A day in the life of Pau Avia

Pau Avia is 27. A freelance stylist, he works with magazines such as Vogue, Hercules, Assistant and I-D France, but also brands, amongst which AMI. We met him at his flat in Paris’ 9th arrondissement, to talk work, breakfast habits, and his favourite way to get around in the French capital.

Pau has been a stylist for 6 years. After studying translation he started working for V Magazine in Spain where he interviewed artists and wrote about festivals and cultural events until he was given the opportunity to cover fashion shows. “Shortly after that I was asked to style a fashion shoot”. He never looked back, and now mostly works in male fashion. “I have a very particular vision of femininity, probably because I come from a very hot and sexy area in Spain, and it’s therefore quite a contrast with the Parisian casualness”.

Pau is originally from Alicante, in Spain. He moved to Paris for good in 2011, after a short stint in the city in 2008: “I had to return home to finish school”, he tells us today. When he did end up coming back to Paris, he had a very specific goal in mind. He wanted to work in the fashion industry. “I’m rather stubborn, so that gave me all the motivation I needed”. He first worked for Margiela’s Press Office, then GQ France, before going freelance. “The struggle is an integral part of the process in this line of work: I believe that working extra hard is crucial when you’re starting out”, he tells us in hindsight.

Moving to Paris was self-evident: “it’s like football. I came here to compete in the Premier League”. Which doesn’t mean the city is always an easy place to live in, as the Spaniard admits: “people here tend to be a bit glum and not very friendly”. A situation only emphasised when compared to his place of birth on the Mediterranean coast. “It’s a city where the weather is warm all year long, radically different from Paris”.

After having lived in Paris’ 10th, 20th, and 16th arrondissements, he moved to the flat where he is hosting us 3 years ago. Today Pau admits renting the flat was a gamble: “the rent was much more than I could afford at the time, but it was the best incentive to work hard: I had to, to deserve it”. He shares the flat with a close friend who is a dentist. “We very rarely speak about fashion, which is nice, because I often feel the need for a break”.

Don’t question the fact that the man is passionate about his job, though. A single glance at the impressive collection of magazines in his flat is enough to confirm this. “I’d say I have about 500 here. Fantastic Man, Vogue, LOVE Magazine for the most part. But I have even more stashed at my parents’, at least 2000 more issues.” He spends time on eBay or Alibaba tracking down, buying and collecting back issues of Dutch Magazine, The Face, but also Emporio Armani Magazine or, obviously, Vogue. “I use them as inspiration sometimes, although I’m mostly inspired by movies - from Pasolini to Almodovar - or photography books. I can find inspiration everywhere, but photo essays are particularly potent”. Pau has a very simple explanation for his magazine addiction: “I collect anything that is printed on paper, it’s an illness”.

Pau is also passionate about dancing. He danced for many years before having to give up due to an injury. “To compensate I’ve got into the habit of regularly working out”. He hits the gym 2 to 3 times a week - before heading to work - where he mostly focuses on strength building. “I don’t really need to do too much cardio as I only ever travel by bike in Paris”. Only by bike? “Yes, even when it rains. I only avoid cycling when the pollution levels are too high. I hate taking the metro, everyone looks sad, I need to start off the day on a positive note”. An habit that forces him to cleanse his face every night.

One could imagine that when fashion styling is your job, getting dressed in the morning is a crucial (and sometimes tedious) part of the day. Not necessarily, according to Pau. “Getting dressed never takes me longer than 15 minutes”. It should be noted though, that Pau has a uniform of sorts: “it’s very important to have an outfit that suits you and enables you to work comfortably. We spend entire days standing up, we’re very often on the go, in these conditions, overdressing is a bad idea”.

Therefore, Pau’s morning routine is like a well-oiled machine: “I get up around 7am, after having slept approximately 6 hours, and shower straight away. This is followed by a three-part breakfast - always the same one - which I prepare in my bathrobe”. Freshly-squeezed orange juice with honey or royal jelly, coffee (sometimes with a dash of rice or almond milk), followed by toast with avocado or olive oil and tomato. He finishes the meal off with a bowl of yogurt with granola and fruit: “a pear, an apple, a banana, whatever happens to be lying around in the kitchen”. A hearty but balanced menu.

He then makes his way to the office, at Place du Palais Bourbon, in the Condé Nast International building. “I get to work between 10 and 10.30am, and read mainstream media, from Le Monde to the NYT - it’s a strange environment I work in, so it’s important to stay in touch with real life events”. His work rhythm is intense: “it’s not your usual 9 to 5, Monday to Friday job. You need to have lots of energy”, he tells us. “You’re constantly under pressure. The hardest part of this industry is not managing to set foot in it, but actually being able to stay”. According to Pau, the secret to achieving this is simple: “a good portfolio is a balance of independent and more mainstream magazines. You obviously need to have a commercial approach, but without compromising on your unique vision: there is room for all the people who bring a strong aesthetic approach, much less so for those who simply follow trends”.

Being a fashion stylist requires a certain level of fitness to help power through long days on photo shoots as well as regular business trips and fashion weeks throughout the world. “There are work trips on a monthly basis, with really big trips to South America, Asia or the US every other month”, he explains. “I always travel with the same items packed in a small Muji kit: a few chamomile tablets, a moisturising cream, Ravensara essential oil which I apply to my wrists to relax, a sleep mask, a toothbrush, and a pill to help me sleep”. Essentials he won’t travel without.

What about fashion weeks, then? “Even outside of fashion weeks, the nature of the job requires meeting people, travelling, going out, sharing dinners, lunches and breakfasts with people”. During fashion weeks, the rhythm of shows and after-parties is cranked up a notch. “I have to choose. I attend the shows I’m really interested in, I can’t be everywhere. And the same goes for parties. If I have to see someone, I’ll swing by, but you won’t see me drinking until 6am”. Valuable advice from someone who is used to short nights. “If you party all the time, there’s no way you won’t end up exhausted”.

This is also a reflexion of Pau’s obsession for organisation and coordination: “I’m not as patient as I used to be, which annoys my mother when I’m back in Spain, but it’s entirely my line of work’s fault”. According to him, perfect organisation is crucial, should you want to stay in control of things and not be very quickly snowed under.

Pau is organised down to a tee: he follows the path he set himself on 6 years ago, always in control, like a proper Premier League contender.

Photos : Louis Muller