Is there a bigger red carpet than the Oscars’? Hollywood’s biggest night is set to kick off on Sunday, March 27, and Tinseltown’s A-listers will hit the step and repeat in their finest evening wear—all of which will be spectated and dissected by a global audience. (No pressure.) For many of the powerhouse stylists dressing these stars, the Oscar carpet is their Super Bowl. They spend weeks, if not months, preparing for the grand spectacle.
So what goes into planning a striking Oscar look, you ask? Vogue reached out to some of La-La Land’s top stylists to find out. Below, we also asked them how they find inspiration amid all the chaos and what pre-Oscar rituals they follow to ensure their clients land in a flawless, paparazzi-ready ensemble.
Below, how nine Hollywood stylists are prepping for the Oscars.
Dani Michelle
Clients: Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Maren Morris
How do you prepare for an event like the Oscars?
Prep for an event like the Oscars isn’t just that carpet—it’s the Vanity Fair party, after-parties, and more. You usually have your mind set on one look, but we always get so many options because you never know which will hit just right.
How do you find inspiration for your styling this week?
I get inspiration from the girls themselves. I’m inspired by their bodies, their personal taste, and together we find the vision.
What are your pre-Oscar rituals?
No rituals, just optimism.
Jason Bolden
Clients: Cynthia Erivo, Serena Williams, Alicia Keys, Vanessa Hudgens
How do you prepare for an event like the Oscars?
With the people I work with, we never know if they’re going to attend or get nominated. So it happens pretty quickly. Then we go on this journey—we ask ourselves what the feeling is and what the fashion story is [that we want to tell]. Sometimes we want to do classic Hollywood movie star or we want to go really extreme. Someone like Cynthia Erivo always wants to be out of the box, while with Michael B. Jordan it’s all about the cut and tailoring.
How do you find inspiration for your styling this week?
My inspiration comes from when I’m in the fittings and I’m talking and laughing with the talent. My fittings are just about having a good time—the fashion is a bonus. It all goes back to how [fashion] can make someone feel.
What are your pre-Oscar rituals?
I don’t have any! I just try to get to the finish line. The most exciting part is seeing [the look] on the carpet and seeing that everything worked. Even in the days after [the Oscars], I never have a minute. I’m always consumed with what’s next—the Met Gala, the Grammys!
Tara Swennen
Clients: Kristen Stewart, Angelique Cabral, Sam Corlett
How do you prep for an event like the Oscars?
Oscar prep starts months in advance. In Kristen [Stewart]’s case, as she is a brand ambassador for Chanel, so we knew who she would be wearing—but not what exactly. I flew to Paris to pick my top selects from the couture runway show in January. We fit all of our favorites and swooped them up for various other awards shows. We then opted to go the custom route for the Academy Awards, and Virginie [Viard, Chanel’s creative director] and her team began the creation process!
How do you find inspiration for your styling this week?
I draw inspiration from the most recent collections, from the beautiful pieces I find in showrooms, and of course from my peers!
What are your pre-Oscar rituals?
I tend to get massages to de-stress. I drink immune-support shots daily and try and get as much rest as I possibly can to keep me healthy and in the game!
Zadrian + Sarah
Clients: Ariana DeBose, Taye Diggs, Kaci Walfall, Marsha Stephanie Blake
How do you prepare for an event like the Oscars?
Sarah: First and foremost, lots of research. With each client, our process involves a collaborative discussion on where they want to take things for such a big moment, and then we’ll put together a huge amount of visual research on a specific designer and what they’ve done in the past or looks from prior Academy Awards. It tends to help our clients, who are creatives as well, to see reference photos. We also need to keep in mind what makes sense for our client: Where is their career going, what have we done with them recently, and what do they want their look to say?
Zadrian: And multiple fittings! We like to try to be 10 steps ahead at all times. The better prepared you are, the fewer surprises there are on the night. Their fashion story is a journey, and we need to help write the next chapter. For Ariana DeBose, the Oscars are her big moment of culmination and a close to all of her previous looks from her West Side Story press tour. We need to think about how we want to finish here. For Oscar presenter Naomi Scott, this carpet represents more of a beginning, as she is about to embark on a press tour next month for a new project. So the question is, what does this reintroduction look like for this new season for her?
How do you find inspiration for your styling this week?
Zadrian: We draw inspiration from our clients. Styling is a true collaboration between our styling team and the client, so we love for them to be a part of the process as much as they would like to be—sharing inspiration and ideas of what they would love to wear on the day. We’ll make sure we have those pieces around for the next fitting or have incorporated their feedback somehow. We always want a client to see the photos that come out after the awards and think, That looks like me. I was seen and represented here in a way that’s authentic to who I am and who I want to be.
Sarah: Every client has a story to tell. They have their likes and dislikes. It’s our job to tell that story in a way that rings true to the client.
What are your pre-Oscar rituals?
Sarah: We are blessed to have so many wonderful team members around the world who are working behind the scenes to bring this moment together. We like to have a group FaceTime with the whole team before the awards, where everyone gets a chance to see the final look before we present it to the world. This is also a chance for the team to wish our client luck and to let them know we are supporting them every step of the way.
Zadrian: We also love to set the mood: candles, music, dance parties—the whole shebang! A little levity helps to keep the nerves low ahead of these big carpets and the energy up.
Warren Alfie Baker
Clients: Andrew Garfield, Thomas Doherty, Zachary Levi
How do you prepare for an event like the Oscars?
Firstly, it’s figuring out which direction we want to go in. I always love classic, beautiful moments for the Oscars, with a little twist. The Oscars have so much heritage that I feel is great to keep in the realm of fashion. Then pairing up with a fashion house that you can collaborate with and bring a look to life. Playing with fabrics and looking at sketches for custom is top of the list.
How do you find inspiration for your styling this week?
Andrew [Garfield] and I have been on a great run of fashion, so it’s just about staying in that lane somewhat—keeping up the strong looks, fits, and vibe.
What are your pre-Oscar rituals?
No prep rituals here—just stay focused, organized, and stress free! I do have a great activity for de-stressing: I have an actual dart board in my office. I played growing up as a child with my parents. It’s very British and keeps me super relaxed. But also—checklists.
Tiffany Briseno
Clients: Shawn Mendes, Angus Cloud, Maddie Ziegler
How do you prepare for an event like the Oscars?
As far in advance as possible. Ideally for an event like this, I like to go custom. It just feels a bit more curated and special.
How do you find inspiration for your styling this week?
This is such a great time of year for prepping, since all the fall and couture collections are out—so much inspiration there. But truly, I keep my clients’ brand image in mind and continue to collaborate and build new ideas.
What are your pre-Oscar rituals?
I juice almost every day, so keeping my mind sharp with good nutrients is key. Also taking small moments to yourself and listening to an amazing playlist definitely help.
Thomas Christos Kikis
Clients: Gabrielle Union, Zaya Wade, Amelie Zilber
How do you prepare for an event like the Oscars?
I put a tailor on hold for the week of the Oscars and parties leading up to the event. I make sure my office is fully stocked with the essentials. Skims just sent us bras, underwear, and bodysuits in every shade of nude.
How do you find inspiration for your styling this week?
I was just in Paris a couple of weeks ago for the shows. It was inspiring, oddly calming, and comforting. Going to resees, spending time with colleagues, seeing the Baselitz exhibition at the Pompidou—it helped me get my head back in the game.
What are your pre-Oscar rituals?
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t totally stressed leading up to Sunday—schedules changing, events being added, shipping delays. The one thing I do for myself—since I know she’s in town for all of her mega clients attending the Oscars—is I bug Joanna Vargas to squeeze me in for a facial. It’s actual therapy, and I look extra handsome when she’s done with me.
Avo Yermagyan
Clients: Leslie Odom Jr., Nick Jonas, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
How do you prepare for an event like the Oscars?
Prepping for the Oscars is like training for a marathon. In the lead-up of awards shows prior to the Oscars, you have to pace yourself in order to have the endurance to make it to the end. Oscars are the finish line, and to win the race, you have to sprint at the end—by saving the best look for last.
How do you find inspiration for your styling this week?
My intention for dressing an artist is about revealing their individuality on the carpet. Style is my way of enhancing what they embody inside—a way of articulating their personality through threads.
What are your pre-Oscar rituals?
My pre-Oscar ritual every year is to wake up before the sun’s up and warm up with a morning workout, followed by an iced cold-brew red eye. Then I’m off to my studio. And music is key: Gipsy Kings in the background sets the mood.
This article was originally published on Vogue US.
