Stylist to The Stars Jyotisha Bridges Talks Styling Law Roach, Wanting To Work With Michelle Obama and More

Interview by Oliver Brown.

On the outside, styling celebrities and attending fashion shows seem like a world anyone would dream to be a part of. In reality, styling celebrities is not all glamorous. It’s an intensive and fast-paced career that takes hard work and dedication. Celebrity wardrobe stylist Jyotisha Bridges lives this reality and is a one-of-a-kind in her craft.

The New York City native is a style mastermind and has worked her way to the top of the fashion industry. She’s styled celebrities such as Lil-Nas X, Russ, Teyana Taylor and Ariana Grande. She’s traveled the globe from Paris to Tokyo, to London and her work as a multi-hyphenate stylist has appeared in music videos, television appearances, red carpets, and fashion weeks. Being a born and bred New Yorker, the stylist fell in love with fashion from a young age. The celebrity stylist used the city as her inspiration and classroom. She saw fashion expressed uniquely because it was someone’s act of creative expression.

“I learned you can tell a story through your clothes without even speaking a word. To me that is power,” Jyotisha said.

Her love for fashion stemmed in New York, but the world of styling was not a path Jyotisha saw for herself. After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in 2015 she packed her bags and headed to Los Angeles to work as a fashion PR assistant. To say the least, Jyotisha hated this job but is thankful it was a part of her journey. Doing trunk shows for some of the fashion industry’s top stylists, she would hear stories about traveling to exotic places and lands to do shoots and campaigns with the hottest celebrities and brands. These stories hooked her into knowing she wanted to be a stylist.

While in LA, the image architect had the pleasure of meeting Beyoncé’s stylist at the time, Zernia Akers. Assisting Zernie opened the doors for her to meet other industry heavyweights, such as Law Roach and Jessica Paster. Working with Law Roach, the stylist behind the iconic looks of actresses Zendaya and Kerry Washington, the New York native was able to develop her eye and craft. She was tested working under him but does not regret a single moment and she learned countless lessons under him.

“I got a chance to learn from the best. I don’t take that for granted. I walked away learning how to really listen to someone when they are talking. A skill I am still perfecting to this day,” Jyotisha said.

After four years of learning the business of styling and the world of fashion, Jyotisha listened to herself and stepped out on her own to create her own path. The celebrity stylist wants people to understand this industry is grueling at times. She says to succeed one has to have a strong enough relationship with oneself and not compare themselves to others. Having a strong relationship with herself poured over into her career and having a strong relationship with her clients. She trusts she is pulling the right pieces and creating looks that empower her clients because she knows her upbringing and prior experiences have carved her out to be a strong stylist.

“The more I worked on knowing myself as a person spiritually the more with ease my career unfolded. Everything is connected. Enjoy the journey, take in all the lessons, and buckle up,” Jyotisha said.

Check out the full interview with Jyotish Bridges below.

You’re doing some amazing things! What should people know about Jyotisha Bridges? Hmm, I guess I’d want people to know that I am a native New Yorker and FIT graduate. I fell in love with fashion from a very early age. Growing up in New York surrounded by people from all walks of life. The city was my inspiration and my classroom. Seeing fashion expressed with such uniqueness and a s a true creative expression. I learned you can tell a story through your clothes without even speaking a word. To me that is power!

Please walk us through your journey from when you first moved to L.A. What challenges did you face? And how did you get to where you are today? I moved to LA in 2015 after college. I was unsure what I really wanted to do at the age of 24 but was determined to figure it out! My major was fashion advertising and marketing. Upon graduation, I secured a job at an online high-end retail site as a PR assistant. I hated that job, to say the least. However, it was a key step on my journey. During the trunk shows my job would put together I would meet a lot of the top stylists in the industry.

They would tell me of their journeys to far-away exotic lands for shoots and campaigns with the hottest brands and celebrities. Those stories had me hooked, I wanted into the world of styling! When I moved to LA I had the pleasure of assisting Beyonce’s stylist at the time Zernia Akers. From there it was history. I assisted the top stylist from Jessica Paster to Law Roach learning all I could about the business of styling and the world of fashion. Until I felt confident to carve my own path and step out on my own about 4 years ago!

As a FIT alumna, what skills did you learn from FIT that you still utilize today? The major lesson I learned from FIT is that you are only as good as your network. A lot of the connections I made at FIT still come in handy today. I learned to grow my network by being hard-working and reliable. I learned to nourish my relationships because really your relationships are priceless and are really what will get you through the door. You are only as good as your word!

Not everyone can say they styled Law Roach. What is it like having Law Roach as a mentor and muse? Law is truly one of the most talented stylists I have ever had the honor of working with. I have learned countless lessons under his tutelage, many hard lessons yet I am forever grateful. He runs a tight ship that moves at the speed of light. I would often question if I even really wanted to be a stylist while working with him hence the demanding schedule and heavy workload. Those years really helped to develop my eye and craft overall. I got a chance to learn from the best. I don’t take that for granted. I walked away learning how to really listen to someone when they are talking. A skill I am still perfecting to this day.

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You previously styled music artist Russ for our April 2022 cover story. What was it like working with Russ, and could you see any other future collaborations between the two of you? I absolutely love working with Russ! To have a client that is so authentic and true to themselves in a world where the majority of people do things for clout and to impress is so refreshing and just cool! It is rare to come across an authentically good person like him. Creatively he is so fun and free. He’s not afraid to take a fashion risk and he really wants to be in his own lane fashion wise no copycat “ish.” He is a joy to work with.

You’ve worked with some greats like Lil Nas X, Leyna Bloom, and Alisha Wainwright. Who are some other artists you would love to work with in the future? I would love to work with Blake Lively, Lizzo, Jay Z, Rihanna, Oprah, Michelle & Barack Obama, Jay Shetty, and many others.

What are five important items in your stylist kit? Safety Pins, Double sided tape, a lint roller, wet wipes, and scissors.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring stylist? Never quit! Good things take time. Never compare yourselves to others’ stories. Everyone is different. Which is a good thing. I believe your career journey goes hand and hand with your spiritual journey or journey to self. So, the more I worked on knowing myself as a person spiritually the more with ease my career unfolded. Everything is connected. Enjoy the journey, take in all the lessons, and buckle up.

The definition of Contrast is ‘to be strikingly different.’ What makes you strikingly different? My fun creative loving spirit. I truly love fashion and have a curiosity for life that is almost childlike still. I think as long as I keep that alive, I will have fun along the way.