Very seldom do you come across someone that is equally talented in several distinct areas. Most of us are great at something, in which we tend to put all our attention in that one direction. Not for Lisa Robinson. Lisa is what I call, “A Triple Threat.” She has dominated the market with her ability to not only wow us in one avenue, yet three! I have been given the privilege to work with Lisa for a few decades now. I am continuing amazed with her work ethic and her amazing capability to capture your attention through her work. Not only is she stunning beautiful herself, she has a way of bringing out the beauty in everyone she works with.
In today’s word, we are bombarded by an unrealistic world of beauty. We are told to look and dress a certain way. A lot of times, the true beauty gets lost within our-selves. Lisa has the expertise to look at you and see the real you. She knows how to bring you out of your shell. To embrace who you are and let yourself blossom into the magnificent flower you are. Her work is curated to reflect a very complex yet subtle, bold yet delicate awestruck feel.
Tell us more about you:
LR: I became fascinated with fashion magazines back in middle school. The entire aspect of what goes into the shot (makeup, hair and styling) captured my attention. I really studied the photographs and tried to imagine what made each photo interesting, unique and beautiful. I started doing my friends makeup and hair for fun. I began to realize that is was what I wanted to do as my profession. I wanted to create those beautiful images I saw in movies and in the magazines. Word got out that Universal Studios would be opening in the near future. Thinking that this would be a great opportunity for me to get into the industry, I moved to Orlando. In the meantime, waiting for Universal to be complete, I did some modeling and extras work to learn more about being onset and how the industry worked. I started school to get my cosmetology license (thinking I needed a license in order to have my dream job). After 1200 hours of school and getting my license, I realized you don’t need a license to do makeup. Not only do you not need a license, the cosmetology course wouldn’t really “teach” makeup application at all. For the makeup portion of the course, they had a speaker come and talk about his experience as a makeup artist in the industry. That speaker didn’t talk a lot about makeup or makeup application, he talked about being onset. That 30 min. lecture would turn out to be the most important 30 minutes of my education. He taught that there was more to a artist/stylist than what people think. He spoke about taking care of your client and talking to your client. He talked about the stylist’s working relationship between other professional’s onset: wardrobe, sound, the director and other key people. What he taught me was invaluable information that I could have only learned by 1st hand experience. The information he gave me helps me to this day continue to build and keep client relations. That 30 minutes, I would later learn was priceless and would change my life path.
How did you get started in this industry?
LR: Finishing school, I was disappointed to soon find out that Universal Studios would not be a “working studio.” Universal would be just a theme park, it wouldn’t be bringing the movie industry to Florida. Not letting that put my dreams on hold; I started networking and found myself working on music videos and short films, anything, even for free to get the experience of being onset. I decided to move back to my “hometown” Pensacola, to be closer to my family in 1996. I had built up a small portfolio and started knocking on doors. Soon, I had a handful of regular clients consisting of local photographers, ad agencies and production companies. All of which, learned the value of not only having someone do makeup for production, but also being onset to be another set of eyes and keep the talent comfortable and confident. Today I still have my clients in Pensacola. However, I also work in other cities including Atlanta, Mobile, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Myrtle Beach and Tampa to name a few.
What different areas do you work in?
LR: Being a freelance artist, I work on all kinds of productions: print, video, film and live performances. Each production is very different. I do commercial, lifestyle, fashion, interviews, concerts and live remotes. I do makeup, hair and wardrobe styling. I have also worked as a production coordinator on several different projects. What my job title is depends on the type of production and what the client needs.
What is a typical day like?
LR: The only answer to that question is… there is never a typical day. Some days my call times are 4am on the beach, other days 2pm in a studio or 3pm at a law office, then maybe 10pm at a nightclub. Some shoots are 2 hours, some 12 hours a day for 4 days or more. I work with a wide range of talent: male, female, adults and children. This allows my days to always be different and never boring!
What are some of your greatest accomplishments?
LR: I’d probably have to say my career in general. I’m pretty much “self-taught.” I walked into a market that did not have commercial makeup/stylists, so I made it my mission to create one. Now, not only do I work, but new upcoming artists are getting work too. This is because people are now educated in the value of having a makeup artist/stylist on their set.
What’s your philosophy of life?
LR: Be kind. Listen. Always be open to learn new things. Help others anyway you can and don’t ever think you are “the best” be the best you can be.
I get inspired to learn about people in this industry creating their own niche. Lisa is a true testament to that. Her passion and superb talent sets herself apart from the rest!
To see more of Lisa’s work, go to: www.lisarobinstylist.com
Article By: Tosha Cole Clemens
Tosha has over 10 years’ experience in fashion. She has worked for top companies in the industry. Consisting of styling, trend forecasting, production, product development, design, and branding. She provides consulting and also is a contributing fashion writer for several magazines and the founder of www.NittyGrittyFashion.com
