We’re all asked what we want to be when we grow up, but it’s hard to answer that question if we don’t know exactly what our career aspirations entail. What does it take to be a financial guru? How do organizers organize? What does it really mean to be a political aide? This article gives you some insight into the ways idols and peers get the job done. It takes you behind the scenes to give you an idea of what it’s actually like.
Mecca James-Williams’s creative philosophy is right there in her Instagram bio: “I dream in bright, vivid colours.” That attention-grabbing style has taken her everywhere, from an internship for a Teen Vogue editor (oh hi!) to working as a fashion assistant for Opening Ceremony and for legendary Italian fashion editor Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert, as well as becoming a contributing style editor at The Zoe Report. These days, she draws on that varied experience to run her own company, MJW. As a creative and stylist, James-Williams logs long days planning commercial shoots, coordinating with clients like Solange and the Wall Street Journal, and working on magazine editorials. James-Williams takes us along for a workday inside her clothing-filled apartment.
7 a.m.: Wake up and look at my phone, but not at social media. Then I take a moment to be present before I start my day.
7:30 a.m.: Read a chapter of a book, any book. Right now it’s Michael Singer’s Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself. Then I will journal about a dream I had, an understanding or thought in my head, or about what I read.
8 a.m.: I’ll have a quick look at social media as I move to my living room and kitchen. I put on a pot of tea, typically ginger, and sit on the couch for a quick 10- to 15-minute meditation.
9 a.m.: I try to fit in a 45-minute workout, including a Peloton cycling class by Alex Toussaint and a 15-minute session on the DB Method [machine] or with my weights. I’m currently on a brisk fitness and wellness regimen, and it has been energizing me to create a new lifestyle outside of the stresses of the pandemic.
10 a.m.: A calm shower and beauty-routine moment helps kick-start my morning.
10:30 a.m.: Then comes a deep dive into my email to get my day started. Right now, I’m prepping for a beauty campaign shoot by a well-known celebrity. Soul care is the core of their brand, so my job is to ensure that intention is carried through in the fashion. We are shooting six diverse models with vibrant personalities, and we want their individual vibes to shine through. The shoot is getting underway in just a day, so I have quite a bit to run through with my team.
11 a.m.: I welcome my fashion assistant, Valerie Butler, into my home office. We unpack the looks for the campaign, organize all of the clothing and accessories, and plan out our day. We go through the creative brief, brainstorming and sourcing ideas and concepts from which we can approach this shoot. My assistant walks through the racks of merchandise we have, and we discuss the holes we need to fill to execute every look. Valerie then heads to our Albright Fashion Library appointment for the afternoon. As a fashion assistant, you really act as the second set of eyes for the stylist you’re working for. It is really important to understand fashion history, current art, fashion, and culture topics, and have fresh ideas to help execute projects.
12 noon: I’ll have a little late breakfast of scrambled eggs, a parfait, and plant-based sausage — my quarantine favorite! I try and enjoy my breakfast sans my computer and phone, and simply listen to music before I start to tackle my mid-day schedule.
1 p.m.: I’ll set aside some time to respond to urgent emails, which include scheduling a potential client call, sorting out creative-planning social shoots, and going through photo selects from a social campaign or editorial I recently shot. My work as a stylist and creative is pretty broad: some days I could be shooting a social partnership with a brand, the next day I could be styling a campaign, and the quiet days in between consist of brainstorming upcoming magazine editorials or creative decks for my clients. My days are really different, and I have learned to appreciate the variety, especially during Covid.
2 p.m.: Share a few giggles with my best friends or sister over FaceTime before my next Zoom call. It’s all about work-life balance.
2:30 p.m.: I dial into the final client call to walk through the creative outline and set logistics before tomorrow’s shoot.
4 p.m.: I welcome a maintenance man from the Container Store who is finally installing my new closet that will help keep my wardrobe and office clutter-free. Many of us are working from home during the pandemic, but as a stylist, that means having my apartment filled with a lot of excess clothing from jobs. It can really pile up! I’ve really had to get accustomed to organizing, condensing, and letting go of items to better help my house stay clean and serene. I’m super excited to have my new closet organized and to see the finished product. Julianna from Space Camp Organizing has been the best virtual organizing partner!
4:30 p.m.: I’ll eat a shrimp salad from BKLYN Blend over more emails. During this time I listen to jazz or a podcast to soothe my mid-day anxiety.
5 p.m.: Valerie’s back, and we do one final walkthrough of the racks before we pack down for the day and make sure everything is all set for the shoot.
7 p.m.: I sip an evening tea and do one last email check before I call it a day.
7:30 p.m.: I have a light dinner and catch up with my mother or grandma over the phone.
9 p.m.: Lights out! I like to go to sleep super early before shoot days so I get enough rest to tackle a full day with a new client.