MTV stylist Allison Pigden shuffles her size six Steve Madden flats as she anxiously waits in line at French Connection United Kingdom. The store is full of beautiful pieces; full of color and flare, but the black strapless one-piece in her hands is the only one that has her attention.
“This is a final sale item, no returns is that ok?” the sales clerk behind the desk says to Pigden, it is obvious these were not words she wanted to hear.
“MTV Canada is starting up an online magazine featuring Dan [Levy] and Jesse [Cruickshank] and I am in charge of doing the ‘looks for less’ page and my own fashion section, that black jumper was perfect for one of Jesse’s looks,’” she says with disappointment as she walks out of the store empty handed.
Pigden doesn’t dwell, instead she races off to Zara, a red folder of looks in one hand and a Holt Renfrew bag in the other. There she decides on a pair of black heels for Jesse, and a suit, tie and belt for Daryn Jones.
“I style for all of the VJ’s but mostly Daryn, I choose his clothes every morning, steam them, and hang them, so they are ready for the show that night,” she says waiting for another clerk.
As she is standing in Zara she begins to lower her voice to almost a whisper, never daring to say the word “stylist”. Leaving Zara and walking toward BeBe she explains that she is very careful when speaking about her job while in stores.
“If sales clerks find out I’m a stylist they’re on me like a hawk,” she says.
However, its Pigden’s optimistic attitude and connections that got her where she is today.
“Things have a way of working out when you’re not trying,” she explained, talking about how she ended up landing the job of her dreams
Originally from Winnipeg, MB, Pigden graduated from Ryerson University School of Fashion Communication and Design and was working at a Public Relations agency. Realizing this was not the career meant for her, she resigned. She began bartending at Milestones restaurant, while holding down an internship at Flare Magazine.
During this time a friend mentioned MTV was looking for a wardrobe assistant, Pigden jumped on the opportunity and managed to get an interview.
“My interview was on a Wednesday, I was hired by Friday, and I started Monday,” she explained, “ I was so excited about it that the whole first week I couldn’t sleep, I just wanted to go to work all the time.”
At age 23, Pigden is already styling for shows like “The After show” featuring Dan Levy and Jesse Cruickshank, as well as MTV LIVE which features esteemed comedian Daryn Jones and former member of the musical group X-quisite, Nicole Holness.
Entering BeBe, Pigden is greeted by her co-worker and friend, Nicole Holness, who is asking her opinion on a white, quilted-leather heart-shaped bag and change purse. With the store already mapped out, Holness drags Pigden in the direction of another all-black one-piece jumper, just like the one Pigden had almost bought from French Connection United Kingdom.
Pigden puts the jumper behind the cash desk and darts towards a set of diamond bangles nearly hidden from sight amongst other jewelry.
“I need bangles for Jesse,” she says under her breath, opening the red folder now revealing photos from Dan and Jesse’s recent photo shoot.
“I need to get the ‘looks for less’ these outfits are all from Holt’s [Holt Renfrew] … this vintage Yves St. Laurent dress was $4000,” she explains, placing the set of diamond studded bangles on the cash desk to accompany the jumper.
Although some of her days are consumed with shopping and pulling looks for future events, Pigden says that much of her week is spent in an office setting, a bit secluded from the rest of the MTV environment.
“I am friends with everyone at MTV but a lot of the time I am kind of just doing my own thing so its hard to become great friends with every single new intern that comes in,” she says.
As Pigden heads to Aldo, the final stop of the day, passersby cant help but stare at this determined little stylist, nearly being overwhelmed with excessive amounts of shopping baggage.
“I need to return a pair of shoes for Jesse, and then have a new pair sent to her hotel in Vancouver,” Pigden says, as she explains how most of the MTV cast is there covering the Olympics.
Having one of the most envied jobs in Toronto, Pigden likes to keep a fairly low profile in terms of her career. However, sometimes, she can’t help but find simple pleasures in her successes
“I love seeing old professors, who can’t even remember my name, and when they ask what I’m doing now, I get to say ‘I am the stylist for MTV.”
