MARINA SEMAEVA
Founder of the International Community of Stylists
"From the Editorial Office to CHANEL’s Head Stylist and Founder of the International Community of Stylists: My Journey"
You started your career 19 years ago as a brand manager at the glossy magazine I’m Shopping. What were your responsibilities?
I promoted the publication and collaborated with the luxury segment in Volgograd. We organized joint fashion events, parties, presentations, business breakfasts, as well as photoshoots for the Fashion section.
However, you chose not to follow the path of the heroine from The Devil Wears Prada and became a personal stylist. Why?
After three years, I became the fashion director of another magazine. Colleagues often asked me to help style the people featured in interviews. That was when I realized I wanted to explore personal styling more deeply. I received my first education at the Higher School of Styling and the Italian School of Fashion and Style. I then began working with personal clients and conducting master classes on style, color, and body shapes.
How did you start styling fashion shows?
In parallel with working with personal clients, I conducted business image and etiquette training for major companies such as Sberbank, Rosatom, and X5 Retail Group. Clients were pleased with my work and offered new projects. Since I enjoyed developing in different directions, fashion shows became a natural continuation of my career.
I promoted the publication and collaborated with the luxury segment in Volgograd. We organized joint fashion events, parties, presentations, business breakfasts, as well as photoshoots for the Fashion section.
However, you chose not to follow the path of the heroine from The Devil Wears Prada and became a personal stylist. Why?
After three years, I became the fashion director of another magazine. Colleagues often asked me to help style the people featured in interviews. That was when I realized I wanted to explore personal styling more deeply. I received my first education at the Higher School of Styling and the Italian School of Fashion and Style. I then began working with personal clients and conducting master classes on style, color, and body shapes.
How did you start styling fashion shows?
In parallel with working with personal clients, I conducted business image and etiquette training for major companies such as Sberbank, Rosatom, and X5 Retail Group. Clients were pleased with my work and offered new projects. Since I enjoyed developing in different directions, fashion shows became a natural continuation of my career.
Photo by: Valeria Sumbaeva
Your portfolio includes a high-profile case — you were the stylist for the CHANEL show in Moscow. Tell us about it.
I passed the brand’s preliminary selection and submitted my portfolio in English. After the interview, I was asked to assemble a team of 60 stylists. Then, together with several head stylists, I spent a week preparing the collection. It was a truly large-scale project, and it was especially rewarding to receive high praise from the French office.
What else did participation in this international project give you?
Working with the CHANEL show team taught me an important lesson — trust. We assumed that every step would be closely monitored on set. Instead, we were given complete freedom of action. If we had already passed the casting, it meant we were trusted as top-level professionals. I try to apply this same approach in all of my own projects.
And was that when you realized there weren’t enough practicing stylists you could confidently recommend to brands?
I realized that in Moscow, on the one hand, there are many stylists, but on the other, they are surprisingly difficult to find. There was no unified professional network or shared platform. In Sochi, from 2017 to 2019, a Congress of Stylists was held. After attending it, I decided to bring Moscow stylists together — I began organizing meetings and inviting guest speakers.
I passed the brand’s preliminary selection and submitted my portfolio in English. After the interview, I was asked to assemble a team of 60 stylists. Then, together with several head stylists, I spent a week preparing the collection. It was a truly large-scale project, and it was especially rewarding to receive high praise from the French office.
What else did participation in this international project give you?
Working with the CHANEL show team taught me an important lesson — trust. We assumed that every step would be closely monitored on set. Instead, we were given complete freedom of action. If we had already passed the casting, it meant we were trusted as top-level professionals. I try to apply this same approach in all of my own projects.
And was that when you realized there weren’t enough practicing stylists you could confidently recommend to brands?
I realized that in Moscow, on the one hand, there are many stylists, but on the other, they are surprisingly difficult to find. There was no unified professional network or shared platform. In Sochi, from 2017 to 2019, a Congress of Stylists was held. After attending it, I decided to bring Moscow stylists together — I began organizing meetings and inviting guest speakers.
Photo by Lana Karalus
And now you are the founder of "The International Community of Stylists”. What is its mission?
It unites stylists not only from Russia but also Russian-speaking professionals from other countries — France, Italy, Turkey, and the USA. It is a space for networking and access to valuable information: news, fashion calendars, job opportunities, and creative projects. The social mission of the Community is to give every talented stylist the opportunity to grow. Participation in our Community is free.
You organize fashion tours for stylists to European Fashion Weeks in Paris and Milan. Why?
I want to show that the world of fashion is much bigger than a fitting room in a store. After all, the fashion industry was born in Europe, and it is important for stylists to connect with its origins — to refine their taste and visual awareness, to observe how people dress, to study the window displays of global brands, and to visit fashion museums dedicated to great designers. When participants return home, they create shows and photoshoots inspired by the new international experience they have gained. There is also a strong desire for Russian designers to gain recognition abroad — because when our looks appear in global street style coverage, the world is seeing our brands.
You often say that a stylist today needs to know how to “shine like a star.” What do you mean by that?
I want stylists to become bright stars whose work is truly valued. Clients usually remember only the three hours they spent with a stylist in a store. It may seem to them that creating a seasonal wardrobe is easy. In reality, that apparent ease is the result of countless hours of preparation. A ten-minute fashion show can take months to produce. That is why it is important not to be afraid to speak up and confidently present your value.
It unites stylists not only from Russia but also Russian-speaking professionals from other countries — France, Italy, Turkey, and the USA. It is a space for networking and access to valuable information: news, fashion calendars, job opportunities, and creative projects. The social mission of the Community is to give every talented stylist the opportunity to grow. Participation in our Community is free.
You organize fashion tours for stylists to European Fashion Weeks in Paris and Milan. Why?
I want to show that the world of fashion is much bigger than a fitting room in a store. After all, the fashion industry was born in Europe, and it is important for stylists to connect with its origins — to refine their taste and visual awareness, to observe how people dress, to study the window displays of global brands, and to visit fashion museums dedicated to great designers. When participants return home, they create shows and photoshoots inspired by the new international experience they have gained. There is also a strong desire for Russian designers to gain recognition abroad — because when our looks appear in global street style coverage, the world is seeing our brands.
You often say that a stylist today needs to know how to “shine like a star.” What do you mean by that?
I want stylists to become bright stars whose work is truly valued. Clients usually remember only the three hours they spent with a stylist in a store. It may seem to them that creating a seasonal wardrobe is easy. In reality, that apparent ease is the result of countless hours of preparation. A ten-minute fashion show can take months to produce. That is why it is important not to be afraid to speak up and confidently present your value.
Does that mean a stylist is, in a way, an egoist? Or still a team player?
I believe it depends on personality and lifestyle. You can create a wardrobe for a client without an assistant. However, for a truly high-quality transformation, you need partners — a makeup artist, a hairstylist, and a tailor. For example, this year we styled shows at Moscow Fashion Week, and I also served as the head stylist of SOKOL FASHION WEEK. During the 8th season at Metropolis, my team consisted of 55 stylists. The result — 27 shows for major Russian and international brands in just five days. Achieving such масштаб would simply be impossible without a strong team.
You are also the co-founder of the clothing brand 25.5 STUDIO. Tell us about it.
For a long time, I didn’t want to create my own brand because I understood how demanding that work is. While studying at Moscow State University in the “Theory and Fashion Industry” program, I met a colleague — now a close friend and business partner — Alisa Sushchinskaya. Together, we founded 25.5 STUDIO. It started as a mono-brand focused on distinctive striped tops, and now we are preparing something entirely new — yet equally creative.
Your wish for stylists for 2026?
Be active, brave, and proactive. A passive “waiting” mindset has never led anyone to a bright career or true success. Let 2026 become the year of your bold and remarkable projects.
I believe it depends on personality and lifestyle. You can create a wardrobe for a client without an assistant. However, for a truly high-quality transformation, you need partners — a makeup artist, a hairstylist, and a tailor. For example, this year we styled shows at Moscow Fashion Week, and I also served as the head stylist of SOKOL FASHION WEEK. During the 8th season at Metropolis, my team consisted of 55 stylists. The result — 27 shows for major Russian and international brands in just five days. Achieving such масштаб would simply be impossible without a strong team.
You are also the co-founder of the clothing brand 25.5 STUDIO. Tell us about it.
For a long time, I didn’t want to create my own brand because I understood how demanding that work is. While studying at Moscow State University in the “Theory and Fashion Industry” program, I met a colleague — now a close friend and business partner — Alisa Sushchinskaya. Together, we founded 25.5 STUDIO. It started as a mono-brand focused on distinctive striped tops, and now we are preparing something entirely new — yet equally creative.
Your wish for stylists for 2026?
Be active, brave, and proactive. A passive “waiting” mindset has never led anyone to a bright career or true success. Let 2026 become the year of your bold and remarkable projects.
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