THE SECRETS OF DRESSING THE STARS
Want to own the red carpet? Better give Rebecca Corbin Murray a call…
well established in the premier league of Hollywood stylists, London-based Rebecca has made a splash on the red carpet with her never-predictable, modern take on glamour. Lily James and Eleanor Tomlinson are on her roster, as is Gemma Chan, who stole the show at last year’s Oscars in a highlighterpink Valentino couture gown. ‘Wow moments usually tread a fine line between fashion and flattering,’ says Rebecca. Recently, she’s been working with
Little Women star Florence Pugh, on a wardrobe that’s run the gamut from Frankie Shop suiting and Rixo dresses to scene-stealing Valentino eveningwear. ‘I loved her purple haute couture Valentino look for the Governor’s Awards. It was playful, whimsical, quirky and elegant, like her personality,’ says Rebecca. She also loved the peach Chloé dress Florence wore to the Paris premiere, which was custom made for her in that shade. ‘Florence loves colour and I haven’t met a colour which doesn’t like Florence.’
Part of Rebecca’s magic is ensuring her clients wear major looks with all the ease of jeans and a T-shirt. But getting it right requires military planning: ‘Is there a carpet? How big is it? What colour is it? Is it a step and repeat?’ she says. ‘Sometimes we don’t get that information so we look at what people wore in the past to get the mood.’ Above all, personality must shine through. ‘To find someone’s red carpet persona, you have to distil their essence and then cultivate that into a more glossy, polished version of themselves,’ says Rebecca. ‘The secret to red carpet dressing is how a look makes you feel.’ So what advice does she give any actresses new to the awards circuit? ‘Find their Sasha Fierce – walking the red carpet is like a role.’