5 Bipoc Prop & Food Stylists You Should Know
Honored to present the work & words from 5 talented BIPOC Senior Prop & Food Stylists whose work I wish I had known about sooner.
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With the BLM movement in the national spotlight, it’s prompted me, a white prop stylist, to readjust my eyes with a new lens; one that allows me to examine things more acutely than ever before. As a result, I now recognize how my industry, based in visual content creation & styling, is specifically built to oppress the diversity of our community and imagery of our world; particularly in regards to BIPOC talent.
This new understanding prompted me to ask questions like: ‘are there BIPOC prop & food stylists?’, ‘who are those stylists?’, ‘what extra hardships have these stylists endured that I am unaware of?’, ‘what can we, as image professionals do to help change the course of systemic oppression in our industry?’.
This questioning is the start of a multi-week process that lead me to create this post, one that celebrates 5 BIPOC Senior Prop & Food Stylists currently working in our visual community.
I want to do this because prior to a few weeks ago, myself and over 30 industry professionals across the USA I emailed/texted/DMed/etc, only knew a few full-time BIPOC stylists at all, which I couldn’t believe. Through research and contacting photographers & stylists I've never met, I was led to the wonderful stylists below. I wish I had seeked and knew of these incredibly talented individuals sooner.
I hope that the stories and work below encourages a mix of inspiration, awareness, hope & activism for our community. That as image professionals, we we need to do better; so that young, BIPOC talent can consider the prop & food styling professions without extraordinary hardships or racism holding them back.
Special thank you to the stylists below for allowing me to share their powerful words & work.
Note: The below work is not my own. The following images were created by the stylists & photographers credited below.
1. Gerri K. Williams
PROP STYLIST
“My name is Gerri K. Williams and I am a New York City based prop stylist who has been a part of the photo advertising and magazine industry for 25+ years now”.
I have enjoyed styling before I even knew one could be a stylist. I have a distinct memory of being 12 years old and feeling dissatisfied with how my room looked, and so without my parents permission, I redecorated; I ripped the carpet up from the floor (revealing the beautiful hardwood flooring that was hidden underneath it), reorganized my furniture, and borrowed some objects from around the house and from my mother’s resale business that I thought would add a nice touch. My room ended up looking so beautiful that my parents overcame their initial shock over the fact that I had basically ripped my room apart, and were impressed by the room’s new look - and that was beginning of my journey as a stylist.
Being a prop stylist is an incredibly exciting and creatively stimulating career. I love the process of being given a concept for a photo shoot, and then brainstorming all of the ways that I can add something fresh and interesting to the project. I find it thrilling to search through prop houses, antique shops and other sources at a prop stylists’ disposal, for items that can bring the essence of the project to life. It’s incredibly satisfying when I finally find the perfect things for a shoot, and it’s so much fun working with the many talented photographers, food stylists, and assistants that are a part of this business.
But, styling can also be very stressful in ways that are challenging to all prop stylists, like being given a small window of time to source for specific items that are crucial to the shoot, and small budgets that don’t make it easy for you to rent or purchase everything that you need. As I stated earlier, these are issues that all prop stylists have to contend with, but when you’re a person of color within the industry you sometimes also have to deal with the added stress of racism.
In my personal experience as an African American woman I have been very lucky that my encounters in the workplace have been generally positive, but occasionally I have encountered racism.
For example, I have experienced more unconscious forms of racism, like, when on multiple occasions, people on set have presumed that my white assistant was the head stylist, when in fact I was the head stylist. And I’ve experienced more overt forms of racism like racist commentary towards myself and other people of color.
Thank you Giulietta for giving me this platform that has allowed myself and others to express our experiences. I think that this can allow better communication and understanding between all of us.
I REMAIN HOPEFUL.”
- Gerri K. Williams | @williager7 | Website coming soon!
Image Credits (from top, clockwise): Prop Stylist & Art Director: Gerri K. Williams, Photographers: Randazzo & Blau Photography, Food Stylist: Mallory Lance | Prop Stylist & Art Director: Gerri K. Williams, Photographers: Randazzo & Blau Photography | Prop Stylist & Art Director: Gerri K. Williams, Photographers: Randazzo & Blau Photography, Food Stylist: Lisa Homa
2. Micah Marie Morton
FOOD STYLIST
“I got into food styling as a career switch. After I stopped dancing professionally I labored in production as a coordinator and AP but I realized my calling was food. So I worked my way into apprenticing in kitchens and finally became a head baker”.
While doing the bakers overnight and early morning shifts I met an amazing former props stylist now bakery owner Kathy Cook who gave me a new dream. She saw how particular I am and how much my art and performing background influenced my discipline of cooking and suggested I try food styling. She literally extended herself and her contacts and gave me a career. It was a true gift and she should know it changed my life, that generosity of mentorship. I started assisting with her help and it fit and I have never looked back.
In terms of my experiences being BIPOC as a stylist I think that the lack of representation hurts. Most sets are professional but I have quite a few horror stories of things people have said or done on set that are downright offensive. Also the nature of the unchecked hierarchy on some sets can be actively disrespectful especially when people ask repeatedly "how you got to be lead" or "are you from Compton," when they know you’re Black from LA. Most if not ALL of that you just take in and keep on pushing because there is no one to advocate for you and it’s just uncomfortable.
It feels almost impossible to speak up about that kind of behavior on sets and the other people that witness never speak up. So you just do your best work and leave that as your calling card. I never saw people like myself on food sets. The only Black woman I ever saw was Gerri Williams, the props stylist, and she immediately let me know she was there for me and helped me to secure my first agent. She pushed me and I had assisted FOREVER because when you are the one Black person you feel you need way more receipts then anyone else to be considered.
I can’t walk in the door as a LEAD Senior stylist with only 1 year of assisting and a whole lot of confidence. In my mind I really had to apprentice forever or else I wouldn’t get work. And it was helpful having Gerri say you can do this, you are ready. The people that I worked with as an apprentice were by far very encouraging and also told me I had talent and helped use their word of mouth to propel me although I was reluctant. But working as an apprentice and always being the only BIPOC highlights the disadvantages to this “word of mouth” business. It is very cliquey and only people you know will hire you and those folks are not actively trying to foster new talent in terms of diversity. So they never answer your emails as an assistant and then never look at your book as a lead if they are only working with friends. So my niche profession is very out of reach for young BIPOC people who are interested in art and culinary.
Only now are people saying to me that they realized they have never worked with a Black food stylist. That’s wild to me that your hiring is so narrow if your publications are producing constant content across all media. So we know that the pipeline from assisting to lead styling is not diverse and needs changing on the mentorship level. Then also knowing that there are so few of us means those publications and advertising agencies should be hiring those of us that are here… There IS enough work to open up your outreach and look at diversifying your set by hiring Senior Stylists of Color.
The few times I witnessed a supremely diverse set like when I was the drinks specialist for two Spike Lee commercials, Crown Royal and Budweiser, were wonderful teams. Spike’s set had every kind of person and everyone was working together in such a disciplined way for the final product.
It can be done!!!”
- Micah Marie Morton | bigleo.com | @curlygirlcooks
Image Credits (from top, clockwise): 1. Food Stylist: Micah Marie Morton, Photographer: Chelsie Craig, Art Director: Colleen Lennon, Prop Stylist: Stephanie L. Yeh, Hand Model: Jacinda Motton, For POPSUGAR & Country Crock | 2. Food Stylist: Micah Marie Morton, Photographer: Nigel Cox, For: DELISH Insane Sweets Cookbook | 3. Food Stylist: Micah Marie Morton, Photographer: Chelsea Kyle, For: DELISH Insane Cocktails Cookbook
3. Roscoe Betsill
FOOD & PROP STYLIST
“A fair amount of my childhood was spent in my mother’s, my grandmother’s and my great-great Aunt Ida’s kitchens. It was there that I began to develop a passion for food and cooking”.
I also entertained myself for hours on end, fooling around with and eventually becoming fairly proficient with my dad’s drafting tools. With his encouragement, I took a number of drawing and painting classes as a youngster.
After earning a degree in communications from Northwestern University and spending a few years working in various capacities in radio and television, I enrolled in a summer course at La Varenne École de Cuisine in Paris. While living in Paris I was fortunate enough to be able to work in French restaurants and to see, from the back of the house, how they function.
I went on to pursue a career in cooking which included slinging burgers and hash, teaching catering at a vocational school and being the chef of a small New York hospital in addition to working in a number of restaurants. Eventually I was able to land a freelance food styling project and I knew I was home.
I currently divide my time between New York City and the Hudson Valley and work primarily as a Food Stylist, Tabletop Prop Stylist, Writer and Recipe Developer.”
- Roscoe Betsill | roscoebetsill.com | @scoeononset
Image Credits (from top, clockwise): 1. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill, Photographer: Beatriz Da Costa, For Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes from My African American Kitchen Book by Alexander Smalls and Veronica Chambers | 2. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill, Photographer: Misha Gravenor, Prop Stylist: Peter Frank, For Totem Creative / Bloomingdales | 3. Drink & Prop Stylist: Roscoe Betsill, Photographer Ted Morrison Studio, For Health Magazine
4. Alyssa Sadler
FASHION, LIFESTYLE & PRODUCT STYLIST
“I’ve loved fashion and putting together outfits since I was a little girl, and as I got older that love only grew. Let’s just say I’m a bit of a shopaholic”.
When I was in high school I knew I wanted a career in fashion, but I wasn’t quite sure what exactly I wanted to do. I decided to take some summer classes at LIM in buying, visual merchandising, and styling to see what would be the best fit for me. After that I knew styling was my true passion. I love being able to see my vision come to life in the perfect shot.
The summer before my senior year of college I interned with three Freelance Stylists in NYC, and with that experience I was able to land my first job as a Stylist for Hudson’s Bay Company. There I styled women’s and men’s apparel for the Saks, Saks Off 5th, and Lord & Taylor websites. It wasn’t until I started my freelance career at QVC that I started getting into product styling as well. It challenged me to think and visualize in a different way than with apparel, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to broaden my skill set as a Stylist.”
- Alyssa Sadler | alyssasadler.com | @alyssasadlerstyle
Image Credits (from top, clockwise): 1. Product Stylist: Alyssa Sadler, Photographer: Stephanie Foltz, For: QVC | 2. Fashion Stylist: Alyssa Sadler, Photographer: Justus Henry, Model: Moira Tumas, MUA: @taythemua, For: QVC | 3. Product Stylist: Alyssa Sadler, Photographer: Jay Muckle, For: QVC
5. Cathy Guerra
INTERIOR STYLIST & DESIGNER
“I was born in Washington DC from parents descending from El Salvador in Central America. I am a first generation Latina Americana (Latin American) for my family. El Salvador is my culture and I represent it proudly”!
I remember being 10 years old if not younger and moving my furniture around to achieve a better layout. I'd also ask my mom to take me shopping to get fabric to make my own curtains and pillows to coordinate whatever style & colors I liked at the moment. My second job was at pier 1 imports at the age of 17. That was it after that. I was hooked. I fell in love with items and decor used in interior design. Here is where I learned store displays and set ups. I stuck with them for 7 years. My last job with them being the visual merchandiser for the entire northern Virginia area.
Then I moved to DC from VA and started a management career with World Market. Here I learned the business side of the retail world. One day I came across a staging company at the store that were picking up furniture for one of their properties. As the furniture manager and merchandiser, I was the one appointed to help with the order. We got talking about what staging was and I applied the very next day. I got hired and the rest is history. During my career as a stager I've had the great opportunity to work with 3 major companies (named the best staging companies) in the DMV area. I've trained more than 20 designers on interior design! All those years of studying interior design on my own and being hooked to HGTV paid off.
Once I discovered who I was and the talent I possessed I decided to go solo and start my own business as interior stylist and Interior Stylings by Cat was born in 2016. This time I've had as an entrepreneur has taught me a lot about myself, my talent and my evolution each year that passes. I've had the opportunity to work with many vendors, companies and other creatives. I wear many hats to say the least but I love connecting with other creatives to further evolve and perfect my craft.
Imagine being able to transform someone's life, someone's mental health through interior design. That's what we do at The Oasis Alliance and we are blessed to be using our talents to help our community. This non-profit organization also gets overlooked because it is run by 3 women of color. We often times get underfunded and ignored. We experienced it first hand when the organization's leader and I attended High Point Market one year. We met so many influential and famous designers, brands and vendors. We spoke about the organization and handed out pamphlets and not one donated or ever reached back out to us. It is something we have always dealt with being that the design industry is predominantly white. Almost a feeling of being invisible, like we're not important or what we do isn't important.
That's why we feel we have to push the limits and the envelope to be seen or heard. Show that we do have talent and style and we know the art of balance and design as well! We are making a positive difference in our community and the world regardless of any misconception or assumption.”
- Cathy Guerra | @interiorstylingbycat | Website coming soon!
Image Credits (from top, clockwise): 1. Interior Stylist: Cathy Guerra, Designer: Brass Bones Design, Photograher: MW Concepts | 2. Interior Stylist: Cathy Guerra, Designer: Brass Bones Design | 3. Designer + Interior Stylist: Cathy Guerra, Staging: Masterpiece Staging & Design
To gain insight on why there may be so few BIPOC senior prop & food stylists in the photo & video industries today and how to potentially remedy that, please read this blog post.
If you’re a BIPOC Senior Prop and/or Food Stylist and would like your work featured in future posts, feel free to email me at: gpinna@limonatacreative.com . I’d love to include you!
If you’re a BIPOC Senior OR Assistant Prop & Food Stylist and would like your name + contact info included in a public google spreadsheet so that industry professionals can contact you for hire, please add your info into this link & share with any other BIPOC stylists you may know: BIPOC PROP & FOOD STYLISTS IN THE USA
