From Retail to Personal Stylist: Sara Lasala’s Journey Toward Her Calling

Sara Lasala’s journey reflects a natural evolution within the fashion universe, where aesthetic sensitivity and retail experience become the starting point for taking things a step further. Currently, she combines her role as a Sales Advisor at Ba&sh with the development of her own project as a personal stylist, shaping an approach in which fashion is understood as a tool for personal expression.

Her experience in the Online Vogue Course in Styling and Personal Shopping has been key to organising her ideas, understanding the industry from within, and gaining the confidence needed to move towards her true calling.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background

I studied Event Organisation and Protocol at the International School of Protocol in Barcelona. I chose these studies because of their more creative dimension: artistic direction, staging, decoration, and the ability to create experiences through detail.

From a young age, I knew I wanted to build my career in the world of fashion. I’ve always been drawn to everything surrounding the industry: fashion shows, editorials, campaigns, and the way an image can tell a story. Although I initially thought my path would be linked to events, over time I discovered that styling was where I could best express my aesthetic sensibility.

Today, I see that both disciplines share the same foundation: creating visual experiences with intention and paying close attention to every detail in order to convey identity. This approach guides my work and underpins the project I am developing as a personal stylist.

How did you discover us?

Vogue has always been a reference for me since I was young. I grew up reading the magazine, following its social media, and finding inspiration in its way of understanding and communicating fashion. I believe Vogue stands out not only for its take on trends, but also for its creative and cultural vision, as well as the visual storytelling behind each editorial.

Which course did you take?

Online Vogue Course in Styling and Personal Shopping.

What has the course brought you?

The course has given me a much broader and more realistic view of the stylist profession. Beyond the creative aspect, it has helped me understand how the industry works and the different areas in which this career can develop.

One of the aspects I value most is learning from active industry professionals who have shared their experience and working methods. This insight has helped me better understand the creative process and, most importantly, apply many of these tools in my day-to-day work—both in advising clients and in developing my personal project.

It has also given me the confidence to reaffirm that this is the professional path I want to pursue.

Which lecturer or session would you highlight?

One of the professionals who inspired me the most was Natalia Cañellas. I would highlight her career path, as it reflects the versatility of the stylist profession and the different opportunities within the industry.

I found it particularly interesting to learn how she has worked across such diverse areas as editorials, luxury personal shopping, image consulting, and teaching. Her experience helped me understand that styling goes far beyond creating looks, and that it’s possible to build a truly well-rounded career.

What project did you develop as part of the course? Could you tell us more details? Do you have any photos or images?

As a final project, I developed a comprehensive styling proposal, conceived as if it were a real project within the fashion industry. The objective was to create a complete concept, working through every stage of the creative process that forms part of a stylist’s role.

The project included defining a creative concept, selecting a location, researching references, creating a runway selection, choosing the fashion team, and finally developing twelve looks. These were divided across different scenarios: three daytime looks and three evening looks for a red carpet in Madrid, and another three daytime looks and three evening looks for a red carpet in London.

I believe that strong styling goes far beyond creating a visually appealing outfit. My aim was to demonstrate how thoughtful styling can tell a story, convey identity, and create a meaningful experience.

What did you enjoy most?

What I enjoyed most was learning from active professionals and gaining first-hand insight into the reality of the industry.

I would also highlight the practical side of the course, as it presents exercises based on real-life scenarios. This pushes you to make creative decisions with intention and to justify each choice—something that is essential to understanding the work of a stylist.

If you were to take another course, which would you choose?

I would probably choose the Retail Design and Visual Merchandising course, as it’s an area very present in my daily work.

I find it particularly interesting how it combines the commercial side with aesthetics, and how brand identity can be built through the arrangement of space and garments. I believe deepening my knowledge in this area would further enrich my perspective on fashion.

Why would you recommend Vogue College of Fashion’s online courses?

I would recommend the online courses to anyone looking to train in fashion while balancing work or other projects.

The format is flexible, yet it offers comprehensive training that is closely connected to the reality of the industry. It also allows you to apply what you learn from day one, as has been my case both in retail and in developing my project as a personal stylist.