We recently connected with Angelina Coscuna and have shared our conversation below.
Angelina , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
I know it’s corny as hell but I live by the three P’s that are: passion, patience. and persistence. I truly believe that if you are passionate enough and persistent, there is no doubt that you will be successful. It will take time and you will need to be patient, but you will eventually see all your hard work come to fruition.
As a young woman I felt very passionate about pursuing a career in fashion. I had no idea how to do it, and only just learned in my first week of college that being a professional shopper and a fashion stylist were actual real jobs which was very exciting. I immediately joined a club on my college campus called “students in fashion” and networked with photographers, designers, and other aspiring fashion stylists and buyers. I also made my way over to the film clubs and film department and offered my styling services for free to the student filmmakers. I was persistent in making as many connections as possible so I could wiggle my way into finding a connection to a fashion stylist while also gaining experience in my own endeavors. When others saw how seriously I took this pursuit, they were willing to recommend me for gigs and pass along my info to others. I realized that if I could get everyone to see how passionate I was and my willingness to learn and work hard, I could get opportunities even if I didn’t have experience. I set up coffee meet ups with any stylist or photographer or creative professional who would make time for me. I met them with a list of questions, asked for advice and if they could introduce me to anyone else I could learn from. I kept in touch with each one of these connections and checked in on a monthly basis to give updates about wether I was working or looking for work and just making sure I was at the top of everyones mind for any potential opportunities. My network grew quickly as I realized that the more I showed my passion and desire to learn, the more that busy professionals would be willing to set aside a moment of their time to help me. I made myself worthy of someone else’s investment of time because they knew their advice wouldn’t be wasted. By being unashamed in my intentions and goals, consistently staying on top of people’s minds and continuing to pursue my own projects with my peers, I was able to create a career for myself. I became so in demand as an assistant stylist and designer in my own right that I had to leave college in order to continue to pursue my passion. I ended up saving a ton of money on my education and essentially got paid to learn on the job and do what I love. By the time I was 21 I was getting paid in Los Angeles to costume design an independent movie. In my mind, I made it.
The patience part is hard. I still struggle with it as I am currently establishing myself as a fashion stylist in a new market in another state. After 2 years of being in Las Vegas part time, I have gained some serious momentum working with major brands and corporations. A fashion styling career is gig work which means not consistent and steady like a normal 9-5. When the jobs aren’t rolling in I have to take a moment to remind myself that I am doing something out of the norm and that I just need to stay passionate, keep persistent in my endeavors and be patient because I know the investments of my time and in myself will pay off.
Angelina , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Clothing has always been my art form of choice. It is my form of self expression and my passion. When it comes to doing costume design for film and television, I love that the depth of character is expressed through clothing choice and that the right clothing choices will subconsciously tell an audience everything they need to know about a character. The same is true in our daily lives. What we wear affects how others perceive us. There is so much thought that goes into every outfit you see on TV, a photo, in a movie, on a billboard. I promise you, it’s more than “just” clothes. It takes a whole department to design a look, collaborate with other departments to create a cohesive vision, making sure clothing is tailored and comfortable for talent, and finally make sure the outfit looks picture perfect on camera as it works for over a 12 hour day on a human body that moves.
I spent over 10 years working on hit television shows like American Crime Story, For all Mankind, Mayans, Gilmore Girls and many more as a key costumer in the local 705 union in Los Angeles. Ultimately, I found working on set for 12 or more hours a day exhausting, my work life balance impossible to manage, and I dreamt of being able to operate a business that was trying to make a positive impact in the community.
The pandemic happened and it became the perfect time for a transition. I was ready to pivot and be my own boss and became a freelance fashion stylist once again, but this time with a focus on sustainability. I wanted to do things differently, operate more consciously taking into account human welfare and my business’s impact on the environment. I didn’t want to use production’s money to support fast fashion. I wanted to shop 2nd hand as much as possible, rent when I could, shop local designers, shop small and then only shop at the big box stores when absolutely needed.
My first jobs freelancing were with the company Masterclass where I dressed public leaders and experts of their field like Chef Roy Choi, Mathematician Terrence Tao, Artist Devon Rodriguez and more for their on camera master classes. It was a dream come true! I love dressing real people and real bodies and having the chance to connect with other people passionate about what they do is always inspiring.
My most proud moment in my career was getting to dress prolific writer, icon and activist Ms. Gloria Steinem for her Masterclass. I dressed her in a full leather outfit from head to toe. Something you think only a rockstar would wear and at 80 years old she did indeed rock that look. Leave it to Gloria to break another stereotype and also prove that age is just a number. We all deserve to look fabulous and feel fabulous no matter our age or size. Anyways, I was fortunate to spend three days with her. The time I spent with her while she gave her masterclass and the discussions we had about fashion and my visions for my business truly reaffirmed that I was on the right path. I still can’t believe it happened.
After spending some extensive time in Las Vegas, I realized there was a need for experienced fashion stylists and so I pivoted again and entered the world of marketing, advertisements and fashion photography and networked my way into working with major hospitality brands on the Las Vegas strip. I found a new joy and better balance of my life and my work and decided to stay in Las Vegas full time. Currently I mainly cater to commercials, advertising and marketing projects. This means I am putting together outfits based on the company’s demographic and target market and what they want to sell. Another aspect of styling that brings me joy is working with personal styling clients which I have a few of. Personal styling is special to me because I find true fulfillment in human connection and nothing is more fulfilling and gratifying than getting to make someone feel amazing in their own skin. Being able to mix my love for clothing, style and design with my love for people is such a rewarding career. We are all beautiful and unique in our own way and I love figuring out what makes each person uniquely them.
When I think about what makes me uniquely me, I believe what sets me apart from other fashion stylists is my passion for sustainability. I am always able to offer a quality product that doesn’t just care about the aesthetic, but also cares about the ethical process of acquiring the clothing. I offer a more sustainable service that doesn’t require any extra thought or process on the side of the client, it’s just how I operate and who I am. I also leverage cutting-edge fashion styling software that provides real-time access to curated looks, a feature lauded by numerous productions for its innovation. I am always interested in exploring new technology to help make my department run smoother and allow more room for the creative to expand.
In the fast-paced world of commercial productions, my attention to detail and organizational prowess shine from all those years of working on fast paced Los Angeles sets for months on end. From planning wardrobe continuity to swiftly adapting to last-minute changes, I ensure that every aspect of the wardrobe department operates seamlessly. This is insight only gained through years of extensive on set experience as a unionized Hollywood costumer.
There are a lot of things in the works for me and my brand Angelina & Co. Soon my brand will offer more fashion styling services. You’ll have to follow along if you are curious to see how the adventure unfolds on instagram @angelina.coscuna.styling .
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Besides sustainability being important to my business, I really want to foster more creative crew talent in Las Vegas. Las Vegas is world renowned for its entertainment and shows, but the local crew talent that design, photograph, direct, edit etc. should also be recognized. Productions that choose to shoot in Las Vegas should not feel as though they need to fly in stylists, designers and photographers from LA and NY as if they are the only creative talented professionals that exist. The local talent deserves to have more of these big opportunities.
Personally, I wish for the needs of my services to continue growing. The more my fashion styling business grows, the more it means our film and media opportunities are growing. This means I personally get to employ more people, pay them a livable wage and create more career paths in a creative field and grow the local talent. I did not get into the industry through nepotism, I broke into the industry by busting my ass and because someone was willing to give me a chance and show me the way. I want to be the person now who gives people a chance and shows them a way into having a creative career they can feel excited about.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I so wish I reached out to the SBDC sooner. It’s free business coaching! It’s been so great to have an advisor who I can bounce ideas off of. I can’t believe how many free resources their are for small businesses. Do not be afraid to reach out and ask for free help. If the person you speak to can’t help you, surely they will be able to help point you in the right direction. Utilize all the free programs that your state offers for small businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.angelinacoscuna.com
- Instagram: angelina.coscuna.styling
Image Credits
Personal photo:
+Photographer: Kate Go HMUA: Caitlin Eve
1st row left to right:
+ Fashion Sylist: Angelina Coscuna Photographer: Taylor Golda Model:Colin Walling Agency: TNG
+Fashion Stylist: Angelina Coscuna Photographer: Taylor Golda Model: May Li Agency: TNG
+Fashion Stylist: Angelina Coscuna Photographer: Taylor Golda Model: Olivia davy Agency: Freedom Models
+Fashion Stylist: Angelina Coscuna Photographer: Tomo Brejc HMUA: Zee Clemente Modeling Agency: TNG
2nd row left to right:
+Fashion Stylist: Angelina Coscuna Photographer: Ryne Bellanger HMUA: Alessandra Avellanet Model: Lynne Anne McMullan Agency: TNG
+Fashion Stylist: Angelina Coscuna Photographer: Ramona Rosales HMUA: Alyssa Fall Talent: Gloria Steinem
+Fashion Stylist: Angelina Coscuna Photographer: Taylor Golda Model: Jasmine Dominique Agency: TNG
+Photographer: Chris Gibbs