The Oscars are this weekend! Not only does this mean the end of seeing some of your favorite stars hit red carpets week after week, but also the end of a very busy season for the stylists behind their glam looks (which we’ll miss!).
“I always feel great after it’s done because it’s the culmination of months of hard work,” celebrity stylist Elizabeth Stewart—whose clients include Gal Gadot, Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Julia Roberts and more—tells PEOPLE when we caught up with her to chat about what to expect come Sunday. “The amount of events is kind of astonishing. It’s a bit chaotic, so I try to be a bastion of organization and calm for my clients.”
Celebrity stylist Elizabeth Stewart.
Fashion has been an especially exciting topic of conversation this season, as the red carpet has truly turned into a place to make a big, bold statement, from the all-black outfits at the the Golden Globes to the signature accessory of roses at the Grammys, both of which were visual displays of solidarity against workplace inequality.
Will another organized fashion moment happen at the Oscars? Not exactly, says Stewart. Rather, the Oscars will mark a return to all-out fashion glory. “It’s a great celebration of the year’s best fashion along with the best movies,” the stylist tells us. Stewart will be dressing at least two clients that night, including Gadot, who will be attending the event for the first time and presenting, as well as 2017 Oscar winner Viola Davis, who has racked up a number of appearances on the biggest red carpet of the year.
Viola Davis at the 2017 Oscars.
That said, the momentum of the Time’s Up movement, which fights sexual harassment, will continue, most likely with the Time’s Up pins that have become popular accessories on the red carpets of 2018. Stewart says she plans to add the pins to Oscar looks because “I am doing everything I can to support the Time’s Up movement.”
In fact, Stewart has figured out another way to empower women beyond awards season: She recently announced that she’s launching a capsule collection of footwear with PLV named Stand Tall, set to hit stores this fall. She gave it that bold name so that each shoe acted as a “talisman of strength for myself and everyone who wears them,” she says. Also, “it took hard work to get here, and this celebrates that.”
A look at Elizabeth Stewart’s collection for PLV.
Her main goal: Make each shoe she creates as easy as possible to wear. “Comfort is key for me as I run around all day, and key for my clients who have to wear high heels to so many red carpets,” she says. That’s why she made platforms “for comfort and balance,” a stiletto that’s “a bit wider than average” and brogues because “I wear them every day.” (So does her client Julia Roberts!)
Elizabeth Stewart’s collection for PLV.
Some of the shoes, like the oxfords and the pumps, even have the words Stand Tall embroidered on them as a reminder to feel strong in what you wear. “I like that the words are there, but in a subtle way,” says the stylist. “It’s for the wearer as a source of strength, rather than for other people.”
Gal Gadot in flats at the premiere of Wonder Woman.
Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock
Empowering women through their footwear is something Stewart truly believes in. She famously put Gadot in flats for the premiere of Wonder Woman, which triggered a series of positive reactions. “It resonated because it worked!” she says. “Gal wore flats and she looked great. I think people realized, ‘Hey, I can do that too!’ A fabulous flat can make a look, and there is no law that says one must stumble around in a high heel.”
Want in on being dressed by a celebrity stylist, too? Her shoes will be priced from $225 to $400 and will debut in September. But you may spot her pieces on her clients even earlier — January Jones already has the rainbow style (above).
Be the first to comment