An interview with FBC member Jennifer Aston and partner at Aston+Hayes Image Consultancy.
How did you come to run your own Image Consultancy & Image Training Centre?
I have been running Aston+Hayes Image Consultancy with my husband and business partner Glyn Hayes since 1990 and we have had an amazing ten years. Like most independent personal stylists, I started out with individual consultations and shopping trips for private clients, which I still do from time to time. Some years ago I discovered an all-consuming passion for two things: working with groups, and passing on new skills to others, so I’ve morphed into an expert trainer and presenter developing and running sessions on image-related subjects for all kinds of companies. Aston+Hayes has also been instrumental in helping countless others launch their own businesses as Personal Stylists or Image Consultants with our training courses. This year we launched the new 10-day Fashion, Image and Styling Course for Women which brings together Fashion Styling approaches and Image Consultancy principals, a course that so far is unique in the UK. It is a new phase and it’s very exciting.
What did you do before?
Aston+Hayes was a fashion advertising agency before it changed direction to image consulting. Advertising clients included Next, Bally, Aquascutum, Harrods, Paul Costelloe and many others. My official role was Account Director, but I also managed to manoeuvre myself into a few call sheets as assistant stylist. Before Aston + Hayes I worked for the BBC as marketing manager.
What is a typical day like for you as managing director of an Image Consultancy?
There really isn’t a typical day, which is one of the things I love about my job. If it’s a ‘client day’, I could be consulting and teaching someone how to select the best clothes for their taste, figure, colouring, lifestyle, budget, and on how to express themselves. Alternatively, I could be with a group of executives giving a presentation or running an interactive workshop on personal branding and professional impact. (Whether they are men or women makes a big difference too.) If we’re running a training course for new Personal Stylists I could be teaching or helping everything run smoothly for the training team and students. If I have a day away from clients or students, then I’ll be in my office or business club doing everything and anything – meeting, planning, sourcing, writing, admin, phone calls etc etc and lots of cups of tea with my assistant Jocasta.
How does being part of FBC have a positive affect on your business?
The Personal Styling industry is growing rapidly, and the best Personal Stylists will have both image consultancy training and a great awareness of the business of fashion. Being part of FBC helps me build bridges between the world of image consulting and that of fashion.
