Ade Samuel On How She Hustled An Internship To Become A Top Celebrity Stylist
Ade Samuel is already hard at work when I walk into the living room of Yara Shahidi's home.
She moves swiftly back and forth between two full clothing racks and the Black-ish star—barefoot in an oversized black coat and a khaki-colored cap, her assistant closely in tow waiting to buckle a shoe or tighten a belt at a moment's notice. Yara playfully poses as Ade snaps photos of her finished look for reference before moving on to the next visual.
“Yara and I met when I did the Essence cover," she says, referring to the first-ever “Black Girl Magic" issue that also celebrated fellow trailblazers Teyonah Parris and Johnetta "Netta" Elzie on three separate covers.
At 27 years old, Ade is doing the damn thing. She has snagged clients like Nicole Richie and Christina Aguilera to Alicia Keys and Marsha Ambrosius, just to name a few who've walked red carpets of award shows and graced sets of high-fashion magazine shoots donning her style visions.
When it comes to her clients, Ade is all about her business. While prepping Yara for the Radio Disney Awards, I watch her mind turn as she directs her assistant in straight boss mode. After a few minutes, she remembers that I'm still in the room and kindly asks if I've gotten everything that I needed and promises to meet up the following week before hustling back over to Yara to finish her morning session. I catch the hint and head towards the door, feeling a little Alice in Wonderland as I exit the world of the fashion queen and tumble back into my own.
Yara Shahidi style session
As a child, Ade undoubtedly knew that her place was in the fashion world. Born to Nigerian parents, where colorful garments with bold patterns and vast arrays of textures were a staple in the Samuel household, it's no surprise that she put pencil to paper drawing dresses and creating her own creative combinations.
“It's so funny because my family are not fashion-driven people," Ade says when we catch up a few days later. We're seated outside at a large round table at Aroma Coffee & Tea, one of her favorite food spots as confirmed by the cashier who gave her a knowing smile when we strolled up to the counter. “I honestly just had an innate feeling and love for it. When I would watch movies, I wouldn't be interested in the movie itself and what's happening, I'd just sit there like, 'Oh, shit, what are they wearing? How can I wear that to school?' I was a little girl, like six or seven, and I was like, I want to put this on.'"
“I honestly just had an innate feeling and love for [fashion]."
At Buffalo State University, she did a three-year program in Fashion, Merchandising and Textile Technology while picking up internships at fashion and beauty PR firm Tractenberg & Co. and W magazine. Working in editorial, she found that having a strong knowledge of high-fashion brands wasn't optional, it was a necessity. So she spent a semester abroad in Siena, Italy to understand the appeal of Italian-made designs. “I wanted to see how art influenced fashion and understand why art is so important to designers like Dolce & Gabbana and Valentino," says Ade. “It's because the art culture in Italy is insane, from the buildings, the architects, the painters."
After returning to the states, she interned at Teen Vogue while completing her formal education at the Fashion Institute of Technology and working as a manager at the South Street Seaport location for Express. At the end of her senior year, she was offered a position at the magazine as a fashion assistant, but it wasn't quite what she had in mind for her career path.
“I turned the job down at Teen Vogue because I wanted to be a stylist. Why would I take a position to be in the fashion closet when I wanted to be a stylist?" she says, biting into her egg, black bean and bacon breakfast burrito.
“I remember talking to James [Worthington DeMolet] and Karla Welch, and Karla telling me, 'You can always be a stylist. Working at a magazine is once in a lifetime. It's a great way to cultivate relationships. This is the way people are going to know who you are.' So I took their advice and ended up doing that; I went back to the magazine."
At Teen Vogue she slayed. So much so that she was promoted to Accessories Market Assistant Editor before a job with Kate Young for Season 2 of Fashion Star landed her in Hollywood styling for Nicole Richie, just shortly after leaving the magazine. But once the gig was up, the Bronx-native found herself on a flight back home.
Booking consistent jobs is one of the many challenges of being a stylist, and one that Ade doesn't take lightly. “There's always that fear as a stylist of will they book me again? So you always have to deliver. Every time it has to be something new, something fresh. It has to be something that makes people remember."
It's part of what drives her to go above and beyond to make her clients happy and to cultivate strong relationships with fellow stylists, brands and clientele. “You have to know your competition and you have to see what they're doing that's keeping them consistent in work. Think about what you can do in your niche and how to be an innovator with your clients. The reason why some stylists don't find consistent work is because they do the bare minimum. They do like, 'Okay, let me go call in clothes' or 'Let me go to the store and buy something and then put it on my client' when it's like you're costing them money now. A stylist like me or a bigger stylist has relationships. We don't need to go to Versace and shop. We can just get Versace in for you through our relationships with the PR company."
"Think about what you can do in your niche and how to be an innovator with your clients."
Three months after being back in New York, Ade received a referral of Nicole Richie to work as an assistant to Simone Harouche, stylist for stars such as Miley Cyrus and Christina Aguilera. Once again Ade packed her bags and headed for L.A.—and this time she wasn't coming back.
“I think it's all about showing people that you work hard without trying to show them you work hard," says Ade. "Sometimes I run into interns who are trying so hard to prove to me that they're doing work instead of just doing it."
"The work is going to show for itself."
I try to please who I'm working with and just make them feel comfortable and at peace. At the end of the day, styling and fashion is such a stressful industry that the assistant, intern or whoever you're working with should alleviate that. That's what I always try to do and that's my mentality about assisting and being a part of this space and energy of people when it comes to work. How can we alleviate each other's stress? How can we work with each other to make magic happen?"
Ade pauses to check her phone as I glance at mine. We're running late. “Let's head out," she says, taking a last swig of her latte.
I navigate the snake-like roads through Hollywood Hills, and park outside the home of Ade's client. Minutes later, Ade pulls up and heads inside, instructing her assistant to grab the garment bags before walking through the gate. After a few moments, she waves me inside the door of Big Sean's house.
“With Sean, he's street but then he's also high fashion," Ade says at she sets up the clothing rack for their styling session. “I love to do research based on the event that I get. When I look at a different red carpet or a different premiere, I usually do my research based on what people have worn in the past, then I develop and go from there."
Earlier, Ade confessed that Big Sean was one of the clients she really looked forward to working with. “Because I liked his style," she says matter-of-factly. “I'm someone who likes a challenge in myself; I've never had a male client, but I knew I was able to do it. Big Sean, to me, has his own personal swag and style that's so trendy but yet not trying. It's his innate style to dress the way he does."
Ade's first session with the Detroit rapper was for the Grammy Awards, where his white and black tux and black patent leather Giuseppe Zanotti loafers became one of the most talked about red carpet looks of the night. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ade revealed that she referenced Al Pacino's character Tony Montana in Scarface for the formal fit. “It's kind of having that balance and looking for people, looking at different movies, and things that inspire me to differentiate his style and not make it so trendy," she says before rushing out of the room for more clothes.
It may be connections that have gotten her on the sets of high-fashion magazines, on the style team for Beyoncé's “Formation" video and working with A-list clients. But it's her work ethic and consistent dedication to her craft that's helped Ade brand herself amongst the fashion elite.
She hopes to not only have her name whispered amongst her clients, but also on the lips of the everyday consumer with her own shoe line Ade Samuel Shoes. “Everything that I've been doing—having my full time jobs, being an intern, assistant and then being able to turn around and create a shoe line—is still a shocker, but I'm happy that it's all come together and it's been major."
Despite the accomplishments that pad her résumé, Ade still has one thing in common with many of her fellow peers. “I think I'm still learning what my purpose is as I grow every day. It's something that I don't think I'm going to know or understand until I kind of get older, because every day I'm still figuring things out. I can't really put my finger to it, but I never get to a place where I'm like my purpose is to be a stylist, because I'm into so many other things. I'm a designer. I'd like to be on television. I'd like to be on-air, but I love clothes and I know that I'm great in that. I'm confident in doing that. Can I do other things? Yes, but I have to understand that it takes time."
One thing's for sure, on the road to purpose, she won't be easing her foot off the gas pedal anytime soon. “Slow down? What is that?" she laughs. "No, I really don't slow down now. I'm happy when my clients are happy. The fact that I am able to style my client, and make them feel good and confident on the red carpet or on the runway…that allows me to be appreciative. The fact that I spoke my dream to existence, I feel appreciative about that."
For this boss chick, it's full speed ahead as she takes the fashion industry by storm. No brakes necessary.
Go behind the scenes with Ade as she styles Big Sean and Yara Shahidi below!
Kiah McBride writes technical content by day and uses storytelling to pen real and raw personal development pieces on her blog Write On Kiah. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @writeonkiah.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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When discussing the topic of raising children, discipline is often the first thing that comes to mind. Children need discipline. Full stop. But what is discipline? And how do we draw the line between discipline and revenge?
The origin of the word "discipline" can be traced back to the Latin word "disciplina," which means "instruction" or "teaching." Over time, however, discipline has come to be synonymous with punishment, with parents relying on shame, fear, and/or physical pain to curb undesirable behavior.
Teaching takes time, so nipping it in the bud in whatever fashion parents deem necessary (within reason) has become the norm. But is this what’s best for children? And when does it become less about curbing undesirable behavior and more about getting our licks back for offenses we feel our children should know better to do?
In my work as a parenting coach, I’ve often heard parents say, “I asked him nicely three times before spanking him. He didn’t stop doing it until I did, so clearly talking doesn’t work.”
And the parent isn’t wrong. Talking often doesn’t work the first, the third, or the even the 10th time. And the reason is directly tied to brain development.
Children cannot and do not process information the way an adult can. Auditory processing is not fully developed until a child is 14 or 15 years old. And even then, if a child has auditory processing delays or Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), they may always struggle with processing auditory commands. According to Susie S. Loraine, MA, CCC-SLP, the term auditory processing refers to how the brain perceives and interprets sound information. Several skills determine auditory processing ability—or listening success. They develop in a general four-step hierarchy, but all work together and are essential for daily listening.
Without this understanding, discipline can easily become revenge because parents will then view their child’s misdeeds as a personal slight. Instead of teaching them to do better, parents now want to show them the consequences of not doing better. This is why it's imperative for parents to discern between discipline and revenge to maintain healthy relationships with their children.
5 WAYS TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PARENTAL GUIDANCE AND RETALIATION:
Understanding The Intent
Discipline is rooted in love and concern for the child's well-being. It focuses on teaching lessons and helping children understand the consequences of their actions. Conversely, revenge-driven actions stem from a desire to inflict pain or punishment as payback for perceived slights or disobedience. Parents should reflect on their motives before taking disciplinary actions. Ask yourself whether your intention is to help your child learn or to make them suffer for upsetting you.
Example: If a child accidentally breaks a valuable item, a disciplinary response would involve discussing the importance of being careful and working with the child to come up with a way to replace or fix what they’ve broken. On the other hand, a vengeful reaction might involve yelling, harsh punishment, or bringing up past mistakes to intensify guilt.
Maintaining Emotional Regulation
Effective discipline requires parents to remain calm and composed, even in challenging situations. It's natural to feel upset or frustrated when children misbehave, but responding with anger or resentment can escalate the situation and blur the line between discipline and revenge. Before addressing the issue, take a moment to breathe and collect your thoughts.
Example: If a child cannot follow instructions, a disciplined response would involve calmly explaining why their cooperation is necessary in working with the child to accomplish the goal. Conversely, a retaliatory response might involve shouting, name-calling, or resorting to physical punishment out of anger.
Promoting Growth and Learning
Discipline should always aim to promote growth and learning. It involves guiding children toward making better choices and understanding the impact of their actions on themselves and others. Effective discipline strategies include positive reinforcement, setting clear expectations, and providing opportunities for reflection and growth.
Example: If a child repeatedly forgets to complete their chores, a disciplinary approach would involve discussing the importance of responsibility and finding solutions together, such as creating a chore chart or setting reminders with Siri or Alexa. In contrast, a revenge-driven response might involve imposing overly harsh punishments or belittling the child, which can undermine their self-esteem and hinder their ability to learn from their mistakes.
Momo Productions/Getty
Building Trust and Communication
Trust and open communication are essential components of a healthy parent-child relationship. Discipline should strengthen this bond by fostering trust and encouraging children to confide in their parents without fear of judgment or retaliation. When children feel safe and supported, they're more likely to accept discipline as a form of guidance rather than punishment.
Example: If a child admits to breaking a rule or making a mistake, a disciplined response would involve listening to their perspective, discussing the consequences of their actions, and working together to find a solution. Conversely, a retaliatory response might involve accusations, blame, or shutting down communication, which can erode trust and damage the parent-child relationship.
Seeking Professional Guidance
Parenting is a learning journey, and, disciplining children is a delicate balance between guiding them toward responsible behavior and nurturing their growth. By understanding the intent behind our actions, maintaining emotional regulation, promoting growth and learning, building trust and communication, and seeking professional guidance when needed, as parents we can help our children built on love, respect, and understanding.
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Featured image by Courtney Hale/Getty Images