Designer garments were prepped and packed. Shoes and accessories were organized in suitcases. Jessica Paster had everything ready to go for her longtime client Emily Blunts jam-packed A Quiet Place II press tour when the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a national emergency on March 13. Instead of jetting off to London for the U.K. premiere, she stayed back in Los Angeles to quarantine as all her future engagements and bookings were called off.

Soon enough, Paster who has been a fashion stylist for 24 years and works with high-profile actresses such as Blunt, Dakota Fanning, Felicity Jones, Freida Pinto and Olivia Munn had to figure out a way to make ends meet amid Hollywoods production closures and red carpet cancellations . That task seemed a bit daunting. Would she be dressing clients for virtual press appearances? Should she still move forward with plans for big events like the Met Ball? And what about her employees? How would she keep her team going without their usual crammed schedule?

She met with her assistants and let them know that theyd have to shut down for six weeks, but would be on to organize two days a week at a lower day rate. By the second week of April, Paster realized the lockdown would last much longer than originally predicted. Practicing social distancing rules and wearing a mask and gloves, she began personal shopping and parsing through the closets of paying celebrities and non-celebrities to keep herself and her employees afloat.

I needed to figure out a way to support myself and pay my bills because Im still waiting for my unemployment, she said. I still havent gotten a phone call or letter and Im not holding my breath. I feel like both the state of California and the United States of America have failed me.