Meet Emily Choi of The Alpine Stylist in Boulder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Choi.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I had an early introduction to show biz with the Colorado Children’s Chorale when I was 8 through 8th grade. That lead to high involvement in my High School drama departments. By the time I graduated, I was convinced I was going to build sets for Cirque Du Soleil and even packed a bag one day with a friend and a plan to jump the fence into the circus grounds and join them as dishwashers in exchange for training. We got cold feet of course.

Life doesn’t really turn out the way you ever expect it to. I was coerced and cajoled out of following my dreams eventually and graduated from Colorado University with slightly more practical degrees in English Literature and Fine Arts, with a certificate in Technology Arts and Media. I was signed with a local talent agency in Denver at the time and got to have the small concession prize of acting in commercials and bit roles in film. It was actually through my talent agency that I ended up on my first ever photoshoot after college. It ended up being the first international Crocs campaign. They represented a wonderful and talented stylist that had recently moved to the Front Range from NYC and knew that my flexible schedule would be amenable to a life of production.

Between teaching yoga, bartending, running a small jewelry startup, and every other random vocation I could throw myself into, I ended up being the stylist assistant for a number of stylists and brands in Colorado. Fast forward ten years, and I have my own assistants and travel the country working with national clients on their print and video lifestyle campaigns. So in a way, I ended up doing my dream job anyway: working with creative types on curating projects that tell a story.

Has it been a smooth road?
Styling is unbelievably hard work.

You’re often times the first onset and the last to leave on 13 to (and I just worked one) 17 hour production days. In the totem-pole of photoshoot importance, we are incredibly important to have but aren’t seen or paid as assets in the way that talent and photographers are. So in that way, the ceiling is lower, the cost is high, and some days feel thankless and lack luster.

I have many young girls approaching me asking me about the industry. And it’s come a long way. I’ve seen so many more shoots happen and crop up in Denver and some really talented people percolate to the top that are insanely creative and talented. So the opportunities are widening and the market is growing.

I often tell these girls what I was never told: stylists aren’t just shopping and having a great time. There’s the problem of having a big enough credit line to front your shoots and support big pulls (which took me ages to build). There are concerns about photoshoot insurance and loss/theft on set. I’ve had Tom Ford sunglasses and expensive watches stolen from a secured set. I’ve had the nerve-racking experience of traveling with over 200k worth of diamond jewelry in my carry-on.

And then there are the hours…

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken up when the stars are still out just to drink a k-cup of crap coffee and drive 1.5 hours to a location just for a sunrise shot. Then work until sunset, head to basecamp delirious to prep for the next day, and do it all over again.

On the flip side, the locations I’ve seen have been jaw-dropping. And the friends you make along the way -suffering, under-caffeinated, with sore feet, and red-eyes – are some of the best people in the world. Hustlers, creatives, pirates, and people who share my belief that life is too short to spend working away every day for someone else.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Alpine Stylist story. Tell us more about the business.
I’ve built my career and The Alpine Stylist aesthetic off of my love for the outdoors. Of course, I grew up in love with fashion and I’ve always tried to keep current on what the designers are creating. They are the true expression of the craft and their creativity is astounding. What I’ve learned from a long love of fashion and my lifelong study of art is an embedded intuition on color/pattern/proportions.

Take this ability and combine it with my love for the outdoors and I’ve become the stylist that would rather be on the side of a mountain curating a climbing scene or getting dirty in the desert rigging ATV’s and their drivers for the day.

I let my experience rock climbing, snowboarding, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, and trail running inform what would look authentic in my shoots. My main clients tend to be national outdoor brands and car companies. I’ve niched into a part of the production world that not only feeds my creative needs but gives me the opportunity to have some of the most beautiful locations in the world as my workplace.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think the industry is changing drastically. Budgets are already being slashed due to the importance of low-cost assets and the alarming amount of images needed for social media. The need for stylists and even photographers that can combine departments for a single department rate is becoming commonplace and the people that can find the opportunity in crisis are the ones most likely to survive the sea change.

That said, there is more work out there than ever before. Because social media is king and because it demands such a high volume of assets from so many brands, small shoots are popping up everywhere. The question is how to make smaller budgets and more work actionable when the opposite is what most people aspire to as their careers progress. There is a great opportunity for young stylists to get their hands dirty on more campaigns and there will only be more work in the Front Range alone as the area grows and continues to be a popular hub for the Outdoor Industry and advertising agencies.

Contact Info:

• Website: thealpinestylist.com
• Phone: 7203081155
• Email: emily@thealpinestylist.com
• Instagram: @thealpinestylist

Image Credit:
Brian Konoske, Ian Momsen, Ty Milford, Kevin Pearce, Matt Nager

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.