Style wars: meet the stylists behind Daisy Ridley and Dakota Johnson's hottest red carpet looks

Film directors get the credit, but behind every A-list actress is a fashion expert ensuring each red carpet outing makes news - for the right reasons. Rosamund Urwin sizes up the stylists creating Hollywood's hottest looks
Getting the look: Daisy Ridley, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz and Dakota Johnson
Rosamund Urwin21 December 2015

They are the women behind the seams. Whenever you experience one of those swoon-inducing red-carpet fashion moments, you’re admiring the efforts of one of Hollywood’s super-stylists who’s planned that outfit meticulously.

Take Daisy Ridley at Star Wars’s London premiere on Wednesday night. The actress wore a one-shoulder, black Roland Mouret gown with a silver sequin cut-out bodice that resembled a galaxy in an unsubtle — yet utterly gorgeous — nod to the film. A series of studded earrings and a top-knot bun sharpened the look.

This was the handiwork of Petra Flannery, the sartorial mastermind who made her name dressing Emma Stone and this year took the top spot on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of most powerful stylists.

She’s not the only one who’s sewn up 2015, though. Brooklyn-based Kate Young is the architect of the Selena Gomez makeover, dressed Rachel Weisz as she repeatedly stole the spotlight from the actual cast at the Spectre premierathon, and ensured Sienna Miller powered back up to the top of every magazine’s best-dressed list.

Picking a red-carpet gown is no easy gig: an Oscar nominee will have around a dozen major events before the big night — and the stylist has to keep shaking it up. So now that awards season is almost upon us (just that small matter of Christmas to get out of the way first), you’ll soon be seeing a lot more of Flannery and Young’s work.

Petra Flannery

Who? Los Angeles-based Flannery was an Elite Models agent before moving into fashion styling. She honed her craft as an assistant to Andrea Lieberman, who was Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez’s stylist. Flannery launched her own business nine years ago, with Faith Hill and Zoe Saldana her first clients. Saldana says: “Every time we do a fitting, I want to wear what she puts on. I just want to look as good as her in clothes!”

Flannery’s love of fashion was passed down from her mother, who ran a boutique stocking Dries Van Noten and Calvin Klein. At university she majored in political science but took drawing, painting and film classes on the side.

Clients: A roster of A-listers. Flannery put Zoe Saldana in a form-fitting, blush Atelier Versace gown at the Oscars and Homeland’s Claire Danes in back-baring maroon Prada with chain straps for the Emmys. She was responsible for Carey Mulligan’s post-pregnancy wardrobe as she promoted Suffragette, which featured tulle Chanel and strapless black Alexander McQueen. Flannery also dresses Amy Adams, Gwen Stefani and Andrew Garfield.

Petra Flannery
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images

The look: Cool, chic, modern. Flannery dresses the more daring actresses, those who want a fashion edge to their red-carpet glamour. She’s obsessed with getting the right shade for the star and likes to support young talent. She’s a fan of Prabal Gurung, Joseph Altuzarra and the stiletto king Brian Atwood, as well as big fashion houses including Céline and Chanel.

Team: Flannery has a team of four, as well as part-timers for awards season. She keeps it in the family, employing her older sister. “She’s my secret sauce,” Flannery told the Business of Fashion.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens European Premiere

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Best red-carpet moments of 2015: Emma Stone at the Golden Globes in a Lanvin one-piece with a silver bustier, tuxedo trousers and a giant bow; Daisy Ridley in Mary Katrantzou at the Star Wars Tokyo photocall.

She says: “I quite like a boyish feel in clothes, a la Céline.”

Kate Young

Who? She’s the stylist with the most lusted-after hair in the industry: a tousled platinum mop of awesomeness. Before turning to celebrity styling Young worked for Vogue (as Anna Wintour’s assistant) and Teen Vogue (styling the little-sister mag’s very first cover).

She’s written a book (Dressing for the Dark) and created her own fashion collection for Target. Young lives with her record-label-boss husband Keith Abrahamsson and their two sons in New York. She also gives good Instagram (@kystyle), posting photos of her celebrity clients mid-styling sesh.

Kate Young
Rex

Clients: Think of any star who’s had a stand-out fashion year and they’ll probably be one of Young’s. She has un-Disneyfied Selena Gomez, giving the singer a more sophisticated sexiness in Nineties-style slip dresses, Isabel Marant jumpsuits and Rodarte sequin frocks.

Young also dressed Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson, Sienna Miller as she made her triumphant red-carpet return and Rachel Weisz. Her other clients include Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams, Kate Mara and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The look: This varies hugely depending on the star, but Young is the queen of subtle sexiness. Her own look is effortlessly cool: a lot of monochrome, sharp blazers and leather jackets — the woman everyone else wants to be (though she was a teen goth). She loves new American designers such as Rodarte and her friend Jason Wu.

Team: Her right-hand woman is the equally chic Beverly Nguyen. She’s clearly a hoot to work for: Young once posted a photo of herself and previous assistant, Lilli Millhiser, watching the Oscars in red-carpet reject dresses while swigging champagne from the bottle.

Best red-carpet moments of 2015: Dakota Johnson at the Oscars dripping diamonds in a red Saint Laurent column dress with a single, jewelled shoulder strap; Rachel Weisz in an embroidered black and red strapless dress by Oscar de la Renta for the Governors Awards; Sienna Miller in, well, everything.

She says: “People who want to get into fashion should make sure that they have a broad education, not just fashion,” she told The Coveteur. “Art, architecture, design, literature... you need to know more than just what the Givenchy show looks like.”

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