This is the Secret to Red Carpet Success
Before Kate Young hit the red carpet at InStyle’s Awards last week, she was FaceTiming with just one of her many A-list clients. “The James Bond premiere was today in London and Rachel [Weisz] went to that and I was like, ‘Oh that looks good. I like the bag. OK. Good.’”
Of all the jobs the iPhone’s made easier, that of a celebrity stylist might be #1. “If they are on a press tour and they are in Russia, I can see them before,” says Young, the 39-year-old platinum blonde responsible for such impeccably pulled together women as Selena Gomez, Dakota Johnson, and Sienna Miller. “Literally they call me and I’m like ‘Oh you look good. You should wear more lipstick.’ I see them all before they go out, which is amazing.”
Between blogs breathlessly documenting every dress, shoe, and lipstick an actress wears, and the nonstop stream of social media, celebrities have started wearing five, 10 or even 15 outfits in the 24 hours they spend promoting their latest project in New York or London. That means Young, whose clients collectively gather more attention than any other stylist’s, is responsible for a staggering number of never-before-seen looks. “She’s such a powerful stylist that she gets the best stuff,” Miller told us while promoting her new film, Burnt. “And I really understand the value of having someone who can pull the stuff before anyone else.”
In the past year alone, Young has turned an ex-Disney star into a Vuitton-wearing cool kid, an awkward Hollywood heiress who starred in the cheesiest movie of the year (century?) into a couture-wearing covergirl, and a boho-loving Brit into a polished Oscar nominee. "I like doing all different people,” she says when asked if she has any favorites. “It’s more about the women for me. I get really into figuring out who they are and what their style is going to be. One isn’t better than the other; I get more Instagram followers for the younger ones.”
Speaking of Instagram, Young has nearly 50K followers, each of whom tune in daily to see who she’s dressed in which just-off-the runway look. She was the first stylist to score a collaboration with Target, and the first to
Lest you underestimate the power of a stylist, just scroll through for proof that a dress can, in fact, make a career.
For further proof of Young’s skills, we present images of talents like Selena Gomez, Natalie Portman, and more—before and after Kate.
Sienna Miller in a shimmering dress at the premiere of Madame Butterfly in 2006.
Miller’s always had killer style, but since hooking up with Young (Vogue’s Anna Wintour paired the two for Miller’s comeback tour following roles in American Sniper and Foxcatcher), she’s gone from boho chic to sleek. Where she favored vintage, and brands like Matthew Williamson, she now hits the talk show circuit in Celine and Altuzarra, and chooses Buberry, Chanel, and McQueen for red carpets.
Photo: Getty Images
Sienna Miller in Marc Jacobs at her latest premiere in London.
Speaking of getting clothes first, Young put Miller into Marc Jacobs SS16 for the London premiere of her new film Burnt. The 33-year-old actress told us of her transformation, “As you get older, your style does evolve… I’m just drawn to different things. I suppose I do still love some bohemian clothes and I think it kind of suits me, but I am just more into tailoring lately.”
Photo: Getty Images
Natalie Portman at the 2008 AmFar gala at the Cannes film festival.
Seven years after Bjork wore her swan dress—and two before Portman played a swan—the actress wore this to the Cannes film festival. Bright white, ruffled, with cut-outs, a slit, and one sharp shoulder, this look wears Portman, instead of vice versa. The real proof she wasn’t working with Young, however, is the contrasting black shoes.
Photo: Getty Images
Natalie Portman wears Dior at the 2015 Cannes film festival.
Seven years later, Portman stunned in a sophisticated red gown that’s signature Young. Note the brilliant tailoring and minimal accessories—less is always more with Young.
Photo: Getty Images
Dakota Johnson attends a store party in New York City in 2008.
Credited as “Model Dakota Johnson Griffith,” the “50 Shades of Grey” actress swung by Mango’s store opening in 2008 wearing a ruffled black lace dress, strappy gold platforms, a fur coat, and blonde ringlets! A far cry from the cool girl walking around New York City today.
Photo: Getty Images
Dakota Johnson wears Chanel Haute Couture to the 2014 Golden Globe Awards.
Johnson’s breakout fashion moment was the 2014 Golden Globes, to which she wore a liquid silver haute couture gown by Chanel. With dark hair, simple makeup, and matching—but again, minimal—accessories, she was easily the night’s best dressed.
Photo: Getty Images
Selena Gomez at the 22nd Annual MuchMusic Video Awards in 2011.
Nothing says tween star like purple platform pumps! You’ll never see the ubiquitous style on one of Young’s clients, especially not paired with a faux-bondage beige dress.
Photo: Getty Images
Selena Gomez at Louis Vuitton’s Cruise show in Palm Springs this past May.
You know you’ve reached peak fashion when you’re one of the select few celebrities invited to sit front row at one of the industry’s most coveted shows: Louis Vuitton. It was Young who turned the industry on to Gomez, and Young who dressed her in this too-cool-for-school leather and lace shift, paired with edgy boots and the brand’s newest handbag silhouette.
Photo: Getty Images
Emilia Clarke at the Golden Nymph Awards in Monte Carlo in
