Did you know Chopard will fly guards around the world to watch over their loaner jewels?
Have you ever wondered what really goes into getting a celebrity red-carpet ready? Cosmopolitan.com spoke to stylist Jennifer Mazur, whose clients include Alessandra Ambrosio and Olivia Culpo, about the very fraught political process.
1. Ninety-nine percent of what you see on a red carpet is on loan. "I will make a list of all the brands that I think will work for an appearance, and then I will start to email them and I say, 'Hey, this is the appearance/event she has coming up, I am looking for these pieces. Would you be interested in loaning to me?' I will either get a 'yes, absolutely,' or 'no.' If it's a no, it could be, 'Sorry, these pieces were already worn,' 'Sorry, these pieces are in Japan for a Vogue shoot,' 'Sorry, this piece is ripped or broken.'"
2. Every brand has a go-to list of celebs they will dress. "Valentino, for example, will make a list of who is absolutely, always approved, and then that is given to their PR team. I would reach out to the PR team and, if I am dressing someone who is on that list, I will get a yes, go through the runway collections, and send them what I'm interested in. If I'm dressing someone who isn't on the list, the PR team will say, 'Sorry, she is not part of our branding of who we would like to see wearing our clothes.' If it's someone they are intrigued by but not sure, they say, 'We are going to have an inner discussion, and then we will get back to you.' So it's very political. I was dressing one high-end model for a gala, and I reached out to Valentino PR, who always loans to her, and they were like, 'We are going to pass on this one.' I have no idea why—maybe the event doesn't get enough press, you never know."
3. A stylist usually has just three to four days to pull together a look for a celeb."Sometimes it's two days, sometimes it's tomorrow. Sometimes it's 'I have an event tonight, can you make it happen?' It's very quick, you're scrambling, you've got to figure out how to make this happen on very limited time."
4. Garments are properly tailored. Double-sided tape is a last resort. "PR has an understanding that things can be altered if it is worn. Every stylist has their go-to tailor. Mine is brilliant. I will tell him what is permanent and what is temporary, and, if it's temporary, he will alter it to look like it was done perfectly, but it's all folded and pleated and there are all of these darts and secret things that you can't see. I don't do hems with tape and stuff. It doesn't stay, it's uncomfortable for the client. Everything is personalized because you don't want somebody on the carpet not feeling her best. You want her to feel like, Wow, this was custom-made for me."
5. That said, wardrobe malfunctions sometimes need fixing on the fly. "I have had insistences where a dress ripped. I once had to sew a client into a dress for the Grammys. That was a bummer and a shocker. When you go get your client ready, you bring your kit, and your kit has everything you could possibly need. You have your sticky tape; you have your nipple covers, sticky boobs, extra heel support, needle and thread, lint roller, pins. You never know what is going to happen—a button could fall off."
6. Stylists will work with a celeb's hair and makeup teams to ensure a cohesive look. "We will have a group discussion. It's the whole vision that makes the difference—it's not just getting the right dress, it's about how you style the dress, how you put all the accessories together, hair and makeup, it all plays such a big part. If I am not there, if I am dressing the client, and they are at the Cannes Film Festival, for example, I really get no say. I just pray that it turns out alright because we are on opposite time zones."
7. Jewelry brands will actually hire guards to watch over valuables. "I sometimes will add up what my client is wearing, and they are wearing $2 million [worth of clothing and accessories]. For the most part, if it gets into the millions, it's because you started adding in the jewels. In that case, a company will send a guard. I did a wedding in Mykonos and had the Chopard team fly out there—the owner, the head publicist, and two guards. One was guarding the jewelry at the hotel, the other was at the events.
8. Stylists will often find out what a client's significant other is wearing to avoid clashing. "But unless you are a pop star or the star of the carpet, men are keeping it pretty simple. They are wearing a nice tux, a nice suit—at least the people that I am dressing. You aren't going to see crazy colors. And, if they were wearing something that clashes, I would make them change!"
9. Stick-on bras can be a star's best friend. "We will sew in cups if a dress does not allow for a bra. But we use sticky bras a lot, no matter if the client is an A or a D. You have to figure out, 'What is the right way to cover them so that they are held up and tight?'"
10. Celebs are probably not going commando, no matter how high the slit. "We dress a lot of celebs in slits and, when we do, we have stick-on underwear that has no sides. It's nude and it covers the front and a little bit of the back. Everyone is thinking she is not wearing underwear, but she very well could be. You just can't see it. They have a buddy to help them go to the bathroom. The buddy system works."
