Nab Pro Tips From A Celeb Style Guru at The Grove This Month

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Now that you've gotten a tiny taste of red carpet secrets from LA's superstylists, next week's your opportunity to get the whole shebang from our jetsetting juice pal, Anita Patrickson. The celebrity stylist is joining forces with fellow juicer and Simply Stylist mastermind Sarah Boyd for International Style Institute, a three-day intensive course for aspiring fashion stylists.

Taking place at The Grove from Friday, February 27th to March 1st, the career-starting "boot camp" includes classes on personal and celebrity styling, a hands-on editorial styling sesh, how to build a top-notch portfolio and score an agent, and much more.

In addition to hosting heavy-hitting guest speakers like stylish multi-hyphenate Julianne Hough, fashion expert and TV host Louise Roe, Nine Zero One Salon founder Riawna Capri, celebrity publicist Erica Gray, star-faved makeup artist Jamie Greenberg, an Allure magazine editor, fashion PR powerhouses, and others, the event culminates with a cocktail hour networking mixer.

That's not all: On top of taking home expert advice from insiders, two students will be handpicked to assist Patrickson on a future shoot. Plus, all students receive an official stylist's kit valued at $500, one-year subscriptions to Allure and professional portfolio site Dripbook, Essie nail products, and more goodies.

Want in? Tickets are are $1915 (including fees) and are available online here.

We sat down with International Style Institute's founders to find out what brought them together, how they were inspired to create the event, and more.

How did the two of you meet?
AP: Sarah and I met about 10 years ago when she was in fashion PR and I was a stylist just starting out on my own. I would go in and beg for clothes for young actresses no one had ever heard of and we would always have a giggle and catch up in her office on Sunset Blvd. Who knew that years later we would be partners on a project like this!

What inspired you to join forces and create the ISI?
SB: There really was nothing like it in the market place and I've been seeing a huge trend happening with curated learning experiences. Spending over $40,000 a year on college for four years gets expensive, especially when you graduate and still need to intern for another year to learn the ins and outs of the industry. Now, students can attend International Style Institute to get the true hands-on experience and the invaluable networking opportunities with the fashion industry's finest.

AP: Sarah and I have complimentary skill sets whilst still working in very much the same way. I love that Sarah is such a go-getter. She's very inspiring in her confidence and her ability to think outside the box. ISI really is the love child of both of our businesses. There was a gap in the market for a program that really teaches the next generation of stylists the actual tricks of the trade: something that provides genuinely useful information, with tangible and practical steps to put your best foot forward.

I am always so amazed by the amount of training I would have to give a new assistant and because they don't know the basics I often will just not hire them because we don't have the time to teach them everything. This will eliminate that!

What makes the ISI different from other stylist training events?
SB: It's more of a bootcamp. The difference is, you truly get hands-on experience you need to become a working stylist, complete with your very own styling kit and a MASSIVE book of contacts and your own professionally shot (styled by you) image for your portfolio so you can leave the three-day course and begin booking yourself for jobs.
AP: This is unique in that it is being taught by someone who is currently working in the business. I know all the ins and outs. I know that silly mistakes you can make early on can greatly hurt your career without even realizing it. I am excited to help aspiring stylists avoid this because with the right information, it's not even an issue. [Since we'll be at] The Grove...everything we need is at our fingertips.

What are you most excited to share with budding stylists?
SB: I think the photoshoot day will be most exciting! We have Allure magazine on-site with their editor, Kelly Atterton guiding aspiring stylists through the process. There will be three different themes and setups, all inspired by previous Allure fashion spreads.

Our photographers are no joke—we've got Jana Williams, Corina Marie Howell and have PRIV hair and makeup artists onsite as well as Essie polishes so the students can put an entire look together from the beauty to the wardrobe to the photography direction.

AP: I cannot wait for them to experience the practical challenges we have created. They are actually going to style their own photo shoot with world renowned photographers, Allure editors will be on hand to mentor, professional models, hair stylists, makeup artists and manicurists. To get that start and have that opportunity is a once in a lifetime.

I am also excited to find two incredible students that I will hire to assist me on a major photoshoot. I love finding new talent and I know that we are going to have some incredible and creative people among us.

This story has been updated with additional quotes from the event's founders.