Stylist Notebook is a series centering the career path of stylists on our radar discussing their largest inspiration sources.
When I sat down with celebrity stylist Anastasia Walker over Zoom, she appeared exactly as you’d expect someone deeply entrenched in fashion would: effortlessly pulled together in a simple black T-shirt, minimalistic jewelry, and a slicked-back style. Behind her, rolling rows of garment racks painted a picture of the work that goes unseen: the fittings, edits, and running from store to store that define the life of a stylist.
Walker, who hails from the Bay in California and is now based primarily in Los Angeles with frequent trips to New York, has been in the industry for over a decade. She got her start in editorial, cutting her teeth on high-pressure fashion shoots before transitioning into the world of celebrity styling. However, the experience taught her how to move with urgency, create with clarity, and deliver under pressure, skills that now serve her on stages as big as the Super Bowl and the Met Gala.
Her path wasn’t linear. Jumping from editorial to reception desks, she knew she wanted to work as a stylist. “There was never a plan B,” she says with conviction. All this drive and adoration towards the world of fashion stemmed from her family’s influences. A mother who embodied ’90s power dressing which she describes as “very much Ally McBeal, [think] mini skirts, power suits,” and a grandmother who was a seamstress.
“My mom was a single mom. She didn’t have [a lot] of money for me to have the things, but I was always fly,” Walker recalls. “She would take me to Neiman Marcus, see what styles were in, and then go buy the Vogue patterns. She’d buy the fabric and make me all the looks.” The influence didn’t stop there. “All my aunts were the flyest,” she boasted. “They all had long nails, always long and red. Everybody had matching BMWs and gold chains. We would shop at TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, or Nordstrom itself.” During these integral years, she learned how to mix high and low-end fashion. Luxury inspiration executed through creativity and resourcefulness would become a cornerstone of her styling philosophy.
The industry has transformed dramatically since Walker’s early days, and she’s navigated those changes while maintaining her core values. “Back then, there wasn’t such a thing as [being a] stylist,” she reflects on her earliest stages entering the fashion industry. Now, as social media has democratized the field, she acknowledges both opportunities and challenges: “It’s incredible that we are being recognized as artists now in our own right. It also has completely oversaturated the market.”
She built her career through word-of-mouth referrals and executing her projects promptly. While that system wasn’t without flaws, it prioritized relationship-building and professionalism.
Early on, she made herself indispensable by handling the small things like grabbing coffee and ensuring styling spaces were set up to perfection. That enthusiasm and attention to detail landed her opportunities to assist Giovanna Battaglia during her time at Vogue Japan when Battaglia was the senior fashion editor. As the years stretched on, Walker’s tenacity would land her work under major styling players and even costume designers like Rachel Johnson and Arianne Phillips.
Those experiences, she says, grounded her in both the creative and business sides of styling. Despite how much the landscape has shifted with social media and digital platforms, she maintains that the pillars of longevity haven’t changed: do good work, protect your integrity, and treat every opportunity like it counts.
Today, she’s the visual architect behind Shaboozey, the genre-blending country-meets-hip-hop artist whose popularity is rising by the minute. As fellow earth signs, their shared grounded energy allows for an organic, creative chemistry. Rather than imposing her aesthetic, Walker focuses on refining and elevating her clients’ personal style, striking a balance between expression and restraint.
Walker describes their collaboration as a fluid exchange: while his taste leans maximalist, she brings a more edited, refined lens to the table, ensuring every look feels elevated without veering into costume territory. Alongside Shaboozey, Walker also styles G-Eazy and a growing roster of high-profile names in the entertainment industry.
A self-proclaimed “old school stylist,” Walker doesn’t subscribe to the flash-in-the-pan pace of today’s trend cycles. Her roots in editorial taught her to be scrappy, resourceful, and detail-obsessed, qualities that continue to anchor her work. Trained by the OGs, she still moves in the way of those before her. For her, styling isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about intention and a deep respect for the craft.
Below, Anastasia Walker opens up about the icons that shaped her as a stylist, her process from concept to red carpet, and how she’s helping Shaboozey define his visual identity on the world’s biggest stages.
ESSENCE: You started your career in fashion in editorial. Where did the transition to styling personal clients come in?
Anastasia Walker: I didn’t have a degree in journalism, but I was always a strong writer. I just wanted to do back-of-book. So I’d contact [everyone on] the masthead, specifically the assistants, and offer to intern for free. I ended up getting a job with Pier59 Studios, but I made sure it was at the front desk. I would keep all the call sheets. And then when stylists would come in, I’d [ensure they were taken care of]. Coffees on me, extra robes, etc. I would make sure the rooms were set up perfectly. And it went a long way. That’s how I got my first big styling job for Giovanna Battaglia, who did a lot with Vogue Japan back then. A lot of jobs came about in that way.
What was your first major styling project, and how did it shape your approach to visual storytelling?
I was working with Rachel Johnson in 2011 or 2012. She’s solely responsible for fashion in the NBA and NFL, period. I was just one of the assistants. It was incredible; even now, I don’t know how she juggled it all. She had a very strong roster of top athletes at that time, and we were all very dedicated. The hours were long, but it’s what you do. You just get it done. From Rachel, I took more [knowledge] of the business side. She was also very clear that if something doesn’t align or work out, you don’t just take it. You [have to] stand up for yourself.
[I worked with Arianne Phillips during the] Madonna tour in 2015. [She’s an] incredible Oscar Award-winning costume designer, but she also comes from the world of music and Northern California, like me.
The Madonna tour was an incredible experience. Working with the best of the best. It’s very rare to work with a true Hollywood costume designer, and a tour of that magnitude, with an artist of that size. We had twenty-something dancers, five acts, everybody having different [looks]. I started as a third assistant and ended up as a first. It was pivotal in learning the logistics of it all. I don’t think people realize how much planning, effort, and time go into one look.
Can you describe your process from concept to finished look?
It depends on the scenario. If we speak to somebody like G-Eazy, he has a very clear, defined style. We’re not going too crazy or too far out of the box, but we’re still pushing it with silhouettes here and there. But for the most part, he’s very clean, [and] classic.
Shaboozey is totally different. He loves fashion. And when you catapult to this level of recognition, all these brands are interested in loaning and doing these things for you. But he’s not a sample size, so we can’t just pull. There’s a lot more thought and time that goes into [his looks]. And he always wants a bit of Americana and Western influence incorporated. With him, much more thought goes into each look before we get to the end of it, and it’s very collaborative.
We do go back and forth sometimes. I’ll just kind of go rogue, and I’ll have a safe [backup] option that I know he’ll love, and then I’ll have this is the right option [he should choose to push him]. I’m very grateful, though, he’s very trusting. It’s almost a costume designer approach with him.
How would you describe your styling philosophy?
I always say that I’m a storyteller first. I care about character development. I care about the plot. I care about the moment. And I care about how it’s received. I do think my styling is more rooted in intention than it is in aesthetic. There is an aesthetic, but it’s more about the why than the what. I want people to feel good. If they don’t feel good, it shows. It doesn’t matter how fly they are. I want it to feel like them. A super elevated version of them. Not a totally different person. I don’t think I’m the stylist where you look at a look and go, ‘Oh, that’s an Anastasia Walker look.’
You’ve been in the industry for a bit. How has the styling industry changed since you started?
The internet is an amazing tool, but it’s a double-edged sword. With anything in life, we have to adapt, right? You never want to be the old person like, ‘Oh, back in my day.’ I think it’s incredible that we are being recognized as artists now in our own right. I think it’s amazing that we have the ability to create our own platforms and to create different revenue streams based on our own likeness. But it has also completely oversaturated the market. Every job I’ve gotten, I’ve either reached out directly or it’s been word of mouth. Once upon a time, your word was bond. If somebody vouched for you or gave you the co-sign, that was good enough.
In the same way, you could be blackballed, whether it was valid or not. Once upon a time, we weren’t allowed to have a voice. We were not allowed to speak up if something was completely wrong or whatever the case was. If something happened, you didn’t speak about it. In a positive way, people are being held accountable for their indiscretions or things they do behind closed doors. So in that one way, it’s been good.
How did your creative partnership begin with Shaboozey?
I was referred to him by two separate people, his manager, Jared Cotter. I used to work with him with another artist named Kiana Ledé. And then his tour manager, security, and someone that works in his merch were all from G-Eazy’s team. They were like, ‘Well, you’re being referred on both sides. Let’s just see how this goes.’ He had tried out a few other people, but we just clicked. I’m a Virgo, he’s a Taurus we’ve got the earth energy in there. It meshes. We spend a lot of time together. He’s very bright, technical, and wants to know the why. He notices everything.
Shaboozey is an artist who exists at the intersection of country and hip-hop. How do you approach dressing him in a way that honors both genres?
It really does align with that Western world, which is cool. I’m into it. Who doesn’t love denim and a boot, at the very least? But for me, it’s really about elevating and [making sure] it’s not too costumey. There are events like GQ’s 2024 Man of the Year where we can play with his look. That happened to be a Western theme, which was fun and completely aligned with him. Or like the Met Gala there’s a moment for that too. For me, he’s kind of a maximalist. I’m less of that. It’s finding a bridge between the two. Editing some things down and just keeping the refinement.
Speaking of the Met Gala, this was your first one. Congratulations! Shaboozey’s look was a standout on the Met steps. How did you interpret “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” and how was that translated through his look?
It was a dream come true. I think the only other time I’d had an opportunity to do Met was, I think it was when the theme was time, and it was right before the pandemic, and they canceled it. But how aligned and perfect was it for my first Met introduction to be this theme? Especially as a Black girl—listen, I am supposed to be here right now. [I’m] so grateful. Shaboozey was so hype for me. He was like, ‘This is your moment.’
We had a little back and forth in the beginning about this. He got the invite, but it was through Meta. This is a good thing in that I get to have a little more input, because we know, for Met, you don’t get much say in the looks. And I am pretty vocal about certain things when it comes to him, because I do want to advocate—I know what fits his body right. I just know what he likes. And if we’re going to push it, I know how we can do so.
I was happy that we landed with Robert Wun. If we’re talking about tailoring: wow. I made a mood board based on his existing runway shows. He had one where the beading was done with jade on a woman’s corset. I said we could do that with turquoise to bring in this Western vibe. I really wanted a corset. I knew that was going to be pushing it, but I’m like, I want to see. Let’s get that silhouette going.
Originally, when [Shaboozey] saw the full look, he was like, are you trying to have me look like Elphaba with that hat? I said, this is what we’re going to do: you pick a look that you feel good about, and I’m going to do the [rest with] Robert Wun. Everything in my gut, everything in my soul, knows that this is the right look for this occasion. This is the one place you have to push it. It’s the Costume Institute. On the day of, he still wasn’t sure. We had our two options there, and in the end, that was the one he felt right about. And he carried it so well. I’m just like, you really are such a confident man. I loved the grill with it. To me, it really tied [it] together. It was a very polarizing look. Some people loved it, and some people hated it. They were eating me up a little bit.
What was it like preparing for styling Shaboozey for this year’s Super Bowl? Especially since it’s such a high-stakes and high-visibility moment.
What a dream! What a dream! What a dream! [Beyoncé’s team] presented us with a board, but we had a lot of freedom. It just needed to be all white. We had a few different looks made, but I knew I wanted to work with Chris Habana. He is hands down one of my favorite people in the world to work with. He is so brilliant. He’s worked with the best of the best, and he just gets it. And it’s no drama.
Shaboozey and I talked about how he wanted a duster. I’m thinking of a long duster. He says think coat. I’m like, hell yeah. It’s the holidays. Mariah Carey. Christmas. We haven’t done long coats. He usually likes a crop. I’m like, okay, we’re gonna do this. We’re gonna go real coat on this. Even the hat was such a thing for him because he has wicks, so we have to make any hats we do custom. And even doing that in a certain time frame is limiting in itself.
Earthling did the chaps for us. They made a whole other look for us, but we kind of pieced it together with the Chris Habana coat. And it just felt right. [Beyoncé] even liked the coat. So that was the biggest compliment.
What’s next for you?
I’m just gonna ride the ride with my guys. I’m hoping this is the start of more [interview opportunities]. I feel like I’ve done so much in the realm of styling from VIP, editorial, [and] commercial work. I really think I’m in a position where I want to use my voice and my knowledge more. I grew up on Joan Rivers. I’m not a Joan, but I do think there’s something to be said. Because I’ve done so many different types of styling. I want to share some of my knowledge. I’m an old head now. I have to share what I know and [offer] perspective. It’s okay to have a voice. I don’t have to be afraid to be in the spotlight. But I’ll gladly play my part wherever that may be.