As saturated as fashion has become, there are still changemakers who are responsible for some of the industry's greatest moments. Designers and celebrities have certainly taken the spotlight, but we'd be remiss not to acknowledge the behind-the-scenes players who make it all possible. There's one who especially deserves her flowers — Talia Bella Pepe. Throughout her almost 15-year career of being a stylist, merchandiser, model, creative director and image consultant, Pepe has quite the résumé. She's been blessed to work with the likes of Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian, but her success didn't happen overnight.
Having grown up between Washington, D.C., Brooklyn and the small town of Lebanon, New York, Pepe was determined to create an abundant life for herself. She developed an incredible work ethic from the tender age of 13 as a coder and often staged closet sales to continue the cycle of her old clothes. It was her summers in New York that set the tone for her destiny in the sartorial world to be realized starting with former fast-fashion giant American Apparel.
"I got my first editing job for a fashion lady here, took a one-way ticket from the Craigslist gig and came up here in the middle of my class schedule," she tells Fashion Times. "American Apparel also offered to transfer me and my mom's family was here so they said 'if you get a transfer and you got a job, then you can come live here with your grandmother on Staten Island.' I said, alright school, we'll finish you later; for a job in New York and in fashion, there's no way I wasn't going."
It didn't take long for that leap of faith to be proven as one of Pepe's best decisions. She went on to hold just about every title you can think of in the industry — model for Yeezy, merchandiser for Burberry and Maison Margiela, editorial roles at ABC News, Complex and Refinery29 and assistant stylist on Beyoncé's iconic film, Black Is King. The multihyphenate's radical approach to work is also inspired by creative mavericks like Kanye West, whose "Everything I'm not, made me everything I am" mantra she relentlessly lives by. This mindset has pushed her to further cement herself in high-fashion's universe while paving the way for others, even lending her talents to the wardrobes of the new generation of It girls like Tatiana Price, Nia Sultana and Tia Nomore.
Ahead, Pepe opens up to Fashion Times about the highs and lows of being in the industry, maintaining identity, her favorite "fashion time" and more.
On Working With Celebrities
Fashion Times: What is the best part of your job? Are there any particular stars you've loved dressing?
Talia Bella Pepe: There are so many layers to me because honestly, I'm the kid that literally made it out of the hood. I'm not just some full-time stylist; there's days where celebrities just want me to shop for their wardrobes and others where I'm helping creatives with their image and practicing a lot of what I learned from interning for Law Roach. So it's all fulfilling. I've worked with Latto for a Wingstop commercial, did a pop-up shop for Kim Kardashian and helped with wardrobe for Beyoncé. I remember her stylist (at the time) Zerina Akers asking me to put jewels on a crown they picked up and I was definitely excited. We did two music videos in the Hamptons and I was in shock when the film came out thinking to myself "I made a crown for a queen. Are you kidding?" She even came up to me on set and expressed that she was a fan of my work, like you can't think of a better person to have ever brushed shoulders with.
On Her Personal Style
FT: How would you describe your personal style and what items are in heavy rotation in your wardrobe?
TBP: I am a former American Apparel girl, I stand on it. It did a lot for my career and birthed my love for basics. Anything that is gonna be functional and give form in terms of shape, especially because I'm curvy. So my style is very apparel-based with an athletic Aaliyah-type swag. And then another part of me is very crisp and clean where I'm satisfied with an oversize polo or button-down. I also approach my style in a genuine way depending on the circumstances I'm in. Some seasons, I can have my new Ottolinger and vintage Dior saddle bag and other times I might have to figure out how to rotate my functional pieces in fresh ways. I've taken on so many looks, even changing my hair, so I'm truly a style chameleon.
On Advice for Aspiring Stylists
FT: What advice do you have for aspiring stylists or anyone who wants to be in fashion in general?
TBP: Stay educated and put in work because I don't ever wanna stray from the fact that being in fashion does take work. It doesn't necessarily mean labor, but sometimes you need to do research and learn your history because it'll shape your tomorrow. As a freelancer in New York, I would do study hours at the library each week in order to understand the rooms I desperately wanted to be in. Also, be authentic and transparent, even through the uncertainties. I look at people like Solange who made herself into something more than Beyoncé's sister and a teenage mom and handled the reformatting of her life well. Be OK with that, too and, of course, stay sweet regardless of how big you get. It's easy to get a big head in this field.
On Her Favorite Fashion Time
FT: What was your favorite fashion time? It could be a moment, an era or a trend.
TBP: My favorite fashion time is the Hood By Air era. We were all wearing oversize jerseys that had writing on them that would say something like "dope" or some random number. Gladiator heel boots also defined those years and I had black and pink ones. I even remember meeting A$AP Rocky at the Bonnaroo festival where I was wearing an American Apparel top, vintage Levi's shorts, shoes from Urban Outfitters and a snapback styled backward that tied as a bandana in the front. It started raining and he told my friends and I to come indoors backstage, telling us how fly we were. Little did I know I would collaborate with his team years later. And, of course, I'm a proud 90s baby so that decade is always going to be special for me.
