Hollywood’s Top 25 Stylists: The Image Makers Behind Cardi B, Emma Stone, Hunter Schafer, Jenna Ortega and Demi Moore
It’s been a year — one in which Barbie pink dominated fashion, the box office and the Oscar red carpet, notably on America Ferrera, who glittered in a custom Atelier Versace sheath, courtesy of stylist Karla Welch. Lest we forget, a side effect of the SAG-AFTRA strike was red carpets being rolled up for four months — but not before Cardi B shut down the Met Ball in Chenpeng and Oppenheimer star Emily Blunt hit the London premiere (an hour early, so the cast could attend before the strike began) in Alexander McQueen, as selected by Jessica Paster. Post-strike, stars like Hunter Schafer, decked out in ethereal Prada as styled by Dara, came back shining more brightly than ever at the Golden Globes. And who doesn’t love a Hollywood icon comeback? The fashion world trumpeted Demi Moore, who wore a Balmain swan as procured by Brad Goreski to the Feud: Capote vs. The Swans’ NYC premiere. Driving the avant-garde menswear moments were Rustin’s Colman Domingo and Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan, with their respective stylists Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald, and Ilaria Urbinati. Back at the Oscars, the ultimate Hollywood stylist mic drop happened — and we’re not talking about Poor Things’ Emma Stone accepting her best actress trophy in Louis Vuitton (flawless except for a slight wardrobe malfunction), the genius of Petra Flannery. “I want to thank my stylist in case no one else does,” said Robert Downey Jr. of Erica Cloud in his best actor acceptance speech. Granted, the acknowledgement was a button on a running gag rebelling against the speech police. Regardless, in a year of style and strife, these 25 tastemakers are more deserving than ever.
Warren Alfie Baker
Clients: Glen Powell, Andrew Scott, Dominic Sessa
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“Andrew loves color, and we wanted to play in the yellow world, as it’s not often seen on the red carpet,” says Baker of All of Us Strangers star Scott’s pastel Etro at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. “We experimented with an ’80s-style cropped blazer and a clean pant, but a sheer shirt. It felt masculine with a quirky touch.” Baker, who has been working with the Irish actor for the past year, adds, “We love a U.K. pop reference, too, so give us a little Jason Donovan or Rick Astley.” For longtime client Powell, the stylist sticks to classic tailoring, such as a tobacco brown Brioni suit sans tie at the SAG Awards. “We like to keep the leading Hollywood actor feel,” he says of Powell, who soon will be promoting Netflix’s Hit Man (out in June) and Twisters (in theaters in July). “It was effortless sexy.”
Wayman Bannerman & Micah McDonald
Clients: Colman Domingo, Da’Vine Joy Randolph
“We wanted to show that menswear on the red carpet can be just as exciting,” says Bannerman of the duo’s approach to dressing Rustin star Domingo in statement-making Louis Vuitton, Valentino and Off-White (they also outfitted Oscar winner Randolph). Says Domingo, “I wanted to craft a leading man that was effortlessly sartorial, masculine, well-tailored, luxurious and playful.” One such moment was a gold lurex velvet coat that the actor wore to the Critics’ Choice Awards. “I felt like royalty, the love child of Teddy Pendergrass and Chaka Khan,” says the Oscar nominee, who is in production on the biopic Michael. A bejeweled Balmain coat and sheer top for Vanity Fair’s Oscar party was “a little Jackson family-inspired,” says Domingo.
Jason Bolden
Clients: Nicole Kidman, Michael B. Jordan, Alicia Keys
“It’s a very new relationship — we met on a shoot,” says the veteran stylist of Kidman. “Nicole made me laugh the entire time and gave me great parenting advice.” Adds Bolden, who has dressed the Expats star in Balenciaga and Atelier Versace, “Nicole is the OG cool girl — the style is easy and fresh.” For an Australian screening of the Amazon miniseries, Bolden chose a beautifully draped Fendi Couture gown in just the right shade of nude jersey. “[We were] thinking about the weather in Sydney,” recalls Bolden, who is gearing up for Cynthia Erivo’s Wicked release. He offered a glimpse of Erivo’s character Elphaba, dressing the Oscar presenter in an emerald green Louis Vuitton leather dress and matching ruffled bolero jacket.
Kollin Carter
Clients: Cardi B, Victoria Monét
At last spring’s Met Ball honoring Karl Lagerfeld in New York City, Cardi B won the night in not one but four different looks. The showstopper was a quilted leather ball gown by young Chinese designer Chenpeng. “Karl Lagerfeld was such a force, so I wanted to pay tribute to him but also incorporate elements of Chanel, one of Cardi’s favorite houses,” says Carter, who has worked with the rapper since 2017. The gown took 300 atelier hours to make and featured more than 600 oversize camellia blooms. Cardi B completed the look with sleek gray hair and a black necktie, a Lagerfeld signature. Carter says the duo’s most iconic moment was her feathered Thom Browne at the 2019 Met Ball. “That look broke Cardi B into the next level of the fashion world. People who didn’t take us seriously were like, ‘OK, they’re here to stay.’ ” Says Cardi B: “There are so many obstacles against us. For example, this body is not meant for a size 2. I’m very hips, ass, and that’s me. It was not easy, but we make it look easy. Our door was closed many times … but we’re here because we do it well. I’m not going to be humble about it.” Carter opines on their influence: “We’ve given look after look, year after year, we’ve reached into archives that are impossible to reach into. We caused a cultural shift. I don’t think there were many women like Cardi who existed in the fashion space. Now there are a ton of other rap females who aspire to be in that space because they see what’s possible. We set trends.”
Joseph Cassell Falconer
Client: Taylor Swift
The Los Angeles-based stylist had an epic year with his longtime client Taylor Swift, wardrobing the singer in crystal-embellished Versace bodysuits with matching Christian Louboutin boots and dramatic gowns for her Eras Tour. The album of the year Grammy winner’s Schiaparelli Haute Couture and Lorraine Schwartz jewels — totaling 300 carats — caused online searches for “corset dress” and “watch necklace” to skyrocket 213 percent and 545 percent, respectively, according to Google search data. Swift also drove searches for all things red in 2024, whether lipstick or Kansas City Chiefs merch. She reportedly boosted the Chiefs’ value by $331.5 million, per an Apex study.
Leith Clark
Clients: Rosamund Pike, Keira Knightley
After months without red carpets, a fashion star emerged at the Golden Globes. British actress Rosamund Pike, nominated for her role as the bloodless matriarch in Saltburn, stepped out in Dior Fall 2019 couture. Pike’s black tea-length dress, with a lace appliqué Philip Treacy headpiece, would have made her character Elspeth Catton proud. Clark says “Elspeth’s funeral” was the inspiration. “Elspeth had to be in the room for it all, so to speak, and we had to make sure she’d be happy,” says Clark, who has known Pike for 15 years but only started styling her around the holidays. The pair followed up Pike’s Globes look with equally chic Erdem, Rodarte and Simone Rocha dresses.
Erica Cloud
Clients: Robert Downey Jr., Awkwafina
She has bragging rights for life thanks to her client and Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr., who acknowledged the L.A. stylist in his best actor acceptance speech. “It was pretty surreal — a career highlight that I’m still in shock over,” says Cloud. “I’ve been working with Robert for just over a year now, taking the reins from the incredible Jeanne Yang. We both love a monochromatic theme as well as fine-tuning accessories; he has established his trademark eyewear and footwear over the years.” The moment included Downey in custom all-black Saint Laurent with an Elsa Peretti Amapola lapel pin. “We did a rope bolo tie instead of classic neckwear. I loved the tonal, black poppy brooch,” says Cloud. “It felt sleek, cool and not too serious.” For a pre-Oscar party, Downey and his producer wife, Susan Downey, channeled Mick and Bianca Jagger in black-and-white Saint Laurent suits. “It was inspired by Bianca’s 30th birthday party at Studio 54,” says Cloud. With a reverse colorway for Susan, “she was the yin to his yang.”
Rebecca Corbin-Murray
Clients: Florence Pugh, Salma Hayek
The British stylist continued her winning Valentino streak with Florence Pugh. “We’ve been together since 2018. Florence’s style is wonderfully eclectic and playful. She brings an elegance and self-possession to the red carpet with a touch of irreverence,” says Corbin-Murray of the Dune: Part Two star, who donned a custom hooded sequin gown at the film’s London premiere. “It was a nod toward her character, Princess Irulan, befitting for a galactic empress,” says Corbin-Murray. “It’s always fun to bring an element of method dressing, an accessory, a silhouette, a beauty moment.” Pugh went viral when she stepped out at the Met Ball in a sweeping white dress and feathered headpiece by Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli: “Florence had to buzz her hair for a role, and we managed to keep it under wraps until she was seen with a fabulously regal headpiece!”
Dara
Client: Hunter Schafer
“We’re conjuring emotion and mood through fabric and material with life as a stage. It’s about the alignment of the occasion, location and look, just like I do when I create images for magazines,” says the Interview fashion director of her collaboration with Hunter Schafer, who adds, “We’re almost always on the same page without even trying. Dara has this dense encyclopedia of references in her head and knows how to apply them to whatever she’s doing in this really effortless way.” The pair met nearly seven years ago but didn’t start working together until the fall, timed to The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. “The response to our very first look — a Schiaparelli dress made of painted brush strokes — was pretty special,” says Dara of the actress’ dress at the Berlin premiere. “It was one of the first premieres after the strike. There was a craving for showbiz, story and surprise.” The Euphoria actress’ Prada goddess gown at the Golden Globes also garnered rave reviews. “Mother Nature was in our favor that night,” recalls Dara. “Once we got out of the car, the wind picked up the fabric and made the silk dance around in the sky around her.”
Molly Dickson
Clients: Sydney Sweeney, Lana Del Rey
“We did 20 looks between all the press and premieres in the span of four days. It was as crazy as it sounds,” says Dickson of the promo tour for Anyone But You with star and executive producer Sweeney. “It was Sydney’s first big film hitting theaters, and being that it was a rom-com, we wanted it to be feminine and sexy, but still elevated.” Sweeney’s custom nude Miu Miu dress with crystal embellishments at the New York premiere delivered “Old Hollywood glam” but with a “fresh, cool twist,” says Dickson. Another bombshell moment — an ivory Grecian-inspired sheer dress at the Australian premiere — clocked 22.2 million views for a Reel on Sweeney’s Instagram.
Petra Flannery
Clients: Emma Stone, Zoe Salda?a
The L.A. stylist and her client of 17 years, Stone, agree that their final Louis Vuitton look was the best one of trophy season. “Emma made history in it, winning an Oscar, and she showed grace and elegance when it came to a now-famous wardrobe malfunction,” says Flannery of the Poor Things best actress winner’s mint green peplum gown. “I made a big deal about busting the zipper, but it really was my fault,” says Stone. “I would have busted the most industrial zipper on the planet during ‘I’m Just Ken.’ ” The pair drew inspiration from Stone’s character Bella Baxter with statement sleeves, crystals, pearls and sherbet shades. “Visually, the film had so much to offer,” says Flannery of the movie that garnered four Oscars. “I loved Petra’s idea with Louis Vuitton to create a bunch of pins for Bella Baxter,” adds the actress, “which I wore on a lot of the looks, as did Yorgos [Lanthimos] on his suits.”
Danielle Goldberg
Clients: Ayo Edebiri, Greta Lee, Olivia Rodrigo
The New York-based Vogue and T Magazine alum keeps Hollywood’s fashion “It” girls looking effortlessly cool, which seems only natural as she used to style Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and The Row campaigns. Goldberg juggled Past Lives star Lee and The Bear Emmy winner Edebiri for awards season. A standout was Loewe ambassador Lee in a draped white shirtdress at the BAFTA Tea Party in Beverly Hills, a perfect example of Goldberg’s minimalist touch. The stylist is also behind Kaia Gerber’s Celine looks and Rodrigo’s archival Versace.
Brad Goreski
Clients: Demi Moore, Kaley Cuoco
The TV personality and stylist got an early start as an assistant on The Rachel Zoe Project, which is where he met Moore. “I’ve been working with Demi since 2008. I think what we do together is sophisticated and sexy. She has an impressive knowledge of fashion history, which makes dressing her fun,” says Goreski. “She’s an icon.” For Moore’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans premiere in New York City, the invite called for black-and-white chic inspired by Truman Capote’s 1966 masquerade ball. “The Balmain swan dress was too perfect. I showed it to Demi at the fitting and she fell in love with it,” says Goreski, who embellished the look with Cartier jewels. “I could tell she felt beautiful and powerful.” Adds Moore, “I think the dress speaks for itself — it was fun, playful and yet elegant.” During the strike, the pair attended fashion shows in Sweden, Milan and Paris. “It was nice to continue creating chic looks with her,” says Goreski. Moore is enthusiastic about future impactful looks: “No one does it like Ryan Murphy! For now, I am excited to be stepping into Landman with Taylor Sheridan!”
Samantha McMillen
Clients: Charles Melton, Brie Larson
The stylist behind the looks that aided the meteoric rise of internet boyfriend Melton, McMillen also created Larson’s press ’fits. “We were trying modern takes on the 1950s and early 1960s silhouettes, as Lessons in Chemistry was set in that era,” says McMillen. “We did a Grace Kelly with Prada for the Globes, and the Critics Choice look was an updated Audrey Hepburn, also by Prada.” The standout was Larson’s sexy, ab-baring Versace at the SAG Awards, a take on the 1950s sweater set and full-skirt look. “We’d seen a shoot with Claudia Schiffer in a Versace pink sweater and silk full skirt” in a 1994 Vogue, says McMillen, who also works with Elle Fanning. “Donatella and the team reimagined it in a new way for Brie.”
Enrique Melendez
Client: Jenna Ortega
The star of Netflix’s Wednesday tends to lean into her alter ego’s Gothic style, but for the Emmys, Ortega and her longtime stylist ripped up their own playbook. “It was a Dior dress that I’d had my eye on for months, but it was part of an exhibit,” says Melendez of the anti-Wednesday delicate, pastel floral-embroidered frock. Luckily, Dior was able to track it down and deliver it days before the show to the comedy lead actress nominee. The ultra-femme dress generated $5.6 million in media impact value on the Dior ambassador, as reported by THR. Up ahead, Melendez can’t wait to delve back into the world of Tim Burton: “I’m super excited for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice with Jenna.” The sequel to the 1988 movie is slated for September.
Jamie Mizrahi
Clients: Jennifer Lawrence, Adele, Jeremy Allen White
The look might be quiet luxe, but the overhaul of Lawrence’s wardrobe in the past year has been anything but shy. A heavy rotation of chic essentials by The Row (white tees, wide-leg trousers, trench coats), coupled with Dior for the carpet and minimal jewelry allowed Lawrence’s effortless style to shine through. “There has been a consciousness to peel back and push forward in ways that feel high-fashion and intentional,” says Mizrahi. “My favorite look was Jen in the red Dior at Cannes,” she says of the crepe silk gown and wrap that the actress wore to the Bread and Roses premiere. “I also loved her gray street style outfit where she was wearing The Row and Elsa Peretti.”
THR’s Stylist of the Year: Andrew Mukamal
Clients: Margot Robbie, Billie Eilish, Carey Mulligan
A pink wave dominated last summer when Greta Gerwig’s Barbie pulled in $1.45 billion and Barbiecore emerged as the biggest fashion trend of 2023. For the film’s global media blitz, Robbie and her new stylist drew inspiration from the iconic doll to great acclaim, whether a 2015 “Pink & Fabulous” Barbie (polka-dot Versace) or a 1992 “Totally Hair” Barbie (swirly Pucci). “Margot leaned into all the fun referential Barbie looks,” says Mukamal, THR’s stylist of the year. A surprise was a black sequin Schiaparelli dress with a voluminous tulle hem, inspired by 1960 “Solo in the Spotlight” Barbie, that the lead actress and producer wore to the film’s Hollywood premiere. “I felt it would be exciting and unexpected for Margot to not wear pink, after we had been embracing Barbie’s signature color for almost all other appearances,” says Mukamal, who just feted the launch of his new Rizzoli book Barbie: The World Tour (co-authored with Robbie). “Manolo Blahnik designed us the perfect Barbie mule, which we then made in a dozen colors.” The stylist also garnered raves for Maestro’s Mulligan, whom he outfitted in elegant looks inspired by her portrayal of Felicia Montealegre and the golden age of couture. The Oscar nominee’s re-creation of a 1951 Cristobal Balenciaga Flamencos gown stole the night. “We were so thrilled that Balenciaga agreed to re-create it — truly one of my favorite gowns from fashion history,” says Mukamal. “When I discovered her character married Leonard Bernstein in 1951, I knew it was meant to be.”
Jessica Paster
Clients: Emily Blunt, Quinta Brunson
The red carpet veteran isn’t averse to risk: “I’ve had three polarizing looks, with three different clients, this awards season,” says Paster. Abbott Elementary’s Brunson in “intentionally wrinkled” Dior velvet and The White Lotus’ Aubrey Plaza in a yellow “Post-it Note” Loewe dress (it sparked hilarious memes) at the Emmys both landed on love-it-or-hate-it polls, while Oppenheimer nominee Blunt’s shimmery Schiaparelli at the Oscars started a lively conversation around its elevated straps. “Who would have known levitating shoulder straps would cause such a furor?” says Blunt. “I’ll be honest, it delighted me. We knew when that work of art walked the runway and stopped my heart that we would have some people come swinging, but that’s maybe what I adored so much about it.” Paster and Blunt, who’ve been collaborating for 18 years, also served up attention-grabbing red for the star’s stellar Oppenheimer run, including a wow moment with crimson Armani Privé sequins and Tiffany & Co. jewels for the Critics Choice Awards. But expect a different look for Blunt’s next venture: “I love for the style on a press tour to have an essence of the movie. If The Fall Guy is our love letter to our incredible stunt performers and crews, then I love the idea of a more casual embrace. Mainly because I’ll get to wear sneakers most of the press tour.”
Law Roach
Client: Zendaya
The fashion trailblazer, THR’s stylist of the year for 2021 and 2022, continues to work with Zendaya despite his decision to retire from red carpet styling last March. “I guess I’m not fully retired,” says Roach, who dressed the Dune: Part Two star in internet-shattering vintage Thierry Mugler at the London premiere: “Zendaya’s Mugler robot moment made history,” says Roach of the futuristic metallic suit. “We were scared to ask for it and we thought the best way to do it was in Paris, so we flew there to have a meeting with the Mugler team. We pitched them the idea and explained how it would be such an impactful moment. It was validating to see [it] happen.” What’s next? The first Monday in May is fast approaching, and Roach will be dressing Zendaya for her duties as a co-chair of this year’s “Garden of Time”-themed Met Ball. Roach will also make a return to TV and will be helping emerging designers as co-host of OMG Fashun with Julia Fox premiering May 6th.
Elizabeth Stewart
Clients: Cate Blanchett, Julia Roberts, Viola Davis
The Santa Monica-based stylist continues to rewear and repeat looks, a bold sustainability directive that landed her THR stylist of the year in 2023. “Cate [Blanchett]’s BAFTA look highlighted a lot of things we are interested in — her gown was made of deadstock from the Louis Vuitton atelier, and her jewelry was reworked from existing pieces, including the necklace she had worn to win in the year before,” says Stewart. “Not many people do [this] on the carpet … and it illustrates that less consumption really works.” Stewart stayed busy during the strike with her longtime client Jessica Chastain, who promoted Memory at the Venice Film Festival (the indie film had an interim agreement). “Jessica truly has that movie star vibe that elevates every look,” says Stewart of the actress, who dazzled in a plunging Gucci gown with gradient sequins at the film’s premiere.
Shiona Turini
Client: Beyoncé, Letitia Wright, Uzo Aduba
The multitalented brand consultant, costume designer and stylist, who hails from Bermuda and now resides in L.A., started working with Beyoncé in 2023, timed to her Renaissance World Tour, which was a team effort, with stylists Julia Sarr-Jamois, Karen Langley and KJ Moody also contributing. Only the hottest brands — Loewe, Mugler, Alexander McQueen, Pucci — made up the music megastar’s performance wardrobe, often a reimagining of pieces first spotted on the designer runways. Jonathan Anderson’s “hands-on” bodysuit, inspired by the designer’s Fall 2022 Loewe collection, was an MVP of the tour with nude, silver and crimson versions popping up in Sweden, Beyoncé’s home state of Texas and New Jersey. “So nice we did it thrice,” Turini captioned an Instagram post.
Ilaria Urbinati
Clients: Barry Keoghan, Donald Glover
It was the year the stylist behind many of the town’s leading men took a rules-be-damned approach and pushed beyond colorful tailored suits (a signature Urbinati style) in favor of edgy shirtless, sleeveless and cropped ’fits for Saltburn star Barry Keoghan. “What I aim to do with clients is create looks so unique to them that it feels like only that particular person could pull it off,” says Urbinati. She describes the Irish actor’s vibe as “playful, rebellious and completely his own,” noting that they leaned into things that were flirtier this season. For the Academy Museum Gala, the Burberry ambassador suited up in olive green Givenchy, which kicked off a series of influential sleeveless looks. “I had not really seen a sleeveless suit on the carpet much or ever before, and he was just the man to do it,” says Urbinati.
Erin Walsh
Clients: Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway
“The response to Selena’s VMAs look was instantly viral,” says Walsh, who started working with Gomez last summer. “It had a ‘wow’ feeling, but also evoked a bit of Old Hollywood screen siren, while letting Selena’s spirit and beauty shine through,” she says of the hand-beaded Oscar de la Renta scarlet gown that garnered more than 15 million likes on the star’s Instagram. Another viral moment was Hathaway in cerulean blue Versace for the Devil Wears Prada cast reunion at the SAG Awards: “After seeing the Versace show with Anne in Milan the day before, we flew to L.A. that morning and got her ready in about an hour at LAX,” recalls Walsh. Hathaway racked up 8.3 million views for the getting-glam video that she posted on Instagram post-SAGs. Expect more viral moments from the stylist, who says we’re officially in Gomez’s “bombshell era.”
Karla Welch
Clients: America Ferrera, Greta Gerwig
Oscar nominee Ferrera stunned in sculpted, Barbie-pink Versace chain mail at the Dolby Theatre. “We thought we’d save the pink for last,” Welch captioned a quick first look of the dress on her IG before the star hit the carpet (it has close to a million views). Says Ferrera, who has worked with Welch for the past decade, “The pink chain mail Versace dress for the Oscars was made just for me, and I met two of the women who made it with their own hands. I couldn’t believe the amount of work that went into it. It felt like wearing a piece of art.” Equally slinky and smoldering was the film’s director, Gerwig, in Gucci, also courtesy of Welch, at the Academy Awards. “You know, it was a Barbie bombshell kind of night,” she says.
Kate Young
Clients: Julianne Moore, Scarlett Johansson
When Moore stepped out at the 14th annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles, she lit up the carpet in a blindingly reflective silver Valentino caped gown. The glittering style was something the May December star, who tends to favor minimal and modern, would usually reserve for Cannes, but the over-the-top gown landed her on many of the evening’s best-dressed roundups. Another standout by the New York-based stylist, who worked on a line of mix-and-match pieces for Splendid during the strike, was a pink Prada peek-a-boo bra dress on Johansson at the Asteroid City premiere in Cannes. “We were thinking about color and clean, modern lines,” says Young, who started working with Johansson in 2021. “Scarlett’s really luxe and loves the ’90s.”
This story first appeared in the March 27 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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