By Ingrid Schmidt
Fashion stylist Elizabeth Stewart on set. Photo by Marcus Mam.
In the world of Tinseltown, where talent often bounces around, the longevity of fashion stylist Elizabeth Stewart’s client roster is a testament to her enduring skills: Cate Blanchett has been a client for 19 years; Julia Roberts for 18; and Amanda Seyfried and Jessica Chastain clock in at 15 years each. Stewart started her fashion career in New York and Paris, where she styled covers for W Magazine. She then moved to Los Angeles and began styling celebrities for the New York Times, which led to requests for red-carpet dressing. Today, Stewart, a known champion of “re-wearing looks,” is one of the most respected tastemakers in Hollywood; Elizabeth Olsen, Laura Dern, Viola Davis, and Zoey Deutch are among her other current clients.
When we speak, Stewart is busy doing fittings for the Venice Film Festival with Roberts (for After the Hunt) and Seyfried (for Ann Lee). “Julia has a very specific style that really jives with what is happening in the current collections: tailoring, strong shoulders, neckties, and cravats,” says Stewart. “So it’s fun to put her spin on that. With Amanda, we’re aiming for a classic red-carpet moment that works with the strong fall trend of the hourglass shapes of yesteryear!”
Here, Stewart weighs in on the pieces she can’t travel without, the looks she’s eagerly anticipating this season, and how a particular pair of shoes saved the day when she lost her luggage.
What are you excited about this season?
All the changes at key fashion houses. Versace has a new designer, Dario Vitale, coming in from Miu Miu. Pierpaolo Piccioli, formerly at Valentino, is the new creative director at Balenciaga. Demna’s going from Balenciaga to Gucci. Matthieu Blazy is the new artistic director at Chanel. Meryll Rogge at Marni. There’s a lot to look forward to with these fresh eyes.
Suiting has been a signature for you and clients like Roberts and Blanchett. What’s to love for fall?
I love the strong shoulders that are out there for fall. It’s just finding out exactly what silhouette works for my clients. That’s what every person must figure out for themselves, as well: How do I apply this to myself? At what point do I look incredibly current and chic and at what point do I start to look ridiculous? Because there’s a big difference between runway, red carpet, and real life, as we all know.
Any other key trends you’re loving for fall?
Another trend I love is the fabulous fall colors—rich jewel tones and even fluorescents.
Your nonprofit, Chic Relief, which was created during the pandemic, recently helped hundreds of women who lost everything in the LA fires. What did you learn about how to rebuild a wardrobe from scratch?
You know how you do something and then you realize how you maybe could have done it better? We thought it would be a great idea to focus on, What does every woman always need? You need a black blazer, a white shirt and the perfect pair of jeans. You need really good chic leggings, which is tricky. You need the perfect bag and the perfect pump. And a coat. And pajamas. Plus the ladies were missing pretty dresses. We thought, If we had to redo this, we would just have stations with the basics to get you started.
Do you have a go-to fashion uniform when you’re traveling?
It’s always been one piece, if possible, because it’s just easier to pack dresses and jumpsuits. Ideally, I always have a small Gucci crossbody camera bag with my passport and a Bottega Veneta Andiamo (the dream travel tote). I’m addicted to Suqqu lip balm, but you can only get it in Japan or at Selfridges in London, so friends are always bringing it back for me.
Any packing tips, since you’re always on the go?
It can be frustrating, because I’m a stylist and I like to bring my special pieces. But when I travel, I tend to stick to a palette. I’m wearing black, navy, and white on this trip, so everything goes together and I don’t have to worry about it. Since I used to live in New York, I have a lot of fabulous and unique coats. But when I travel, it has to be a black pea coat that goes over everything and preferably is waterproof. So that’s something I’m perpetually looking for. My raincoat search always leads back to Burberry; I have this insanely great Prada one, but it has studs all over it, so I can’t get it past security! Prada always has these incredible 1940s-style fitted dresses that are cut so beautifully. They make them year in, year out, and I basically have them going back to 2006. They’re great travel pieces because you can roll them up and fit so many in a carry-on, and they’re perfect for everything.
How about thwarted travel fashion mishaps?
When I recently went to Rebel Wilson’s wedding in Sardinia, my luggage arrived the last day [of the trip]. So I had to go shopping and buy a rehearsal dinner dress and the dress for the wedding. I found everything at Prada and Miu Miu. I was so happy that I wore white Tod’s driving shoes on the plane, which I honestly almost never do. Usually I wear a sneaker. What was great about them is they sort of worked for everything. I wore them to the beach. I wore them to dinner. I was praising the Lord that I had worn those shoes!
