SecretS of StyliStS SecretS of StyliStS An insider’s guide to styling the stArs

SecretS of StyliStS SecretS of StyliStS sAshA ChArnin Morrison foreword by grACe MirAbellA

SecretS of StyliStS

In this unprecedented insider’s guide, Sasha Charnin Morrison, Fashion Director at US Weekly, opens her little black book of stylists

and reveals their top secrets. You’ll find out how to:

Create unforgettable looks style for the red Carpet

referenCe iConiC fashion moments and eras land a ChoiCe job

Work With the pros

Hundreds of glossy photos illustrate looks (both good and bad) and over twenty-five interviews with elite stylists provide real-life advice

on how to make it in the biz.

“I’m ecstatic about Secrets of Stylists! Finally, there is an A to Z primer for anyone seeking to enter the field or merely wishing to learn about it. Sasha Charnin Morrison has assembled the ne plus ultra insider encyclopedia.”

tim gunnchief creative officer, liz claiborne, inc. and mentor on project runway

“Sasha grew up in a fashion family: she’s lived it, styled it, bought it, loved it! And now she writes about it in this wonderful, amusing tell-all.”

Vera Wang

“If you’re looking for the best secrets in the styling and fashion world, buy this book! Secrets of Stylists is a must-have for every babe, bitch, stylista,

fashionista, aficionado, and fashion know-it-all.”

kelly Cutronefashion publicist, author, and star of kell on earth and the city

“Covering everything from industry misconceptions to Q&As with some of the most sought-after figures in fashion, Sasha covers it all in Secrets of Stylists. For anyone looking to break into the styling world, this is the perfect how-to handbook. Sasha really breaks down the nuts and bolts of the business—from getting your foot in the door to packing a prop kit. Whether delivering dog biscuits for a nightmare boss or winning a spot in a Pat Benatar video, Sasha’s seen the glamorous and gory sides of the fashion scene, and shares her experiences here in laugh-out-loud detail.

A fabulous read!”

nina garCiaauthor, fashion director of marie claire, and project runway judge

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sasha Charnin Morrison is the fashion director of US Weekly and brings more than 20 years of fashion magazine experience working for such magazines as Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Mirabella, Vanity Fair, and Allure. Born in Manhattan, she started her career in show business which led to being cast as extra Hooker #1 in the video for Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield.” She’s married to Concept Farm founder and producer Will Morrison and has twin boys, Gus and Oliver, who are her inspiration.

graCe Mirabella is a former editor in chief of Vogue magazine. She started working at Vogue in the 1950s and served as editor in chief between 1972 and 1988. During her tenure, the magazine’s circulation increased from 400,000 copies to 1.2 million. She then founded Mirabella magazine in 1988, where she served as publication director until 1994. She lives in Manhattan.

Cover design by ayaKo aKazawaManufactured in Chinawww.chroniclebooks.com

today, stylists are nearly as famous as the Celebrities they dress.

And while it may appear that their lives are one long montage of champagne, limos, and red carpets, in fact there’s a lot of grit that goes along with the glamour.

Sasha Charnin Morrison, fashion director at US Weekly, shows how to deal with the grit in order to get to the glamour. She knows every key player in the styling biz, and in this book she taps their expertise, revealing their best tips and tricks. She’ll walk you through every step of the way, showing you how to put together original looks, how to break into the business, and most importantly, how to survive once you’ve landed the job.

She reveals the stories behind celebrities’ best and worst looks, what goes into famous image transformations like Nicole Richie’s and Katie Holmes’, the essentials every stylist must have on hand (double-sided tape, cutlets, manzierres, and more!) and what to do if something goes wrong (and things will definitely go wrong).

Best of all, Secrets of Stylists features hundreds of photos showcasing iconic looks, key fashion influencers, and gorgeous celebrities.

$24.95 u.s.

£16.99 u.k.

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Beautiful dresses with no wire hangers in sight

43chapter 3: on the job!

SHOES!Shoes must be taken out of their bags and lined up in an orderly fashion. Some stylists insist on grouping them by designer, while others organize them by style: platform, peep-toe, sling backs, gladiators, flats, sandals, ballerinas, espadrilles, evening (gold, silver, and bronze together), and dyed satins. They should be lined up facing out. Never turn the shoes inward—you can’t see them that way. You’ll want to make sure that all shoes are tucked neatly away from rolling racks and boxes. You don’t want to be billed for a platform snakeskin sandal that’s been nicked by a rolling rack.

Taping the SolesYou may be borrowing shoes from a store, in which case you’ll likely need to tape the bottoms so that you can return them. Taping is really easy. Find a tape that will not rip the sole to shreds. A whitish masking tape is best. I have always used Scotch’s High Performance Masking tape. It’s with crepe paper backing and smooth adhesive—easy for quick application—and a roll is approximately sixty yards.

Test it first. Always use small, sharp scissors to cut. Lay out the tape diagonally across the sole and the heel. Once you’ve covered the whole bottom, cut around the sole and get rid of the excess tape. Then you’re done. When you remove the tape, be very careful not to damage the soles.

Also make sure when you receive the shoes that they are samples and not pulled from the store—this is usually detailed on an invoice. If they don’t send one, call and check, because you’ll be charged retail for the store loss.

Shoes should always face out when you are running through.

Shoes lined up ready for shoots

44 secrets of stylists

MACGYVER MOMENTS

THE MOST FAMOUS FASHION MACGYVER MOMENT belongs to Sharon Stone. For the 1996 Oscars, legend has it that she had several gowns arrive from Armani, Vera Wang, and everyone else from NYC to Rome, yet nothing worked. Stone said, “I thought, ‘A Gap T-shirt to the Oscars? Hey, I’m nominated [for Casino] and presenting two Oscars, so why not have some attitude?” She ended up pairing that Gap turtleneck with a Valentino ready-to-wear skirt and a season-old Armani dress worn as a coat. Voilà! Wanda McDaniel, executive VP of Global Communications for Giorgio Armani, told me Sharon Stone called her and exclaimed, “You will never guess what I’m wearing to the Oscars!”

Another red carpet quick-fix maneuver was born when Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu were on the carpet for Charlie’s Angels. Diaz was walking across the street when her Christian Louboutin cork stiletto heel broke off. It was a potential fashion emergency with a towering Diaz about to tip onto the pavement. So she did what supermodels do when they fall on the runway—she took off the heels and walked to the premiere barefoot.

Sharon Stone, 68th Academy Awards, March 1996 Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz, and Drew Barrymore, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle premiere, Los Angeles, June 2003

127chapter 6: the 4-1-1 on avoiding a 9-1-1

64th Annual Academy Awards, March 1992

Celebrity offender: Geena DavisViolation: Folies Bergère couture Scene of crime: 1992 Oscars

Dressing like a high-kicking French chorus girl rarely does anyone justice. The dress hiked up extremely high on the thigh and then had a long train of white satin fabric in the back. The shiny satin bodice, pearls, long white satin gloves, and velvet bow-tie tap shoes were costumey. But she made no apologizes—she told the New York Times in 2000, “That gown fit my concept of dressing up for evening: you should go all out, make an effort. I don’t care what other people think.” Vin-cent Boucher—who has dressed Hollywood’s elite, from Teri Hatcher for Clairol and the red carpet to Kiefer Sutherland on the cover of Rolling Stone, plus headlined numerous fashion editorials in Esquire, New York magazine, and Vogue—says, “Besides dressing appropriately for an event, a woman should dress her age, because a too-silly style and way-too-young look like this only makes you look older than your years. In general, the older the woman, the simpler her clothes should be to achieve a youthful look. Geena also exhibits another fashion don’t: Never wear black hose with a white dress—even if it does have black straps and bow trim!”

VIOLATION

144 secrets of stylists

SARAH JESSICA PARKERI spoke with MaryAlice Stephenson, one of the world’s most sought-after fashion and style experts. She’s highly regarded as a knowledgeable commentator covering the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle for many net-works and shows, including CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°, MTV, VH1, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s Early Show, Extra, E!, the Style Channel, and BBC.

Stephenson says: “Women love SJP because she is perfectly imperfect! We have all seen her fashion faux pas and they feel like our own. Who hasn’t had a bad hair moment they would rather forget or seen a picture of them-selves and thought, ‘What the hell was I thinking!’ Women identify with her because they feel that if Sarah Jessica can look this good after looking that bad then why can’t I! SJP is the fashion horse we all want to be. She’s tried all the over-the-top clothes we wish we had the nerve to try ourselves. Her fashion icon status is admired because we all feel she has truly earned it.”

“SJP is one of the hardest-working people I know,” observes Stephenson, “and her successes in life comes from total dedication to doing things well and giving her all. I think for SJP, her style was not innate. She learned from her sisters, her friends, and all the great stylists she has worked

with. This shot (above) best illustrates the moment Sarah Jessica found her own style. She took her quirkiness, mixed in elegance, and created a star style that was instantly iconic and utterly SJP.”

May 2004, New York Ballet Spring Gala“Her fashion choices during this time all had common

ingredients that gave everything she wore a wow factor. She had fun with dramatic clothes and understood that by wearing pieces with extreme volume, color, or pattern she could give the fashion-loving world what they craved: red carpet looks that had a look-at-me factor—serious fashion worn tongue-in-cheek! The clothes she wore on the red carpet proved to be the perfect combination to elevate her fashion status.”

May 24, 2010, Sex and the City 2 Premiere, New York“The red carpet dresses Sarah Jessica wears now show more skin and are tighter, brighter, and feminine. They’re also more minimal and have a graphic edge. Gone are all  of  the bells and whistles SJP used to be known for. Instead, a more sophisticated, elegant style has taken its place.”

Sarah Jessica Parker, New York, April 1987 New York Ballet Spring Gala, New York, May 2004

106 secrets of stylists