From One Stylist to Another
Contrary to popular belief, celeb stylists aren’t competitive with each other. In fact, we’re all pretty good friends and support one another in this chaotic job we have.
Recently I learned my friend and blogger extraordinaire ElShane was behind Carly Rae Jepsen’s fresh and stylish tour looks.
ElShane and I met years ago while she was a fabulous NYC publicist for DVF and I was a baby editor at Elle. She’s now living in LA and tapping stars like Carly with her fashion magic wand. So I asked her to share the inside scoop on how to get Carly’s look.
Annie Ladino: How did you meet Carly Rae Jepsen?
ElShane: Pure electronic fate! Her manager had been following my blog and thought we’d be a perfect fit. With my eye for candy-colored, edgy-inspired looks, and Carly’s innately fun and fresh vibe, we joined forces to create epic greatness!
Annie: She’s been compared to Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin and I can see a little of that in her wardrobe. Do you have any influences when putting together her tour looks?
El: The best part of working with Carly is that she looks amazing in everything! We love mixing bright pop hues with hints of her whimsical, bohemian nature; it allows her to dive into her most creative, powerful self on stage.
Annie: What are your favorite designers for Carly?
El: Carly is the queen of street style; she can rock highs and lows effortlessly, creating looks her fans to aspire to wear. Brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, and TopShop are the perfect mix of feminine and rocker chic. We’ve also been experimenting with incredibly on-trend Australian brands like Finders Keepers and Zimmermann.
**Annie:**Most people don’t see the behind-the-scenes part of styling and are only exposed to the end product. I’m curious to know if there have been any wardrobe malfunctions or last-minute switches?
El: The job is never over until the final note is sung! With the introduction of chains, lace, and paillettes into performance looks, it’s pretty much a sure bet that something will go wrong right before stage time. Thankfully double-stick tape, safety pins, and miniature sewing kits are my three best friends.
**Annie:**From your blog we can all see how bold and fashion forward you are with your personal style. Personally, I admire how adventurous you are. Is there anything you shy away from on the red carpet with Carly or any of your clients?
El: Absolutely! For myself, I love experimenting with volume. Since I’m not in the spotlight, I can control what angles I’m shot from. A voluminous dress on the red carpet can be an instant fashion disaster if shot from the wrong angle. I do everything I can to keep pieces that are not 360-degree-angle friendly off of my clients!
**Annie:**Anything Carly’s exposed you to?
El: She taught me everything about personal character. Nice girls always finish first. She’s the real deal…
**Annie:**Anything in your prop kit you can’t live without?
El: My sewing kit. For a gal who majored in Journalism and History, I’ve pricked myself more times than not. But I can make a mean last minute hemline…
**Annie:**We know you’re a Shop It To Me girl, what’s been in your Salemail that you’d snap up for Carly Rae?
**El: **Check out my picks for Carly Rae below:
Clockwise from top-left: Rosamosario corset | Red Valentino skirt | Citizens of Humanity moto jacket | Dion Lee dress | rag & bone hat