tFS: I was going to ask about the clients. They’re so difficult on the show, are they like that in real life? Or people hamming it up a little, for the camera?
Tayler: It’s definitely a little bit of both. They were extremely difficult. And I think a lot of them are kind of having diva remorse, because they really turned it on for the camera. As soon as the camera turned off, they were so sweet. I wouldn’t say sweet, but they were really nice to us. But then when the camera turned on, they turned on their diva attitude for sure. We worked hard for every single client. Everything on our end is completely authentic. All our reactions are completely authentic.
Gregg: Everyone’s like, “This is so staged and so artificial, there can’t really be people out there like that.” And honestly, they were real. It was legit. And we were spending their money. So it was maybe their reactions to situations, like when the mother came down the stairs wearing her daughter’s dress [clip below], that caught me and Tayler totally off guard, we had no idea.
Tayler: At least on our end. Again, we don’t know everything that’s going to happen behind the scenes with the clients because they would remove us, they would put us in a room by ourselves, and we weren’t allowed to talk to each other, or to anyone. So all of our reactions would be authentic. So everything would feel real. So as far as the clients knew, I don’t know how much they knew, whether they were trying to ham it up, because they definitely had some Jekyll and Hyde moments. One minute, they’re being demanding and giving us all these crazy requests, the next moment they’re asking us to have drinks after … off camera.
tFS: But you do have difficult clients in real life too?
Gregg: That’s the nature of dealing with people with money. Or just people in general. They all have demanding expectations for what they need, or they wouldn’t seek out someone like ourselves to shop for them. They’re specific. And if you can’t deliver certain things or if you want to guide them in a certain direction, it doesn’t always work in your favor. Sometimes it’s best to remove your own personal taste and just get them what they want.
tFS: How were the clients cast?
Tayler: True Entertainment did the casting. We didn’t know who the clients were until we showed up at their front door. We weren’t prepped, they did everything. Now, moving forward with this second season, the casting director has reached out to us to ask if any of our personal clients would be interested in doing this show. This last season, it was all done through a casting director, but moving forward, I think they maybe want things to be a little more personal.
tFS: What advice would you give to someone who hopes to get into personal shopping as a career?
Tayler: First and foremost, have a thick skin. You really have to learn to kind of take the brunt of people’s emotions and not take things too personally. Know that you’re there to do a job. A lot of times you even feel it can be an attack on your personal taste and style. So you have to take your emotions out of it and be willing to work very hard. It looks glamorous and yes, it can be totally fun to shop with other people’s money, but there’s a delicate balance, because you are dealing with other people’s money. Remember at the end of the day, no matter how dramatic it gets, you are getting to shop for a living.
Gregg: My background is in hair and beauty, that was my first career. I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a course in some kind of psychology … where you can get to know how to read people really quickly. That’s been a great gift. While Tayler might be a little more forgiving with situations, I’m really quick to know where somebody’s at. Whether this is going to be a wild goose chase, and we’re not going to be able to satisfy the client. Being able to say, no, we’re not the best fit. That’s three-fourth’s of it. Not everyone should be shopping for somebody, and being able to evaluate that and know your own self-worth at the end of the day. It’s ok to say no, because it’s your reputation on the line.
tFS: How do you develop relationships with designers? I’m curious about that aspect of your day-to-day.
Gregg: I’ve had a fashion blog for years and I have gone to Paris to couture shows, all these different things. And every designer that we reached out to for the show was a personal phone call. The show would ask, “Who do you think is going to be the best fit for this particular client?” I went a step further and so did Tayler. We reached out to people that we know. From Vivienne Tam to shoe designers, we’ve been able to cultivate those relationships through the years by going to their shows and wearing their clothing. And on the show, our wardrobe is our wardrobe. We wear our own clothing. I have a gamut of clothing in my wardrobe that can rival any social woman’s, bar none. And better shoes than most of them! So I think, when you dress it and you live it, it’s very natural that designers would gravitate to someone who actually is wearing their stuff. If you have a blogger that doesn’t wear anything but H&M, they’re going to appeal to a different market. When I wear Prada head-to-toe, it’s a different ballgame. That’s something that I’ve cultivated with my sense of style that’s sort of elevated the bar for us.
