Wardrobe Prep for 25 talent

As a Las Vegas wardrobe stylist, I’m used to thinking on my feet—but my recent project for Universal Horror Unleashed took “on the fly” to a whole new level. My task? Dress 25 people for a commercial.

My team—two wardrobe assistants, a wardrobe PA, and I—all signed NDAs, so I can’t share photos from inside UHU. But I can tell you the set design was jaw-dropping and the costume design was terrifying in the best way possible. Walking through the rooms was like stepping into a horror movie—I screamed my face off.

The Prep Challenge

The project got off to a nerve-wracking start. I wasn’t officially confirmed until the day before my first prep day, and I couldn’t access my wardrobe room until after the fitting. My living room turned into a clothing warehouse—racks, Hulkan bags, and suitcases everywhere—before movers picked up from any house. When I say movers I mean me and my wardrobe PA.

you are looking at my living room stuffed with 8 rolling racks

Once we got to the location they didn’t have street access, so were told to just drop out stuff here. The streets were getting paved that day. Me and my wardrobe team sat outside for 2 hours in 100’ degree weather waiting to figure out where and how to move wardrobe. Amanda Dodge and Amber Thompson came to the rescue. Amber secured a box truck and Amanda could drive it to move it around to 3 blocks. UHU was still under construction and thankfully I work with rockstars.

Thankfully Amanda also knew how to load the wardrobe and tie everything down into the box truck

We ended up doing fittings outside the restrooms, juggling multiple racks in a very unglamorous setup. As a fashion stylist, organization is key, but that day, it simply wasn’t possible. Still, my team and I made it work, storing our pieces in a wardrobe room overnight and hoping for a better setup the next day.

Originally, production wanted us to break down the wardrobe room every night and store everything away—which would have made my job ten times harder. Thankfully, the director noticed the situation and stepped in, moving us into the production room instead.

The production team wasn’t thrilled, but having a home base, even a tight one, made all the difference for staying organized and efficient.

Lessons Learned in Fashion Styling

Every project teaches me something. This one reminded me that flexibility is just as important as preparation—and sometimes, you have to advocate for the space and systems you need to succeed.

In the end, the client seemed happy and thought talent looked good. Seems like all the chaos was worth it. It’s all part of the behind-the-scenes magic that makes being a fashion stylist in Las Vegas both challenging and rewarding.