We recently connected with Josh Owen and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Josh thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

When I was 18, I was doing some modeling in Orlando, and one day on set a photographer friend of mine asked if I’d be interested in styling a shoot he had coming up. At the time I had no idea that saying yes would change the course of my entire life. From that first shoot, I knew that this was what I was made to do. Everything just clicked and came so naturally. After that, I just continued to say yes to any opportunity that allowed me to style.

Jobs continued to get larger and larger. Budgets and responsibilities got bigger, but I still wasn’t doing the jobs I really wanted to do. I lived in Orlando and the majority of work I got was either resort or commercial work. I knew that I wanted to do more. I wanted to work with artists and celebrities. SO, I started plotting my next move.

One thing you should know about me is I’m a planner … so I did a deep dive into every market – New York, LA, Chicago, Atlanta and Nashville. I made a spreadsheet of all the pros and cons for each city and Nashville quickly became the clear next step for me. From the first day I landed in Nashville I immediately set my sites on AMAX Talent Agency. I knew they could get me in front of the right people. From the moment I walked through the door, I immediately had a connection with the owner CA. She signed me on the spot and that was 4 years ago now. In that time I’ve been able to work on so many amazing projects with insanely talented artists.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Since I was a kid, I was obsessed with men’s fashion. When my younger brothers were asking for candy at the check-out counter, I was begging my mom for the latest issue of GQ. That spark only grew over the years and eventually became a 15-year career styling and creative directing. I’ve worked in almost every aspect of the industry from high end editorials to everyday commercial work.

It’s been an amazing journey and along the way, I’ve done some amazing things and even check off some of my career bucket list items. I was featured in GQ, Vogue and Tatler magazine, styled clients for network television specials, styled clients for major red carpets, worked with some childhood heroes and most recently my mom finally let me style her for an event she was attending.

Because of my job, a lot of people ask me what’s my style. I always say that my aesthetic is “classic with an edge and the edge is what each of my clients brings to a look.” My job is to make my clients look and feel their most confident. To be the best version of themselves. They may or may not be the loudest person in the room, but they will always have a confidence that draws everyone to them.

What set me apart is my approach to styling. I have a background in marketing and brand identity. So, I take the concepts of brand building into helping build each of my client visual identity. Setting standards of what makes sense for them and what doesn’t, what colors are best, what fits work for them and what styles make them feel their most confident. After we set what I call their “style baseline” then we get to have fun!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

At times in my line of work you can get caught up in comparing yourself to others. What’re they working on, who are they working with, how far they in their career and the worst one why am I not working with x or y. I would be lying if I said I’ve never felt that way. But! ultimately, I’ve found that I feel the most successful when I’m able to reflect on the amazing things I’ve done, people I’ve worked with and projects I’ve been a part of. It still blows my mind every day that I get to wake up and do exactly what I was made to do.

I strive to find PEACE! Peace that I’m doing what I’m built to be doing. Peace that I can afford the life I want to live. Peace that I’m doing the projects I want to be doing. Balance is a huge thing for me and I know that at times peace isn’t always present, but if I’m working towards peace in some way then that is a successful day.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I truly believe the answer is in the question! Support. No matter if it’s music, fine art, dance or styling what we all always need as creatives is your support. It will always look different for each creative. If your friend is having a show … Show up. If your find is selling art … Buy it. If your friend is putting out an NFT … Figure out what the hell that is and get one.

Show support with your time, your love, your money or at least with your likes! Regardless of what type of support they need showing up is so vital. It gives us hope that what were doing is worth the stress, the debt and the risk we’ve taken to pursue something outside the norm.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.joshowen.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshowen.co

Image Credits
Nolan Knight Hannah Corwin Bree Fish Ashtin Paige Gina Binkley Matthew Berinato