The Met Gala is just hours away and walking the iconic carpet is the perfect opportunity for a celebrity to celebrate the marriage of art and fashion, be it with a designer dress courtesy of Chanel or at the hands of world-renowned make-up artist Pat McGrath.
In the lead up to sartorial event of the year, which will resume its pre-pandemic schedule to take place on Monday 2 May, celebrities will spend hours in a makeup chair as they have their tresses blow-dried, tousled and pinned into perfectly coifed do's, and layer upon layer of primer, fake tan, and eyeshadow applied to their flawless skin.
Priyanka Chopra, Gigi Hadid, and Rihanna are just a handful of celebrities who have shown exactly how much time, effort, and experts are involved in prepping them for their paparazzi moment on Instagram.
As we all know, with a busy schedule consisting of press tours, interviews, photoshoots and filming, an A-lister can’t be expected to research and source their own gowns.
Instead, that job comes down to their fashion stylists who spend months sitting on the front rows of the most in-demand fashion house shows, jetting across the world to collect bespoke dresses and developing an encyclopaedia-like knowledge of trends.
But just who are these fashion titans behind the most talked-about fashion moments of our generation?
Here’s out round up of the celebrity fashion stylists you need to know.
Elizabeth Saltzman, @elizabethsaltzman
When you’re dressing Oscar-nominated stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Saoirse Ronan, you know the pressure is going to be on. Fortunately for stylist Elizabeth Saltzman, she’s well-accustomed to her wardrobe choices for actors being put under the microscope by fashion critics around the world. Saltzman’s decisions have seen Ronan wear the likes of Emilia Wickstead, Versace, and Cushnie et Ochs - which led the Irish actor to be named as 2018’s best dressed by British Vogue.
Jill Lincoln and Jordan Johnson, @jillandjordan
LA-based styling partners Jill and Jordan first flexed their stylist muscles working under A-list favourite style expert, Rachel Zoe. The pair left in 2014 to develop their consulting and brand development skills, as well as styling for red carpets, editorial and advertising campaigns. Over the years, the pair have helped choose outfits for Jennifer Lawrence, Sandra Oh and Sofia Vergara.
Rebecca Corbin-Murray, @rebeccacorbinmurray
The London-based stylist is one of the most famous British fashion experts working behind the scenes during awards season. Having dressed the likes of Emma Watson, Lily James and Simone Ashley over the years, Corbin-Murray has cemented her name in Hollywood as the go-to stylist for the stars.
Describing what it takes to dress a celebrity for an event, she told Matches Fashion: “You can tell when an actress is on the red carpet and she’s not feeling entirely confident – it’s written in her body language and in her face. So it’s about empowering someone.”
Petra Flannery, @petraflannery
With a client list featuring Amy Adams, Reese Witherspoon and Emilia Clarke, LA-based stylist Petra Flannery has dressed some of the most in-demand style icons in Hollywood. Over the years, the stylist has formed a strong relationship with fashion houses such as Givenchy and Valentino and was the mastermind behind Emma Stone’s glamourous red carpet Givenchy Haunte crystal-embroidered look at the Oscars in 2017.
Erin Walsh, @erinwalshstyle
Styling Sarah Jessica Parker, AKA style icon of the noughties, is no mean feat but one gladly taken on by stylist Walsh. Over the years, the New York City-based stylist has dressed everyone from Kerry Washington to Anne Hathaway l and added new celebrities to her styling list including models Grace Elizabeth and Adriana Lima as well as actors Dove Cameron and Lana Condor. In addition, she’s also styled campaigns for brands such as Hugo Boss, Stuart Weitzman and Avon.
Micaela Erlanger, @micaela
Flying between New York City and Los Angeles on a regular basis, no day is ever the same for Erlanger given her client list includes the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Jared Leto, and Meryl Streep. Having graduated with a degree in Design and Management from Parsons, The New School for Design, the fashion professional immediately began working as a stylist. In 2013, Erlanger opened her own studio and began styling clients under her own name. In 2016, she was awarded the inaugural Marie Claire Image Maker Award.
Kate Young, @kateyoung
The NYC-based stylist is one of the most in-demand of her kind in the fashion industry. Her roots in styling originate from her days working at Vogue under editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, before paving a path of her own as a stylist.
She has been named ‘the most powerful stylist’ by Hollywood Reporter three times, and dresses famous names including Selena Gomez, Margot Robbie, Dakota Johnson and Sienna Miller. She’s also worked as brand consultant for several luxury brands such as Cushnie et Ochs, Mansur Gavriel, and Jason Wu.
Mariel Haenn and Rob Zangardi, @marielhaenn @robzangardi
Two heads are always better than one and this couldn’t be truer than for this styling duo. With a legion of celebrity names added to their styling roster in recent years including Jennifer Lopez (pictured with Zangardi) Rachel McAdams and Lily Collins, the pair have shown a love for brands such as Zuhair Murad, Monique Huillier, and Yves Saint Laurent.
Elizabeth Stewart, @elizabethstewart1
If you’ve always wondered who is behind Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Chastain and Cate Blanchett’s Oscar looks, here’s the answer. The former fashion journalist started out her stylist career when she helped style several magazines for W Magazine (formerly W Europe).
In an interview with Vogue, Stewart revealed she first researches a client’s pictures, and gets them in a room full of clothes. “I don’t like talking about style, I prefer a hands-on approach as I need to see for myself”, she said.
Law Roach, @luxurylaw
California-based Roach is frequently seen as the mastermind behind Celine Dion’s fashion transformation and has worked with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry including Ariana Grande, Zendaya and Halsey.
He began his career at his boutique in Chicago and catapulted when Kanye West happened to walk into the store in 2009. Upon moving to LA, he was introduced to Zendaya who became his first major client and the pair have worked together ever since.
Roach helped create multiple iconic Met Gala over the years and even attended the event with Zendaya, dressed as the actress’ fairy god-mother who lit up her Tommy Hilfiger dress using his magic wand.
Cristina Ehrlich, @cristinaehrlich
If you follow any stylist in the run up to awards season, make sure your first choice is Ehrlich. In previous years, the former professional dancer-turned-stylist has been responsible for Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, Penelope Cruz and Brie Larson’s wardrobe choices. This season, she’s added new stars added to her A-list group in the last year including television screen actors Natasha Lyonne, Laura Dern, and Mandy Moore. The designer is also currently collaboration with jewellery brand Pandora.
