What’s the budget?! Shaq Palmers’ resume speaks for itself, he’s styled many of our favs such as City Girls, Trina, Sukihana, Nicki Minaj, Serena Williams, Lil Uzi Vert and the list goes on! Let’s see how this icon in the making got his start as a wardrobe stylist and costume designer.
Q: Tell us about yourself for those that have been living under a rock
A: I’m a Wardrobe Stylist based out of Miami from Philly. I’ve been professionally styling since 2016/early 2017
Q: When did you realize you wanted to get into the fashion industry
A: Since I was little my mom always kept me in style and dressed well so I always knew I’d be doing something in fashion. Senior year of high school is when you decide what you want to do next so that’s when I really decided what I wanted to do and decided I wanted to move to Miami which is a dream I always had and attend fashion school. He knew Miami wasn’t known for fashion but it was somewhere he always wanted to visit and live and he wanted to be a stylist
Q: We see who your clients are, how did you get into celebrity wardrobe styling
A: When I moved to Miami in 2013 I was a brand ambassador for a coconut water company and while delivering I knew where Trina lived so I decided I would go drop a note off to her place. He didn’t know which apartment number was hers but the front desk let him up since he was a delivery person and the cleaning ladies let him In. He states that when he got into Trina’s place he saw a Diamond Princess rug and it was just so exciting for him, but he knew he shouldn’t be there so he left the note and water and got out of there. Three weeks later a friend of his who was dating Trina’s manager put them in contact and a fitting was set up at her home, he waited three hours at the fitting for her to arrive and when she got there he said the coconut water and the note were still there and after a successful fitting he had her read it, in that moment it was crazy that he manifested what was currently happening.
Q: What’s one of your favorite looks you’ve styled
A: He states that all of his favorite or best looks come from last minute, when he preplans looks they don’t always hit like the ones he has to put together in 30 minutes. For example the look that Glorilla wore for the BET HipHop Awards was never a look that was preplanned, this happen day of the awards because the fitting the night before didn’t go as planned so he came up with her look in 20 minutes. He doesn’t really have a favorite look. He asked my favorite look and I said everything he’s been doing with Yung Miami has been fire and I see the elevation and feel like him and Yung Miami are a match made in fashion heaven. He then spoke about how he started with the City Girls in the beginning of their career the “Fuck Dat Ni**a” (On Quality Control: Control the Streets Vol. 1) and “Where the bag at” (On the Period Mixtape) era and at first Yung Miami didn’t always like her looks that he styled for her and she tried other stylists but never leaving him, in the process he grew and perfected his craft more and now she trusts him and allows him to do his thing.
Q: We see your tagline is what’s the budget, what’s an archive or vintage piece you would love to style a client in
A: Not really something he’s thought about, he’s a big fan of Vintage Chanel, I stated that I could see City Girls in some Mugler because it gives sex symbol, and he agrees he would love some Mugler late 80s and 90s
Q: What inspires you as a wardrobe stylist, to keep thinking of new ideas and looks for clients
A: All of the other top stylists before him like Ty Hunter and his work with Beyoncé and other top stylists. Talks about how at the moment he was shopping for a look for Caresha Please filming that night for Yung Miami to wear with the Jimmy Choo x Timberland Bedazzled booties and his inspiration was Beyoncé and JLO.
Q: We see that you are a wardrobe stylist and Costume Designer (Secret Society 2 on Tubi), do you have a preference between the two roles
A: They’re both very different. He likes costume a little more, he states he’s always preferred more costume like wardrobe over everyday street style which he’s just now getting more into. His strong suit is more on the costume side.
Q: Who inspired you to get into fashion or how you work and do things
A: Major inspiration is Grace Jones. From Ty Hunter he is inspired by his effort and his consistency with his clientele, not climbing from client to client “Its dope when you can roll with one client”. Consistency with Ty Hunter x Beyoncé and Kollin Carter with Cardi B inspires him.
Q: Are you specific about the clientele you take and how do you know if a client is right for you?
A: He states the old him would say the budget “What’s the budget”, he goes off of the budget. He says he’s taken a lot of jobs and it could be anybody but the question is always the budget (very important as a stylist). He’s turned down major jobs because of the budget, with the right budget you get to do so much more and get to be more creative.
Q: If you weren’t a wardrobe stylist and costume designer what would you be doing
A: He states in high school he did marching band and if he would’ve pursued that he wouldn’t be where he is today. His assistant said they could see him doing something involving traveling. I told him I could see him getting paid to be himself like an influencer and opportunities could flow in from there
Q: What do you want to be known for as a wardrobe stylist
A: One that was always consistent, setting trends, someone who was always leveling up, consistent with clients, always keeping up with the latest, never being left behind and being known for having that notoriety and longevity
Q: What’s in store for 2023 (interview was done Dec ‘22)
A: He states he’s an open book and whatever falls into place he’s ready
Clients he’s worked with:
City Girls
Trina
Tommie Lee
Sukihana
Serena Williams
Pleasure P
Nicki Minaj
and many more
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