiting that can move with me (the Travel Pant works really hard here) – things that I don’t have to think twice about before throwing on.
A pair of heels kept in my bag can change a backstage look completely. As can a really good lip. I rely on the finer details to do the heavy lifting – shoes, sunglasses, a bag – accessories that can make a practical look feel considered without compromising functionality.
My approach to getting dressed for work is… anything that I can throw on and go. I’m a very simple dresser.
My daily work uniform looks like… a pair of straight leg jeans, a relaxed t-shirt, and a cashmere crew.
The piece I rely on most during busy weeks is… my Mimi Jacket.
My go-to look or outfit for an important meeting is… The above! A structured outer layer. A lightweight jacket or trench for the warmer months, and a wool coat in the winter. A well-tailored outer layer can elevate the most simple of outfits worn underneath.
I feel most confident at work when I’m wearing… the right amount of ease and structure. It’s a balancing act!