Surprising Red Carpet Gowns’ Mailing Cost To Celebrities
It takes a team of designers, fashion stylists, make-up and hair artists, and a whole staff of personal assistants to make your favorite celebrity look stunning on the red carpet. So when they do show up, bear in mind that they’re not only there to represent themselves but also a group of creative people who worked their brain out and drain their energy to make the stars look good in front of the cameras.
The journey for the whole team first starts on considering the degree of the look they are aiming for. What most people don’t know is that at the start of the glam up operation, it already takes a whole lot of effort to find the look that suits the celebrity. A lot of the glam up teams start their search months before the said event. That is why, some fashion houses, take Givenchy, for example, only commits to dress one major star for an event. So in 2017, Meryl Streep received the honor of being styled by the prestigious designer for the Golden Globes. So yes, when a celebrity is recognized for being well dressed in an event, you know there’s a team behind it to get the credits.
More than as an investment, a celebrity’s evening dress could cost up to millions of dollars. Well, it’ll cost more with the help of the glamour team that will give the dress justice.
So instead of guessing what a celebrity stylist’s life is, we found a source that could tell it all. We are featuring here Hollywood’s power players, Elizabeth Stewart and Micaela Erlanger, as insiders of celebrity styling secrets.
Stewart is the one who dresses Viola Davis and the likes. At the same time, Erlanger, who works with Diane Kruger and Streep, shares her approaches in handling fashion dilemmas and the degree of effort they take to make things happen for their clients.
Taking the side of the designer in Christian Siriano’s interview with Sirius XM’s The Michelle Collins Show, he revealed some interesting takes about dressing celebrities. A significant detail topped the talk when he explained the how-tos, and how much it costs the designers to ship the dresses to their clients so long they could choose the perfect dress for them. Siriano also shared how he sent about 100 dresses through FedEx from New York to Los Angeles in 2018 for events and shows, costing him around $50,000! For that year, those outfits were seemed to be for Whoopi Goldberg, Laurie Metcalf, Kelly Ripa, and Janet Mock after they were spotted wearing gowns with credits to Siriano’s design at the 2018 Oscars.
Below are what the glamour team has to say about dressing celebrities.
THE FIRST AND LAST MINUTE FITTINGS
Stewart revealed how there was a time her celebrity client, Cate Blanchett, showed up in the morning of the Oscars – already eight months pregnant and yet to try on her dress. It was a rushed morning for all, but everything worked out well. She shared how things become toxic at times, although not for everyone. For that night, Blanchette credits Dries Van Noten for the lovely preggo Oscar dress he designed and made especially for her.
ON-THE-DAY WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONS
Stewart also revealed how she plans a custom dress for all her clients, months before the event and also prepares for some back-up plans. Because when you already have a solution in hand, you never need reinforcements, and that’s her general rule. She also shares how, sometimes, even if it went through a certain degree of planning already, things don’t work out right due to unforeseen circumstances. Hence, her back-up plan.
Erlanger also shares how she prepares for on-the-day wardrobe malfunctions. Of course, there should not be any major problem as her ethics involves planning and preventing any chance of malfunction to happen on the day. So she makes sure her clients have fitted and tried on their dresses several times before the big day. Her staff also double-checks everything. But should need be, she has a back-up clothing, a seamstress and a big styling kit with everything that could possibly be needed. So no matter the degree of the problem on the day, her team will be able to fit their star right in.
GETTING THE DRESS ON THE RED CARPET
The means and mode of transportation also becomes a necessary part of the process. Erlanger shares how she tries to alleviate any pressure that may be caused by transporting the celebrity and the dress on to the red carpet. So she opts more for materials that don’t quickly get wrinkled or ones that are styled to hold up in any car without the clients having to endure the degree of a reclined chair with all the dress’ weight in the vehicle.
Siriano also shares his costly experience of sending dresses to Los Angeles, paying at least $2,000 for overnight shipping per dress.
HEELS FOR HOURS SECRET
Stewart shares how Davis hates heels, so she brings her rolled-up flats and a bottle of Still Standing spray to use and numb her heel pain.
For Erlanger, however, she looks for shoes with reasonable pitch. To her, that’s what determines the degree of pressure it has on the ball of the foot. Also, anything with a strap or support can make things more comfortable. She believes since it’s an all-day event, and probably you’ll be on your shoes all-night, too, it should be slightly more supportive.
CLUTCHES MUST-HAVES
Stewart and Erlanger advise that the number one thing they should have in their clutches is their lip gloss or lipstick. Although optional, an energy bar must be there in case they starve. Lastly, it doesn’t matter what your plan is after, so long as you have your IDs – the Oscars ID. All the fuss for the event shouldn’t be blown up by not having your ID in. Of course, Erlanger adds you should have your room key and credit card. She also shares how lucky you are if you can get in your make-up compact in. Otherwise, your date better has pockets.
