The red-hot topic last Friday at the CFDA’s New York headquarters was the red carpet. Tapped to lead a discussion on dressing celebrities were stylists Brandon Maxwell and Micaela Erlanger who examined topics like cost benefits, sell-through effects, and even the very concept of what constitutes a celebrity.
“Oh, everyone’s a celebrity, by the way,” Maxwell cracked to an audience made up of several 2016 {Fashion Incubator} designers as well as names like Gilles Mendel, Aurora James, Thaddeus O’ Neil, and Katrin Zimmermann. “Anybody you talk to, in their minds, they’re a celebrity. They’re like, ‘Hi, I’m Sarah Marshall. And I’ve got to go to the opening of my local Starbucks.’”
If anyone knows how to make the distinction, it’s these two veterans. Maxwell, a designer with his own label now, made a name for himself as Lady Gaga’s stylist, while Erlanger is responsible for looks on Oscar winners such as Lupita Nyong’o, Hilary Swank, and Jared Leto.
Kicking off the conversation, the duo emphasized the importance of the right placement. Erlanger encouraged designers to seek out the bold-faced names who add to their brands rather than blindly sending out goods. “The people who are successful, they’ll say, ‘I think my clothes are great for this client and here’s why,’” she explained. “It’s about what you [and your company] stand for,” added Maxwell.
They also discussed the allure of specialty and never-been-seen before pieces to create those standout red carpet moments. “Stylists look for items that are not runway, especially for awards season or for a special premiere,” Erlanger counseled. “Some of my gems have been off runway or from the archives or even from the commercial look book.”
But the pair acknowledged that the hardest part of dressing a famous figure is getting that “first.” “Establishing those relationships is everything,” Maxwell said. “It’s all about being proactive,” explained Erlanger who says she receives hundreds of solicitous emails a day. “It’s the people who are picking up the phone and calling me that stand apart,” she advised.
