The Secret World of Designer Gowns

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Often, people have a preconceived notion of what will look good on them and then realize that actually another color works better, or a different cut is more flattering.

— Maria Divaris, celebrity stylist

The Stylist’s Process

Once a starlet knows she’ll be attending an event, the stylist’s job begins. And the start of the process for a stylist is opening up a dialogue with the celebrity. “The first steps include a conversation with the celebrity to discuss their likes, dislikes, any inspiration they might have," said Los Angeles-based celebrity stylist Maria Divaris, "whether it be an era, a color or a specific look that they’ve seen on another celebrity or in a magazine.”

Divaris also speaks to the star about her body – what she wants to accentuate and what she may want to minimize. Once she knows the parameters, she may then reach out to designers and pull dresses. And while some star clients have relationships with designers, she says that she works with the star first to decide what the dress should look like before committing to a label.

The task is not easy. Divaris says that for any given event, she will pull around 30 dresses for a client. Of those, the client will try on 10 or 15, then narrow it down to three. She advises all her clients to sleep on it before making the final decision.

It’s key for a client to be flexible and open-minded during this period.

“It’s amazing how much an original concept can evolve over time,” she said. “Often, people have a preconceived notion of what will look good on them and then realize that actually another color works better, or a different cut is more flattering.”

Being open-minded about what dress to choose is especially critical during awards season, when celebrities attend not just the awards show but a string of related, highly publicized events.

“It’s important to change things up and differentiate between events while still keeping hold of a core personal style,” Divaris said. She cautioned, however, against throwing out personal style in order to look different every time. “If you’re the ‘girl next door’ or the ‘sexy siren,’ it's nice to stick to that genre while experimenting with color, fabric, cuts and embellishment,” she said, mentioning Angelina Jolie, Carey Mulligan and Blake Lively as celebrities who accomplish the feat of varying looks while staying true to one personal brand.

The Designer Relationship

Among movie stars, loyalties often lie not with just a director and agent but also with a fashion designer. “Women know when they put on a certain designer’s dress that they will not only feel like a million dollars but look like a million dollars.”

So if you’re not a high-profile designer like Karl Lagerfeld or Stella McCartney, making your way onto the high-profile red carpets can prove difficult, but the tide is changing.

“There is an increasing diversity of designers being chosen," Divaris said. "Yes, the classics will always be there in abundance, but a lot of people are taking a chance on younger up-and-comers.” She cited Michelle Obama's choice of a gown by designer Jason Wu for the inaugural ball in January 2009.

New York-based fashion designer Jay Godfrey is a prime example of this shifting trend. His dresses have been worn by Eva Mendes, Blake Lively and Halle Berry. Because he cannot always rely on brand-name recognition, fostering close relationships with stylists is essential. Once a stylist tells him what a client wants, he puts together a package of dresses for the stylist to review with the client.

When a celebrity is considering a dress, the stylist and the star will come in for two or three fittings. On occasion, he creates a custom ensemble, which involves a series of brainstorming sessions and up to eight fittings. Godfrey tries not to intervene with the stylist’s process with the celebrity. “Sometimes," he said, "I will say ‘I think this would be great on this star or that star,’ but in the end, we usually let the stylists do their jobs.”

The Red Carpet Outlook

The rules of red carpet gowns continually change and evolve. Divaris says that traditional faux pas, such as wearing white after Labor Day and unorthodox color combinations like navy and black, have largely been deleted from the rule book. Among winter of 2011 and 2012 trends are winter white and ‘70s-inspired color blocking.

Godfrey feels that the world of fashion still has too many rules.

“Stars often take the safe route, as they worry that they are going to be panned on the Fashion Police or cut up in the weekly magazines,” he said, adding that with the exception of avant-garde divas such as Lady Gaga most celebrities tend to be cautious.

Divaris and Godfrey note that bold, bright colors are more prevalent in couture gowns. Godfrey says that jewel tones have become popular because they are flattering for most skin tones. Divaris expects to see a wide range of colors on the red carpets this season. Of the 30 or 40 dresses on her current rack, she said, only one is black.

Godfrey says to expect kaleidoscopic prints and high-low hemlines — which are short in front and long in the back — as well as art deco-inspired shapes. Whether going for a look that is trendy, classic or a combination of the two, stylists, designers and celebrities work toward a common goal: the creation of a striking and memorable gown that will earn thumbs up in the fashion magazines.

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