S: Did you always know that you wanted to be a stylist? Or was your dream job growing up something totally different?

Zeina Esmail: I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the fashion industry but it took some time to figure out which precise area of fashion I wanted to work in. I grew up in Calgary and didn’t even know this world existed. I actually graduated with a BSC in Agriculture and Forestry prior to moving to Toronto and going to Ryerson for Fashion. It was only after I finished that degree; that I started to seriously get a taste of different sides of this industry and eventually end up falling in love with styling.

S: For every girl in love with everything fashion, being an on-figure stylist sounds like a dream job! How did you kick off your career in fashion and do you have any advice to those eager to follow in your footsteps?

ZE: Basically I worked my butt off. I know it sounds cliché but that’s truly how I ended up where I am. I find that having a job in the fashion industry sounds appealing to almost every girl. Everyone has different interests and sometimes it takes some work experience in a specific field you think you may be interested in working in, to realize that it may not be exactly what you thought. I had several fashion-related jobs before actually finding that styling was what I wanted to do. The one thing that I stress to people when they ask me about this career is that it is not easy and by no means glamorous all the time. It takes so much dedication, hard work and true passion to be successful at this job.

S: As one of Sirens go-to stylists, we rely on you to keep us current! With fashion being so fast paced and styles changing over night.. How do you stay on top of the latest trends?

ZE: Because I absolutely love fashion, I naturally keep up with the trends; not because my job requires me to. I am constantly on style.com when the new collections come out to see what the upcoming seasons hottest trends are always look through the major fashion magazines every month to see what’s happening. You have to be on top of your game in this industry because if you close your eyes slightly for just a moment; someone is right behind you waiting for that moment to try and replace you.

S: Styling campaigns months before they hit the stores, you must be in-the-know on all the latest trends before they even come out! Tell us.. What’s one of your favorite trends we’re gonna see come fall?

ZE: Hmmm that’s a tough one because there are so many! If I had to pick one I would have to say the menswear vibe that was visible in so many of the major collections. It wasn’t so much masculine per se but more sophisticated and menswear inspired. We have already seen this trend in womenswear over the last few seasons in pieces like ‘boyfriend jackets’ and ‘boyfriend jeans’ but Fall calls for tuxedo shirts, fedoras, bow ties, slacks in varying lengths and of course, lots of layering.

S: If you could describe the style for the Sirens Fall 2011 photoshoot in two words what would they be? And what was your inspiration?

ZE: I would say sexy and flirty. We had a blast on this photoshoot because it was really meant to capture the essence of 2 girls in party mode and that’s just what we did. Their lively attitudes were an accessory to the super flirty pieces that epitomized the shoot. When they actually wore the clothes a new sense of excitement and modest seduction came out in both of their personalities because they truly felt sexy. My inspiration comes from just that—the amazing clothing and accessories and also the mood created by the models on set.

S: Come fall, what’s the one piece in your closet that you’ll never want to hang up? Or is there more then one??

ZE: I have 2-1 is a basic black blazer that I bought from an outlet. It literally goes on top of anything and adds a little something to the outfit. A friend of mine borrowed it a while ago and got gum on the sleeve that never came out so I had to take a Sharpie and fill in the spots-now it’s as good as new! The other one is an oversized Proenza Schouler Green sweater that I wear everyday in Fall (for the last 3 years. My friends are starting to question my motives with that sweater because I just can’t get enough of it but honestly chunky knits can be a girls (and sometimes boys) best friend. If you have solid ‘key’ pieces in your closet and a little bit of imagination, you can work around any fashion obstacle.

S: We all want to know.. Working with models on a day to day basis does it ever get to you? How do you deal?

ZE: That’s a great question because I would be lying if I said it doesn’t. Absolutely 100%. This is an image-based industry and I don’t care what anyone tells you, it can be extremely hard on a person that is immersed in it on a daily basis. People will tell you that a very minimal percentage of actual women are born to be ‘supermodels’ (which is true) however when this is your job, this is the norm and you are constantly surrounded by these (quote unquote) perfect girls. There have been days where I am on set and literally left speechless at how physically beautiful some women/men can be and without consciously realizing, you indirectly question your own physical flaws; I think that’s completely normal. But, you really have to learn how to genuinely appreciate other people’s beauty as well as your own beauty and be comfortable in your own skin. If you constantly compare yourself to other people (and not only specifically when it comes to beauty) you would be miserable working in this industry. Consequently, sometimes you learn how to respect unconventional beauty.

S: As a stylist, I’m sure you love to shop! Cause there’s no such thing as TOO MANY CLOTHES!!! How much space in your home is dedicated to your wardrobe? And is there anyone in your life that thinks it’s a bit ridiculous?

ZE: My entire condo is filled with wardrobe and wardrobe related accessories. Being a stylist you accumulate things-you almost have to, to be able to do your job effectively. My condo is somewhat organized chaos, most of my accessories are in stackable clear bins (that fill my condo and my storage locker)-belts, hats, tights, gloves, jewelry, etc. This way, you know where to go when you are looking for something specific. Also, I have extra rolling racks (that have my clothes occupying them) in my place in case I need extra racks for a job. I have a fiancé that is very supportive with the amount of stuff I sometimes have around-it kind of comes with the territory and you almost have no choice but to deal with the idea of always having some sort of clutter around you. But honestly there are times where it frustrates me because you are constantly surrounded by ‘stuff’ all the time. My friends laugh at me because I still warn everyone before they come into my place that I have bags or racks of clothes for a job in my living room or bedroom or in the hallway.

S: As a top hairstylist, do you ever have those bad hair days when you wish you could get back in bed? Or do you roll out of bed with perfect hair?

Susana Hong: bad hair is inevitability for all women at some point. But a lot of the time u can work minimally to have it look fabulous. I often wake up with crazy wavy hair, which I like but the top is sticking out in all different directions. All I ever do is wet the root with a spray bottle, and blow-dry flat using my fingers to comb through it. This way I can have the waves, but still have a look that doesn’t look like bed head because the crown is now smooth.

S: Working with models on a daily basis, I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share of damaged tresses. What’s the most damaging thing people do to their hair? And what’s a simple solution to keep your hair healthy?

SH: Well, nothing will damage your hair than chemical lightening (i.e.: bleaching). This make thee hair quite manageable, but very fragile and susceptible to breakage. What u can do to keep it healthy is to get a glossing done at a salon for smoothness and shine. A more economical alternative is to do a good old fashion hot oil treatment (heated olive oil will do). This will fill the cuticles of the frayed strands and give a smoother appearance. It will take a couple shampoos’ to wash this out and u can leave it in as long as u want.

S: We absolutely love the hairstyles that you created for the Sirens Fall 2011 photo shoot! You really captured the whole rocker vibe. Is there an easy way people can achieve this look at home?

SH: it depends on your natural hair texture. For straight-wavy hair, the best thing to do is add a volumizing mousse or spray gel on damp hair and scrunch as you blow-dry of a low setting. This will give u that slightly wavy, distressed texture. Then, use a 1 1/4 inch iron and pick random pieces to curl. This will give u a very loose bend, just so it looks styled a bit instead of straight bed head. Then shake it out with your fingers and your done. You can lightly spray it in place too.

S: When we were at the fall photo shoot, we noticed you updated your assistant’s look with a quick fringe cut! What’s one quick way to update your look come fall?

SH: It’s really a personal preference. I’m really digging heavier fringes around the face. You don’t even need bangs to do this (as per my assistant). This will give you a heavy layered look without having layers all over the hair. It so versatile, because you can just middle part it and it looks long, or you can do a deep side sweep for a rock and roll disheveled look.

S: At our shoot we had both a blonde and a brunette – best of both worlds! When it comes to hair colour, is there ever a colour that’s in fashion or out? Come fall, is there a definite trend in hair colour? Or does anything go?

SH: there are always trend colors. The last few years have been pretty natural tones. Brunettes and blondes will never go out either, so its good that we represented both. This upcoming fall/winter, I noticed a lot of the top blond models have changed the tone of their hair slightly to a very light, icy cool tone of blond. Just a bit lighter and cooler, but the difference is quite striking. I’m totally into this – it’s stunning. It’ll be a couple of seasons (I predict) until this catches on, but all shades of blondes and browns will always be with us.

S: As far as makeup goes, you definitely achieved that dramatic moody look on the models at our shoot. What areas of the face did you emphasis to get that feel?

SH: I definitely placed emphasis on the eyes and cheekbones. I used very metallic tones of browns and some black eyeliner to get the intensity. I think browns and bronzes are always sexy. And there’s nothing sexier than a well-defined cheekbone. I contoured it a bit and used a shimmery powdery highlighter on top to emphasize it even more.

S: As a makeup artist, you must try every product out there and know all the secrets! What’s one item you’d never leave home without and why?

SH: a great foundation. That’s the basis of all great looks. Everything else can be worked on, but if you have a flawless skin, it makes application that much easier. And everything has that polished, professional look.

Visit P1M to check out more of Susana’s hair and makeup!