Celebrity fashion stylist, Tyler Hunter, well known for styling some of the iconic looks of music star Beyoncé, has decided to walk out on his over 18-year career to pursue personal goals.
The 50-year-old wrote the book, “Makeover from Within: Lessons in Hardship, Acceptance, and Self-Discovery,” after his bold decision. Speaking to The Grio Hunter said that his daughter’s 21st birthday was a wake-up call. He suddenly realized all the family moments he had missed because he spent so much time chasing his career.
He added “Even though I had the dream job that everybody wanted, I also wanted to just do other things. So, I just stepped out in faith, and I’m glad I did because I learned so much more about myself.”
According to Insider, Hunter’s rise to stardom began in the late ’90s. He was working at a fashion shop in a mall in Texas when he met Beyonce’s mother, Tina Knowles. She saw his potential and promised to bring more opportunities his way.
True to her word, she employed him to work with Destiny’s Child on their “Survivor” music video, and he has since continued to climb the ladder to success and fame.
In an interview with Insider, the 50-year-old shared that his love for fashion began at a young age. His mother had him at age 19, and when she went out with her friends some years after he was born, she would seek his opinion on what shoes to wear and which clothes to pair.
He further explained that his family wholeheartedly embraced his unique talents for fashion, and recounted tales of how he went thrift shopping and styled the thrift clothes so well that people never noticed he was wearing second-hand clothes. While they mocked others, they admired his style.
Today, the stylist serves as a head stylist and creative director for Porter and other celebrities after leaving his career with Beyoncé. He told Adage that while working for Beyonce back in 2012, he had a chance to be part of a fundraiser for Barack Obama.
He had met the president a few times before but was quite surprised when Obama invited him and his wife, Raquel Smith, over to take a picture with him although they were just there to dress Beyonce.
He disclosed that the president commended them for their great job and asked him “Where do you go from here?” According to him, that question pricked his thought.
From there, he went on a three-month vacation to reassess what he really wanted to do. He tried many things, even dipping his toe in the tech world, as well as trying some clothing collaborations.
He recalled that it was at this point that he understood he had to divert and start a path for himself. “Leaving my job as Beyoncé’s stylist was one of the hardest things I had to do. Not only was I leaving a steady paycheck behind, I was leaving a familiar loving family,” he said.
He shared that it wasn’t easy, as he had to deal with depression; however, he had loved ones around to help him get better.
His father and mother were both later diagnosed with prostate cancer and breast cancer. Although Hunter wasn’t close to his dad, he still took time to be with him till he passed away.
He mentioned that his biggest makeover was learning to put himself first, and added that giving too much of ourselves to anything is a risk. He said “Don’t get too comfortable. Anything can happen. You always need a backup plan.”
