The Hollywood Reporter (Weekly)
3 RISING HOLLYWOOD STYLISTS TO WATCH
These are the fresh crop of image makers behind the looks for pop queen Olivia Rodrigo, Oscar winner Ariana DeBose and Squid Game breakout star Hoyeon
CHLOE & CHENELLE DELGADILLO
They’ve been described as the “It” sisters of fashion, so it only seems fitting that the pair works with music’s “It” girl Olivia Rodrigo, who took home three Grammys, including the best new artist trophy. When it comes to their favorite look of the past year, the Delgadillos agree that it was the “Drivers License” singer’s vintage pink Chanel suit for an appearance at the White House to promote vaccine awareness alongside President Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci. “It felt like an iconic moment,” says Chloe of the Cher Horowitzesque tweed style, circa 1995, that they sourced from Aralda Vintage in Los Angeles, avoiding anything in the politically tinged hues of red or blue. The two started out on their path together with similar dreams: “Chloe has always been the fashion one, and her dream was to style. I landed an internship at Vogue, and I loved being on set, so it was a natural progression to styling for both of us,” says Chenelle.
ZADRIAN SMITH & SARAH EDMISTON
The FIT alums are Hollywood’s hottest newly minted styling duo. Smith, who comes from a dancer background and ran in Broadway circles, started working with
West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose nearly three years ago. “We come from similar backgrounds as Southerners and LGBTQ BIPOC people,” says DeBose. “I also loved his commitment to the history of fashion and to making the client feel seen, heard and represented in every look.”
Smith recently partnered with Edmiston, and the two tag-teamed on the Oscar winner’s epic awards season, which included a special tribute to DeBose’s character Anita and her own Afro-Latina roots for the same-day BAFTAs and Critics Choice Awards. A yellow chiffon Oscar de la Renta dress and a beautifully draped marigold Carolina Herrera gown — both brands founded by Latinx designers — were chosen for DeBose’s back-to-back best supporting actress wins. Edmiston especially recalls sitting front row with DeBose at creative director Wes Gordon’s Carolina Herrera show in February and “gasping” when DeBose’s dress came down the runway. “Ari clutched my hand, and we knew that she needed to wear it,” says Edmiston. Adds Smith: “It’s so important to us that our values and ethos as people and as a studio align with who we collaborate with, and from the very beginning, we’ve just had such a connection with Wes and his designs. They’re full of color and life, just like Ariana.”
AERI YUN
South Korean model turned actress Hoyeon burst on the scene in September thanks to Netflix’s thriller Squid Game (the streaming service’s most watched show, with more than 1.6 billion hours viewed). “Even in modern dresses and elegant gowns [on the red carpet], she never loses her cool, natural style,” says Yun of her “tomboyish” client, who favors combat boots over heels with dresses. “We talk a lot about fashion icons from the ’70s to the ’90s. Once, we were listening to
Patti Smith and raving about what a style icon she is, so we went with a shirt, tie and corduroy pants look inspired by her for a Q&A session.”
The pair first met when Hoyeon moved to New York City to pursue her modeling career: “I suggested Hoyeon come to Williamsburg, and she ended up a block away from me. For the last few years, we’ve worked on various projects for fashion films and advertisements, and when her acting career took off, I became her stylist.”
Yun says her favorite look to date is a custom black spaghettistrap Louis Vuitton dress with crystals and silver beads that showcased traditional Korean embroidery work for the SAG Awards. “It combined the heritage of the house of Louis Vuitton and the traditions of Korea, making it all the more meaningful. And, Hoyeon won best actress.”
had so many opportunities to play. Kristen is an ever-changing fashion chameleon, and we love to push boundaries.” The L.A.-based stylist, who also dresses Matthew McConaughey, estimates that they put together 50 looks for Stewart’s press tour, including casual outfits for Zooms and countless Chanel samples for the longtime face of the brand. Says Stewart: “We both love the ease that our history gives our work.” Most memorable? The Oscar nominee eschewed a traditional ball gown in favor of Chanel short-shorts, rewriting the rules of appropriate attire for Hollywood’s biggest night. “I had a very specific way I wanted to feel that night,” says Stewart. Adds Swennen: “It made waves simply because it was original and unprecedented; I’m glad it was well received.” The stylist kicked off Stewart’s press at the Venice Film Festival with a similarly short tweed Chanel romper. “Kristen’s red carpet style is uniquely hers. She is always unapologetically authentic and carries a confidence that is magnetizing.”
ERIN WALSH
Even Hollywood’s fashion wunderkind Timothée Chalamet, who primarily styles himself and counts designers such as Haider Ackermann as friends (and was close to the late Virgil Abloh), needs occasional help with a steam and press. With two major films to promote (Dune and The French Dispatch; he did his own styling for Don’t Look Up), Chalamet called on Walsh to assist, perhaps most notably with a metallic Tom Ford suit for the premiere of Wes Anderson’s film in Cannes. “Last summer I was managing things remotely, so when huge moments happened, I was absorbing it at the same time as the internet,” says Walsh of the look that went viral. The duo followed it up with a denim Tom Ford tuxedo with satin peak lapels for the Dune premiere in Paris.
For client Anne Hathaway’s WeCrashed, Walsh pulled out all of the stops, including Versace chain mail, Gucci feathers and Christopher John Rogers gradient dots. “I like when random street-style moments explode — all of a sudden that Christopher John Rogers look was everywhere,” says Walsh of the rainbow bustier top, pants and suit jacket. “All of the looks from Anne’s press tour were so full of love and joy; isn’t that the point of all of this … to bring a little joy to the world?” Adds the stylist, “Just you wait for the Met Gala!”
JAHLEEL WEAVER
The NYC-based stylist and creative director, who has spent a decade working alongside Rihanna, helped redefine maternity style this year — think crop tops, low-slung pants and navel-grazing chains. The mom-to-be mogul and A$AP Rocky announced her pregnancy on Instagram with a photo of her vintage-Chanelclad belly on full display in January. Rihanna followed it up with a series of killer street-style looks ranging from a leather hooded Alaïa coat-dress (en route to a Fenty event), to a custom Alexander Wang diamond bra and leather miniskirt (dinner at Santa Monica’s Giorgio Baldi), before rocking Paris Fashion Week in gauzy black lingerie with diamonds and kneehigh boots at the Dior show. “To me, there’s a way to exude sex in everything that you do, and that’s something that I always want to convey in my work. I always want it to be sexy,” Weaver has said. Sexy and unabashed has been the mantra when it comes to baring Mama RiRi’s bump — which was once again on display in a transparent black organza Valentino gown, specially designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli and styled by Weaver for Jay-Z’s Oscar party.
KARLA WELCH
Arguably Hollywood’s most badass stylist, Welch works with Justin and Hailey Bieber (“almost a decade with Justin,” she says), Tracee Ellis Ross, Olivia Wilde and Ana de Armas. A highlight this year was landing the most coveted look from Matthieu Blazy’s new Bottega Veneta collection, a white leather tee and high-low skirt with fringe that Sarah Paulson wore to the Vanity Fair Oscar party. “It felt outstanding and cool,” says Welch. The Los Angeles-based stylist, who hails from British Columbia, also outfitted Justin Bieber in a Celine suit and Nike trainers for his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. “Justin in Paris in his suit went viral in seconds — it was a moment. It was so fresh and chic and young. I literally had an hour from finding out he was seeing the president to getting him out the door,” says Welch.
When she’s not glamming up her clients, Welch has several projects that she’s passionate about, including The Period Co., a brand committed to eliminating plastic waste associated with menstruation, and Wishi, a styling service that helps members shop online while incorporating pieces from their wardrobes. “I am very focused on my paths and purpose, and that eliminates a lot of the superfluous from life,” says Welch, who just partnered with thredUP to curate a selection of thrifted festival-worthy looks along with items from Welch’s own styling closet to give Coachella attendees a more sustainable way to shop.
JEANNE YANG
The OG of leading-man style counts
Keanu Reeves, Jamie Dornan, Jason Momoa and directors Taika Waititi and Alfonso Cuarón as clients. Yang recently started working with Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings superhero Simu Liu after the pair hit it off on a two-hour Zoom call, orchestrated by his publicist. “I had mentioned that I preferred to work with someone AAPI, and I found that our goals were very aligned; Jeanne understood the many unfair stereotypes
and misconceptions that have often been attached to Asian men and wanted to help shatter them,” says Liu. “We both wanted to show the world what an Asian leading man in Hollywood looked like. Since then, she’s dressed me for virtually every premiere, talk show and awards night I’ve ever attended.” Liu’s best leading look? “We have yet to hit the zenith of his fashion capabilities, but Simu’s red Versace tuxedo was one of the dream looks, and he really went for it,” says Yang of the presenter’s Oscar night attire. Liu opted to ditch his tuxedo shirt for the Vanity Fair party, making his gold Medusa harness a focal point. Donatella Versace approved, captioning a photo with Liu on Instagram, “My Versace superhero!” “I loved that,” says Yang, who also works as a manager-producer at Anonymous Content (“I realized I could do things in other areas of Hollywood,” Yang says).
Another standout was Liu’s Gatsby-inspired piped Fendi dinner jacket with a 382-baguette diamond Jacob & Co. watch that hovered at the million-dollar mark. “It made a splash on Instagram and in the watch world — it was a piece of art,” says Yang. “Fashion is art, and art is only really exciting when it pushes boundaries. For most of my life I’ve played it safe sartorially. I’ve never thought of fashion as self-expression until I started working with Jeanne,” says Liu.
As for Yang’s most daring look, she recalls the sherwani that Kumail Nanjiani wore to the Eternals premiere: “We contacted
Umar Sayeed Couture in Pakistan through Instagram and gave him Kumail’s measurements. I held my breath as we fit him.” The result was a beautifully tailored look that honored Nanjiani’s roots. “I want to make the red carpet more inclusive with silhouettes from around the globe,” says Yang, who notes she’s hyper-conscious about the impact of social media, especially as a mom to 19-year-old twin girls: “In particular, the attacks against Asians may have been an underlying reason I have been using suits with a nod to traditional Asian clothing from Simu’s Shang-Chi premiere cheongsam, Taika’s kimono tunics and other Eastern-influenced suits.”
KATE YOUNG
The super-stylist, who has topped THR’s list three times, had a jam-packed awards season with Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lawrence and Dakota Johnson. Young kicked things off with Johnson in a wow-worthy Gucci crystal fringe gown and gold evening sandals for the Lost Daughter premiere at the Venice Film Festival. “It was super exciting because it had been a while since we had a proper red carpet,” she says of the unapologetically dazzling look. The Brooklyn-based stylist, who has worked with Gomez since 2014 when she zipped her into a “tiny red Dior dress” for a film screening, says that this past year was different because the Only Murders in the Building actress was a nominee. “We wanted her to be restrained, glamorous and grown-up — it wasn’t just about looking cool to go to parties,” says Young. Fans went wild for a before-and-after video that Young posted of Gomez’s SAG Awards glam. “Every look with Selena tends to go viral, but people really liked that video,” says Young of the winning custom Oscar de la Renta velvet dress that was accented with a 200-carat, $1 million Bulgari choker necklace. A shot on the actress’ Instagram garnered
7.1 million likes from her 309 million followers, punctuating an awards season of firsts for many, including Gomez.