Few people are lucky enough to be able to say that they fell into the fashion industry. But there are also few people as talented as Ty-Ron Mayes. What started as a hobby in high school and college (he has a B.A. in Pre-Law/Political Science), snowballed into a successful career in fashion styling, make-up artistry and hair.
Ty-Ron would style shoots and then run back to class. "It was this great hobby or get away from the books and constant studying," he says. He was most inspired not by fashion, but by comic books. In particular, he was inspired by the Super Heroines in Marvel Comics and originally wanted to be a comic book artist. Now, it is his models who become his super heroes.
His styling "hobby" bloomed into much more when Ty-Ron started working with Sean Byrnes, fashion editor at Cosmopolitan, and legendary photographer Francesco Scavullo, who shot the covers of Cosmo for over 30 years. "[They] tool me under their wings and showed me how to shape an editorial, command a set and tell a story with the clothes. All of a sudden, I was styling covers and layouts with Oprah and Tyra Banks," Ty-Ron says. He has worked with some of the world's most beautiful women, including Iman, Bridget Hall and Elle MacPherson, and with famous photographers Pavel Havilchek and Marlena Bielinska.
Since getting his big break, he's traveled the world styling covers for Amica magazine, Elle, Cosmo and Harper's Bazaar. He's a journalist as well, covering Barbie's 50th Anniversary ("New York Gets Dolled Up for Barbie") in East West Magazine and penning a number of stories for International Vogue, including a cover story on Sex in the City ("Shops in the City"). He was also trained by make-up artist Carmon Springs.
Travel provides inspiration for Ty-Ron, who has visited everywhere from Brazil to London to Canada. In fact, before sitting down with Quote Unquote Magazine, he jetted off to Germany to style a furniture shoot with photographer Udo Spreitzenbarth (www.UdoPhotography.com) and model Melissa Kurland.
But few things are more important to Ty-Ron than his family, who he credits for his success. Growing up in New York City, he was able to live at home while pursuing his career. "My parents were so supportive of me. If it wasn't for them believing in me and supporting me all the way, I would not have made it." Now, he's working with his father and brother on a new venture, A-Mayes-Ing Health (www.a-mayes-inghealth.com), developing holistic medicine products and natural herbal remedies to help people live healthier lives.
What's next for Ty-Ron Mayes? He's putting his years of experience down on paper, writing what will surely be the quintessential book on fashion styling, which will include all of Ty-Ron's tips and tricks for how to dress and the real dirt on what happens at a photo shoot. You can find more information on his website, ty-ronmayes.com.
Ty-Ron Mayes makes it all look easy, but it's clear that his prolific career is the result of a lot of talent and a lot of hard work. His advice for aspiring fashion stylists: "It's not easy! You need a whole lot of talent and a great supportive group because you don't make a lot of money in the beginning...and you need a whole lot of luck on your side."
By Jennifer Lee Johnson
