It was announced the other day that Zendaya would be launching a shoe line with her stylist, Law Roach, and although nothing about that sentence excites me…it did get me thinking. What other stylists out there have collaborated with their clients? Or come out with their own brands in general?
Surprisingly…not as many as you’d think. Besides true designers themselves, stylists have the best eye, as making clothes look great on a variety of people is what they do for a living. Once I tried to find the answers to my questions, I discovered there are quite a few stylists who have collaborated with brands, there’s a few who have their own lines, and there’s some stylists who dress the most stylish women in Hollywood…yet styling is still all they do. We live in an era where people no longer just have one job (look at anyone’s Instagram bio) so it’s no surprise to see stylists turn designer…or what I like to call The Designer Stylist. So let’s look into this a little more, shall we?
Let’s start with those who style and you can actually buy something they’ve created (and I don’t mean a red carpet look)…
Hands down the most famous of them all would be Rachel Zoe (dare we thank Bravo?) Not only has she been responsible for some very iconic red carpet moments, she’s also been designing her namesake brand since 2011 (even longer if you include her OG QVC line). Fun fact: due to the fact that I used to be obsessed with RZ (one of the first posts, if not THE first post, here on CCF was about her) I bought up that QVC collection the second it launched (circa 2009). First and last time I ever shopped QVC…
Monica Rose is another very well-known stylist (and if you don’t know her…you know everyone she styles — all the Kardashians, Giuliana Rancic, etc.) She has an insane Instagram following (which might be partially due to the fact that her daughter Alaia Rose might be the best dressed person on the planet…just sayin’) but with every Kardashian / Jenner probably needing multiple outfit changes a day, I don’t know how she does it…but clearly she still has time to create, as seen by her collection with Lovers + Friends (pictured above).
Going for more under-the-radar (although her clients aren’t), if you don’t know Leith Clark…you do now. She’s known for styling Keira Knightley and Alexa Chung to name a few but I actually only discovered who she was quite recently because of her collection with Warby Parker. Now that I think about it, when stylists create their own lines or collaborations, it’s typically with clothes and maybe shoes…eyewear is a different ball game and I have an extra appreciation for her going in that direction (I also heart WP hard).
Stylists that you probably know better by their brand, rather than their clients, would be Emily Current and Meritt Elliott (AKA Current Elliott). I’m personally a huge fan of their brand, mostly because their denim runs large and who doesn’t enjoy going down a size or two when it comes to jeans?
Lady Gaga’s stylist Brandon Maxwell announced this summer he’d be showing his first collection at New York Fashion Week next month. This will be especially interesting, as I’m sure we’re all expecting super over-the-top looks, which is a route he could definitely go…or shock us by creating all basic minimalist looks. Regardless…if he’s anything like Mugler, I’m sure Gaga will buy the entire collection.
One of my favorite people on this list, and whose collaboration I find the most interesting, would be Kate Young. Not only does her client roster include Sienna Miller, Natalie Portman, and Kate Mara, but she can add “designer” to her resume after her collection with Target a few years back. It’s already a bold move for such a large name retailer to collaborate with a stylist (as the average person probably doesn’t know any stylist by name…except for perhaps Rachel Zoe) BUT it’s a bold move that might just pave the way for future stylists wanting to get their hands in design!
Of any stylist who has ever gotten into design, my favorite brand on this list would have to be Tabitha Simmons. I just love her shoes! And that’s all there is to it.
Now there are a few people who should be on the list of stylist-turned-designer but haven’t quite made it there yet. When you see who they’ve styled, you’ll want to buy what they’re selling (of course, if they ever decide to go that route).
Petra Flannery is a top example, and not only because she was ranked as the #1 stylist by The Hollywood Reporter this year. She’s best known for styling Emma Stone and Zoe Saldana. She’s 100% responsible for that unreal Lanvin jumpsuit Emma wore to the Golden Globes this year. And for that reason alone, I think she should have her own line.
Who’s the woman behind the pearl dress? Technically it’s Lupita Nyong’o but it’s really stylist Micaela Erlanger who made it happen. With Lupita being at the top of her game and a fairly new Hollywood style icon, it should be no surprise I’d want to see her stylist create Lupita-worthy looks FOR ALL.
Jeanann Williams makes things like Naomi Watts in Armani Prive (pictured above) happen, as well as makes Suki Waterhouse look even more fabulous than she already is. And who doesn’t want to look like Naomi or Suki on the red carpet? SOMEONE GET THIS GIRL A NEEDLE AND THREAD…and let’s do this.
Last but not least, HOW DOES RIHANNA’S STYLIST NOT HAVE HIS OWN LINE? Actually I’ll tell you why (because I just learned this earlier today while doing some research for this post). Rihanna’s stylist, Mel Ottenberg, dates Adam Selman (the designer responsible for Rihanna’s 2014 CFDA Awards naked dress). So due to that relationship alone, I doubt we’ll be able to buy any Mel Ottenberg originals…but a girl can dream, can’t she?
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Do you have a favorite designer-turned stylist? Any out there I missed that are worth knowing? What about a stylist that doesn’t yet have their own brand and should? Let me know what you think in the comments.
And if you want to add some stylist-approved looks to your wardrobe, then here’s a few things to get you started.
Images via Pinterest, Style.com & The Hollywood Reporter
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