OSCARS
The image projected by actors as they take their turn on the red carpet in an array of glittering gowns is one of effortless chic. But for their stylists, awards season is a fashion endurance marathon that kicks off in August with the Venice Film Festival and ends with the Academy Awards in February, with hundreds of premieres, parties and panel discussions sprinkled in between, and never an outfit repeated.
"The Oscars can be really tough because it's the grand finale and everybody wants to have their strongest moment," said Jill Lincoln, half of the styling duo known as Jill and Jordan, whose clients include Jennifer Lawrence, Rachel Brosnahan and Anna Kendrick.
"There are only so many dresses to go around and only so many people that make red carpet gowns and by the time the Oscars are on, we've seen a lot of them already," Jordan Johnson, Lincoln's collaborator, explained. And while established stylists may have a Rolodex bursting with designers they can call on to secure the dress of their client's dreams, competition can be fierce.
When Jennifer Lopez's long-time stylists Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn found out she would be presenting the Oscars last December, the pair, who have direct lines to brands such as Zuhair Murad, Versace, Oscar de la Renta and Elie Saab, got on their phones immediately and were rewarded with for-your-eyes-only sketches of nearly every major couture collection before the dresses had even been made.
"Right now, we've narrowed it down to about five options. I think we have the most requested dresses from every collection on hold," Zangardi said a bit sheepishly. "Jen did end up wearing one of the Ralph & Russo couture looks for the Grammys and she has two more events -- the Oscars and the Vanity Fair party -- so holding a few dresses isn't crazy. We never know what she's going to wear until the night of."
"The Oscars can be really tough because it's the grand finale and everybody wants to have their strongest moment," said Jill Lincoln, half of the styling duo known as Jill and Jordan, whose clients include Jennifer Lawrence, Rachel Brosnahan and Anna Kendrick.
"There are only so many dresses to go around and only so many people that make red carpet gowns and by the time the Oscars are on, we've seen a lot of them already," Jordan Johnson, Lincoln's collaborator, explained. And while established stylists may have a Rolodex bursting with designers they can call on to secure the dress of their client's dreams, competition can be fierce.
When Jennifer Lopez's long-time stylists Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn found out she would be presenting the Oscars last December, the pair, who have direct lines to brands such as Zuhair Murad, Versace, Oscar de la Renta and Elie Saab, got on their phones immediately and were rewarded with for-your-eyes-only sketches of nearly every major couture collection before the dresses had even been made.
"Right now, we've narrowed it down to about five options. I think we have the most requested dresses from every collection on hold," Zangardi said a bit sheepishly. "Jen did end up wearing one of the Ralph & Russo couture looks for the Grammys and she has two more events -- the Oscars and the Vanity Fair party -- so holding a few dresses isn't crazy. We never know what she's going to wear until the night of."
