The most creative stylists in Hollywood. Who are they? Who does still have a stylist in 2025? Is a stylist overrated?
In the glamour of Hollywood where the projection of a look has the ability to either make or mar an actor’s image, these stylists are not known but work behind the scene creating the images the audience absorbs. Ever since I was young, I’ve developed an interest in entertainment and fashion industry, which is why the list of fashion’s darkest and brightest compiled by THR was particularly interesting to me because as you will see there is more than meets the eye with these people.
The Fashion Puppet Masters
First of all, nobody wakes up with such a figure, skin or hair, which actually means that behind every celebrity is another team of experts. Every stellar outfit accompanied with a sleek updo and fierce heels could not have possible been executed without freakishly pressing an iron for a furiously sandwiching the dress that costs more than my rent. These modern day sorcerers become personalities of actors and this time of the year more often than not, they do not sleep as they accessorize their favorites clients brighter than Neil Lane diamonds.
What is quite striking is the extent of power that these stylists possess. When Jason Bolden chose that risky vinyl Louis Vuitton gown on Cynthia Erivo for the Wicked premiere, he was merely not selecting a beautiful dress but co-creating a history that created million media hits on the brand. Talk about power moves.
Method Dressing: The New Hollywood Strategy
But one message that is evident from Hollywood’s fashion crew is “method styling;” that is, when a star dresses the part of the character they are promoting in the movie. He pulled this off while dressing Erivo for the Oscars with Wicked , using Elphaba green as the star’s high fashion parade that had a fashion magazine feel to it instead of a costumes look.
Thus, fashion is transformed into a continuation of the advertisement commercial, providing the viewers with an additional reference point to the project. Clever, right?
The Business Behind the Glamour
Here is what many of you do not know: red carpet styling as a career is not as well-paid as it may seem. THR states that stylists are paid between $700 all the way up to $1,500 per single outfit If the stylist is also responsible for the cost of alterations, and the cost of shipping. For what is really a minimum of three days the work, it is just enough to exist in Los Angeles.
The real currency is influence. If Kate Moss wore stockings produced by a particular brand, it would appear that she wore it for her own choice without the brand paying her, they get an EV/EMV of $13 million every time Selena Gomez does the same in Cannes festival. This is why those designers are pressuring some stylists to dress their clients with specially the garments they design — as this is cheaper than advertising.
The Sustainability Shift
I am glad to see that more and more stylists are embracing the idea of sustainability, such as Elizabeth Stewart, who recently popularized wearing outfits that have already been worn by Cate Blanchett. It is quite memorable that Blanchett wore the identical gold dress of Louis Vuitton at Cannes and then the Golden Globe event with a slightly changed beading.
It seems that Stewart is right when she told THR, “I love thinking of sustainability as a creative opportunity, not as a burden,” and that is exactly the sort of outlook the industry so badly requires. In an era where every other celebrity changes outfits within few hours or in a single event, seeing the stars confidently repeat their outfits is refreshing and sets the pace to minimize the “wear once and throw away” trend that fashion has been exposed to for decades.
The Archive Revival
Perhaps the greatest innovation of styling in the Hollywood era has been the trending in use and clinging to old and preserved clothes. Kaia Gerber to looking as stunning in her own version of recreating her mother Cindy Crawford’s white Hervé Léger bandage dress caused by Shell premiere moment, as she recreated her mom’s 1993 moment.
Molly Dickson, the stylist who is responsible for putting Keke Palmer in an off-white Chanel velvet gown that was also worn by Jamie Lee Curtis, said this: “It is complicated now because so many fashion houses are either renewing their creative directors and sometimes we get a feeling they sometimes put clothes out at a pace that is not as fast as how we dress. These changes made me search for archives as the best place for finding truly unique and high-quality items.
When Stars and Stylists Just Click
Not your typical fashion marriages, reader: the best fashionisttate-studded couplings are far more than mere dress Samaritan/rock partnerships. A chemistry between Glen Powell and Warren Alfie Baker is apparent; in his words: ‘Warren and I have such a close relation, and trust that we can experiment with aspects without Eur’s influence.’
Sebastian Stan pursued Michael Fisher for the same reason he had previously worked using his techniques on Short Term 12: “Everything on those guys was effortless and felt connected to who they were.” The esoteric attraction is the one that really becomes great, the one that is always worth looking at.
Beyond the Red Carpet
The most influential stylists have evolved not only to select the dresses. Off the back of toppling the list twice and built the internet-breaking looks for Zendaya as the Challengers, Law Roach came through with his book, styling academy and a Netflix feature, making him as famous as some of his prominent clientele.
In addition to styling, Shiona Turini worked on Cowboy Carter aesthetic with Beyoncé and with her help created not only Levi’s campaign with Beyoncé which equals to 1.3 million Media Impact Value.
The Celebrity Transformation Magic
In my opinion, the most fascinating transformations are those concerning the image makeover of a star. To take Lily Collins for her press tour, Andrew Mukamal steered her away from the colorful glam look that is her character Emily in Paris and brought out classic sophistication.
Similarly, Marc Forné has taken Troye Sivan from relative obscurity and made him a fashion king by giving him creations like the lavender Prada Grammy look drawing from Uma Thurman’s1995 Oscar dress. These are not accidental, these are concepts styled in advance by stylists who know the long-term message.
The Future of Hollywood Styling
As the new social media drastically changes the landscape of things, talents such as Jared Ellner who styles Sabrina Carpenter, and Genesis Webb – the woman behind Chappell Roan’s unforgettable moments, know both the ‘appropriately’, or a viral moment.
It can only be said that the best stylists are those who are careful with some brands but at the same time remain loyal to personal styles, and you don’t get the feeling that everything that is seen is a pure advertizing poster even if it is.
The Final Fitting
Apart from having access to gorgeous gowns, it’s the gift of a stylist that has these qualities, which are reflected in their client, the movie, or culture, thus making lovely clothing that is more than fashion but artistic.
The next time you excitedly double-tap on a rejuvenised red carpet look, there is a stylist who has possibly not slept for three days, has only imbibed coffee and constantly checks his/her social media feed at this point. It might be extreme joyful fun, but at the molecular and sub-atomic level the fashion industry is a matrix of individuals who are lovers of garments and accessories.
