Powerhouse celebrity stylist Karla Welch dresses both Biebers: Justin in boxy Balenciaga suiting for the Grammys and Hailey in Saint Laurent dresses for the Met Gala. She puts Sarah Paulson in Valentino haute couture, Olivia Wilde in Gucci gowns, and Tracee Ellis Ross in Bottega Veneta looks that are still warm from debuting on a Milan runway mere days prior. Out of all those experiences—and across her decades of working with heritage fashion houses and mega-watt stars to create some of the best red carpet moments of all time—Welch's proudest fashion endeavor is a $48 white t-shirt.
In partnership with the philanthropy-driven essentials brand Michael Stars, Welch has released the Karla Tee, a simple short-sleeve crewneck. Ten percent of profits will go to The Period Abundance Foundation, an organization Welch co-founded to end global period poverty.
"The humble white t-shirt is so much more iconic than any red carpet look," she says on a video call, and the semi-fitted Karla Tee made of 100-percent brushed cotton is "perfect." The stylist certainly knows what white tee perfection looks like, considering she's spent about eight years pursuing it.
"The origin story for me and white tees is that I needed them for Justin [Bieber, who Welch has worked with since 2011]. When I couldn't find the right ones, I realized we could make them." So, Welch cut up a bunch of XL Hanes tees and Frankensteined them back together using her own pattern. The end results (which Bieber wore throughout his 2016 Purpose tour) led to Welch launching a collaborative line, x Karla, and later teaming up with Hanes directly for a seven-shirt collection.
Now, Welch is once again iterating on the age-old wardrobe basic through her Michael Stars collaboration. But it's the philanthropic cause that gratifies her the most: "I actually feel like everything I've done in my career has gotten me to this moment and that this is the work I'm meant to be doing. [Styling] has given me a platform and people who can amplify the messages I want to send," she says. "A lot of my clients are very, very excited to get their [Karla] T-shirts for a very good cause."
I actually feel like everything I've done in my career has gotten me to this moment and that this is the work I'm meant to be doing.
Karla Welch
The Karla Tee is available now on MichaelStars.com for $48 in sizes small to XL. While Marie Claire's chat with Welch primarily focused on her newly launched, quintessentially classic white tee, the stylist also touched on her illustrious career, a genius bit of advice from Justin Bieber himself, and how being a "crazy Virgo" gives her a killer eye for detail.
A Valuable Fashion Lesson: I've probably learned the most from Justin because he is just fearless. He reminds me not to care and that fashion is fun. You wear your clothes and then tomorrow's a fresh day. Monday’s outfit doesn't matter on Tuesday.
That willingness to express yourself how you want to and say, ‘Oh, who cares if someone has something to say about it? I learned a lot of that from Justin. Other people's taste is subjective, so how do you feel about yourself [is what matters]. It's literally just clothes’. A critic is someone who knows the way but doesn't know how to drive the car. I’d rather drive the car.
Finding A Fashion Identity: If people aren't sure what their style is, there should be no problem with looking at others and being inspired and taking little bits and pieces. Again, [style] is not that precious. Shop your closet, and have fun. Put a little bit of energy into it. We often fear putting energy into fashion but planning your looks is fun. It's a form of self-care, too. And if there’s a day you want to wear your sweatpants, go for it. Just put a nice trench over the top.
The Role of Celebrity Stylist: It's an interesting balance because, as a stylist, you're still working, right? You're still the lady in waiting, zipping up the dress. But I look at all my clients as partnerships. What can I bring to the table? If that means bringing a deal to the table, then I'm entitled to part of it. [Stylists] have been power brokers for many, many years. My relationships with fashion houses are probably bigger and more significant than those of an agent or manager. [Being a celeb stylist now is] much more organic and community-based, which is exciting.
On Addressing Period Poverty: About 1.8 billion people menstruate each month, roughly 26% of the global population. This means that about 800 million people are menstruating at any given time. There's not a lot we can agree on—especially in the United States right now—but I think we can agree that no one should go without period products. The statistics about period poverty are shocking: one in four people in the United States and globally go without products.
If someone can't wrap their head around that, think about what would happen to you personally if, for one day, you didn't have your tampon, cup, period underwear, or a pad. Think about your heaviest day and having to go through that every single month, five days of the month. What would happen to your life? What would happen to your dignity? It's no pun intended, but it's a continual cycle of dread every month that holds you back. You lose autonomy over your own body. It's a system designed to keep women and girls down. Our mission at the Period Abundance Foundation and the Period Company is to change that. The baseline we give somebody is dignity to have care for their own bodies. But we know it’s more than that; economic standings in homes and communities increase, women are able to provide for their families, and girls stay in school longer with accessible period care.
And Doing Something About It: Our main focus is ensuring people are cared for. Many organizations deal with stigma, which is a huge, important thing to talk about. But I think it's a joke if we're not actually providing products to people who need them. Like, ‘Oh, let's talk about your period stigma, but allow you to go month after month without products.’ It's time to stop talking and do the walking, for lack of a better saying. We're operating on many, many different levels, but the main things we operate on are impact and purpose.
On Making a Difference: You combat the gray and the gloominess [of the world] by serving your community. That's really the point of our conversation: it doesn't matter what you wear; it's about what you do. We're talking about periods and how to be creative and impact change. If someone wants not to feel gloomy, get activated in your community, look at your own skill sets, and learn and listen. Show your impact by being involved.
[The collections] I’ve done throughout my career have all been tied to a social justice cause, from gun safety to Black Lives Matter to period poverty. It's my way of flexing my creativity and artistic [vision] of what I want to see in the world while amplifying and funding meaningful impact. I'm not perfect. I don't have [all of the] talking points. I say 'like' too many times. But I'm involved.
