Kristen Stewart, the former teen star of the Twilight franchise, had a change of heart after her 2012 breakup with the famous vampire-werewolf craze and decided to conquer the world of independent films and European cinema. It was then that she made Clouds of Sils Maria – for which she was the first non-French-speaking actress to win the César –, Still Alice – which won Julianne Moore the much-anticipated Oscar – and Personal Shopper. In the latter, she plays an American girl living in Paris who runs from one luxury boutique to another to dress a celebrity named Kyra. She looks like a dreamy model, and probably is, because it’s the people behind the scenes who create the biggest stars so that they can shine as they should, and the message works as it should. We now present some of today’s most influential and talented stylists.
Stylists are not always successful, but Kristen Stewart’s is undeniably great. The actress – who last walked the red carpet at Cannes – has a great style advisor in Tara Swennen, with whom she has worked for 17 years. “We started working together when I was 14! She has a wealth of experience that defines her taste. She enjoys helping people feel their best”. The Los Angeles-based stylist, who also dresses Matthew McConaughey, put together around 50 looks for Stewart’s press tour, including of course countless Chanel looks, as the actress is one of the faces of the brand. Perhaps the most memorable of them all is the Chanel shorts she chose to wear to the Oscars instead of the typical evening gown, rewriting the rules of dressing for Hollywood’s biggest night. “It made waves simply because it was original and unprecedented”.
If anyone can be said to never make a mistake, it’s one of the biggest stars of our time, Zendaya. From Dune to Spider-Man: No Way Home and Euphoria, the actress has consistently delivered fashion’s most memorable moments with around 30 press appearances in the last year. Think of the Venice premiere of Dune, where she appeared in a fluid Balmain gown tailored precisely to her breasts, topped off with a simple 93-carat Bulgari snake necklace. Zendaya’s stylist is Law Roach, who was voted best in the business last year. “Zendaya and I have our own goals and we push each other to help us achieve them. Our energies feed off each other to create something magical”. Another of Law’s famous clients is tennis star Venus Williams, who also made a few appearances for King Richard last year. “Law understood my style, my personality, and what I wanted to achieve with my look. I like to express my personality through fashion and try things that other people don’t, and he understood that straight away.”
New York-based Jahleel Weaver has been working with Rihanna for more than a decade, and this year she’s redefined the style of the new mom – think tops, low-hanging pants, and navel-length necklaces. In January, the mum-to-be and A$AP Rocky announced her pregnancy on Instagram with a photo of her showing off her baby bump in a vintage Chanel. Rihanna went “wild” at the Dior show in Paris Fashion Week in a black lingerie with diamonds and knee-high boots. “For me, everything she does has to exude sex, and that’s what I always want to convey in my work. I always want it to be sexy”, Weaver said. Mission accomplished!