Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for D’USSÉ Cognac

Gone are the days when fashion stylists were left forgotten behind the scenes. Over the past decade, stylists like Kollin Carter have left loud, proud and indelible marks on the fashion community, creating looks that double as pop culture moments. Along with his work with high-profile clients like Cardi B, Normani, Victoria Monét, Kelly Rowland, and Ciara, Carter is extending his creative arm into hosting (like he did with the "D’USSÉ Brunch Society" party during BET Weekend back in June). He also appeared onstage during the awards ceremony, where he presented honors to five emerging Black fashion designers while highlighting the importance of providing financial support and resources.

Here, Carter speaks to EDITION about his styling trajectory, the D’USSÉ partnership and what more can be done to ensure inclusivity in fashion.

I want to take it back to where your passion for fashion—not to be corny—stemmed from.

It started with my mom and my sister, just always seeing my mom get ready for church on Sundays. How that process would go, and how beautiful and amazing she would look afterward. I just remember always being so amazed seeing the before and after. Also, I saw the change in her spirit once she was dressed and done up, and the energy that she would exude. It was always something that I admired. I also had an older sister, and I would see her get ready, too. It was the joy that fashion would bring to my loved ones. I didn’t know that it was going to lead me into fashion. But I would always just be so amazed by it. Later on in life, I got a hold of magazines, and I watched a lot of music videos. Now, a lot of people say they always look forward to seeing the work that I do on music videos. I remember rushing home to see 106 & Park or see the music videos on MTV.

Do you remember some of those music videos that really stood out to you?

Any Missy Elliott music video for sure. That's when I was introduced to camp, even though I didn't know it was camp. Any Missy Elliot or Madonna music video was just out of this world. I was constantly always inspired by what I would see on television. That really sparked my interest in fashion.

You saw the passion and joy that clothing brought to your mother and your sister, but I would love to bring that to you. You've been doing this for a while. What is it about the creative work that keeps you going?

I grew up trying to find my niche. I really had a hard time being social with kids or just expressing myself. So fashion has always and will always be that outlet for me because I'm expressing myself in a way without even having to be verbal. There have been times when I've been going through some personal things in life, and I would feel the need to create. That was the only thing that would make me happy, or pull me out of whatever space I was in. It's always been something that has been an escape for me in a way. I don't know what life would be for me if I couldn't express myself creatively. That’s the reason why I continue to do it because it's almost like second nature to me. It's almost like a survival skill, to be honest.

Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for D’USSÉ Cognac

I know each stylist has their own method of gathering inspiration. I’d like to know yours. Do you start with a mood board?

For starters, I tend to gravitate towards people who are a bit like-minded when it comes to fashion, even if they don't understand completely. It always helps to work with someone who is open. That already makes the process 1000 times easier to begin with. So, starting with a conversation and bouncing ideas off one another or taking their idea and building off of that. Because a lot of clients will come to you and be like, “I like this color and I don't like this part of my body.” That's when I come in and I take all the notes and make it my own. I also make sure that I include who they are when it comes to their identity. Staying true to that, but elevating it and keeping it polished.

I do like to start with a mood board in some cases, but chemistry is a bigger thing for me. Just coming up in the industry and wanting opportunities. I've done so many mood boards. Then it's like, “We're actually not going to go with you for this.” Anybody can go and get photos off of Pinterest. But that doesn't really mean that they can execute. So there's a lot of trust in the relationship that I have with these clients. For the first job, I may submit some ideas or a mood board. But the second or third job is just smooth sailing. I may send a couple of photos, and then we just pull the trigger and go. I'm not really the type to send photos as I'm pulling and all of that. I also think that there's an element of surprise to it that makes it exciting.

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That's likely why you're able to make such major moments. Going back to music videos, I'm thinking of Victoria Monet’s “Alright”, or even Cardi B's Rolling Stone cover. You've established such trust with these women that you understand their identity so well.

I appreciate that. Yeah. It's really based on trust, because if we didn't have that, I feel like we would be in bad shape. I don't like to be micromanaged. A really big thing for me is not having to follow up every five minutes with photos and things. The relationships that work best for me are the ones that are just like: “I'm going to tell you what I want, and I'm going to trust you to just do your thing. I'm sure it's going to be fine.” That's where a lot of the magic comes from and where a lot of chemistry is built. Even with Cardi. Because her schedule was so hectic the first four years, we would literally never have a fitting until the day or morning of the event. And while it was so stressful and so hectic, it always worked out. And that's how we built that trust and chemistry. Now, sometimes I'm overwhelmed, and she's not worried at all.

Shifting gears a bit to your D'USSÉ partnership, do you see parallels between yours and the brand’s creativity?

I want to make iconic moments and push the envelope for my clients and for the fashion industry, just as D’USSE wants to change the way we think about cognac. We’re both striving to be original and to bring modernity to the spaces we occupy. For me, that might mean getting an incredible archival look for my clients who aren’t the “typical” body size or have the “standard look” that the fashion industry pushes on us. For D’USSÉ, that means inviting more people to try cognac outside of the stereotype of only drinking brown spirits on the rocks with a cigar. At the end of the day, we both want to invite more people to our tables.

What about your overall work experience with D'USSÉ?

This summer, we teamed up to launch the D’USSÉ Brunch Society, which is a new series of brunches that redefines stylish luxury at day parties. We wanted to give people a reason to celebrate their own style and show up as they are. Together we crafted my signature drink, “Kollin’s Lemonade Spritz,” which has D’USSE VSOP, prosecco, peach, lemonade, and basil. It’s so refreshing and has become my new, go-to daytime or brunch cocktail. A lot of people think of cognac as a nighttime or winter drink, but D’USSE was made for cocktails, so there are way more possibilities than you might think, including for brunch.

Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for D’USSÉ Cognac

I want to talk about your BET Awards presenter moment. That was such a great message for people in the industry. People often just see the artist, but there's so much that goes on behind the scenes with stylists like yourself, makeup artists, hair stylists, etc. Of course, not everyone wants to be in the spotlight, but it's great that you guys are getting recognition for all the hard work that you do.

It’s overdue. Without the muse, there's nothing there. So that is very important. But I'm so happy that we are in the space where the people behind the muse are getting recognized. Essentially, we are the ones who come up with these concepts and bring them to life or build off of a very small idea. And making what looks like magic to people. People don't realize they'll see someone at the Met and we've spent four, five, six months prepping for this moment. Now, we’re in a space where the process is something that you see more in the limelight. You would be surprised how oblivious people are to the fact that it took a village to create this moment. For so long, it got overlooked. It always looked like the artist was the one who came up with it. But now we're almost in a space where it's cool to tag your stylist; it's cool to have a powerful team. Whereas in the past, it's been something that has been hidden or pushed under the rug, and credit was taken from whoever the muse is. But now, a lot of muses, artists, and celebrities are shining light on creatives. I'm so glad that it's happening because, in return, it’s going to lend us to have bigger and better opportunities in the future as creatives.

I know behind the scenes, there could always be more resources and more financial support. So when you guys have these platforms, it definitely opens the doors to really fight for equity.

Absolutely. I look at myself 10 years ago when I didn't want to take any pictures. I wanted to be behind the scenes. Because we were always taught to be quiet, put our heads down and do the work. But now we're in a space where people want to know the person and the thought process behind all of this. So we're able to move where we don't have to be so bashful and or feel like we are stepping out of place when we speak about what we create. So I'm really loving the direction that things are going in for people behind the scenes like myself.

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I agree. Anytime I see a celebrity on a red carpet, I think: “I know Kollin did that,” or “I know Bryon Javar did that.” It's cool that you guys are creating your own identities and have such a distinct vision.

Oh, my God, there have been times when I work with a new client, and I'll have either a friend who maybe didn't know what I was up to recently, or I'll have a follower send it to me and say: "Wait, did you do this?” I'm glad that people from the outside are receiving my work in a way where they can identify it. There's something signature about my touch, and that's always been something that I've wanted. So I’m glad that is something I'm able to achieve through the work that I do.

As we're entering the fall season soon, do you have any style tips?

I'm such a monochromatic guy when it comes to the fall. I love warm tones. I live for oranges, olives and browns. For the fall, you can't go wrong with that. And then that's when we can begin to pull out the layers if the weather permits. Because the summer tends to last almost into the winter now, but it's the perfect time to pull out all of the layers and just be comfy. You don't have to wear things that are super fitted. You can layer and have a little bit of fun.