The following is my insight and perception as a professional stylist and is subjective to my position and role.
Not every stylist approaches deviating from an artist’s public image and persona the same way, so there’s always the possibility of me being off the mark or extremely on point with the way I see this.
I’ve always made it quite clear to my clients that if they ever feel like their current style is going stale or they wish to change it up, to let me know and never allow themselves to become complacent. (Complacency = social/public death in regards to style). Once it has been brought to attention we can then sound off whether it is best to spruce up their look while maintaining the original framework, or to overhaul the whole kit and break away from it entirely.
While I do hold the authority on what is and is not agreeable with a client’s style trajectory and evolution, I do not often flex it unnecessarily. I’d rather remain open and hear any ideas they have since it is their image I’m creating. Similarly, I go in for this same treatment when I have an idea or want to make an adjustment to their style and try to gain their cooperation before implementing a change. It allows for a more sincere style to emerge when everyone is aware and on board, and also lends goodwill to our relationship. This proves especially true with clients that have an interest and actively engage with fashion. Staying up to date on trends and placing preference in certain brands can help them take hold of how they want to be seen, which actually makes my own job much easier. Accommodating the client is a key principle in the stylist playbook and can make or break the tone of your working together.
I think it also worth noting two truths of this line of work to give some context. The first is that genderless/fluid identity/androgyny is a rising star of fashion. The second is that despite the steady interest androgyny is building, a large percentage of the fashion world still views it very critically and not all too favorably. Fashion tends to be counterintuitive in this way quite often, unfortunately. This is a matter of the internal politics involved in the fashion and style industry, most of which center around the matter of andro fashion relieving style of it’s conceptualized gender roles which threatens the marketability of fem/masc fashion. High fashion remains an exclusive luxury and privilege because it inflates capital consumerism. Fashion becoming inclusive and expansive would slash prices and marketing value within a large margin. (There’s also some scrutiny of how beauty standards would fall apart since the industry adheres to slim, white, cis ideals more often than not).
Finally, with consideration of the climate of fashion’s reluctance to fully engage with andro styles and the rapport between stylist and client, it would be a mistake to think Yibo didn’t have a say in assimilating the so-called “yender” style he has been wearing frequently. He’s knowledgeable of fashion and has stated in many interviews he prefers to utilize the core of fashion for what it is - expression and attitude.
I do recall that he said it was the suggestion of his stylist to start wearing womenswear designed jackets due to his bodily proportions, but there’s no way of knowing with certainty that he’s not included in the decision making process. From my perspective it would make more sense for him to be involved than be sidelined.