'Celebrities don't have great style. They have great stylists.'

Don’t get me wrong, I'm sure not every outfit the Hadid sisters appear in has been scouted and sourced by a stylist, but in 2023, it certainly seems to be heading that way.   

With media and millennials continuing to peg Hailey, Kim and Bella as 2023’s most fashionable frontrunners, I couldn’t help but wonder why the talented stylists behind these A-listers were not receiving the same level of fashion credibility. 

Due to these beloved celebrities now sprucing outfits that seem rather approachable and laid back — think model-off-duty aesthetic — it’s easy for both the media and public to presume that our all-star A-listers have in fact, selected and styled their fashion-savvy fits (outfits), with little to no help at all.   

Watch: Mamamia reviews non-family-friendly fashion. And yes, wearing outfit #3 to a family dinner would 100 per cent be a crime against your Nan's eyeballs. Post continues below.

Although there are certainly some celebrities who do prefer to style themselves and not work with a stylist, this is a choice we're seeing only a small proportion opt for.  

That said, it does raise the question: When these celebs are not selecting what they wear, who is? 

And more importantly: Why are we not seeing or hearing, more about them?

Having worked in the fashion industry for over three years now, and from speaking with a variety of stylists, I wasn't surprised to find that many are frustrated at the little credit and status their profession receives across both digital and print realms.    

"I analogise it simply like this — in a kitchen, the chef gets the credit for the dish, but what about the person who peeled the carrots and potatoes, the person who boiled them and the person who cut them up all fancy before the chef got it? Well, it’s the same in fashion."

"The celebrity often gets the credit for their style when in reality it’s a stylist working really hard behind the scenes to get them looking the way they do," celebrity stylist Jamie Azzopardi, informs me.   

Image: Supplied/Phoebe Blogg

Now, although many believe that being a stylist — to some degree — involves being the uncredited errand runner, it is important to remember that being a stylist is not your typical nine-to-five job. 

For celebrity stylists, the workload required and expected from them is often demanding, stressful and at times, emotionally taxing.  

"I don’t think stylists are undervalued, but I do think their role is downplayed," says Azzopardi.  

Whether tasked with sourcing an outfit that no Kardashian, Jenner or Baldwin has worn, or emailing PRs at ungodly hours of the evening, being a celebrity stylist is a career that is as gruelling as it is rewarding.   

That said, it’s not unreasonable for many stylists to reveal that yes, it can indeed be frustrating when their famous clientele are celebrated for outfits that they did not choose or initially want to wear, in the first place.   

Having personally assisted multiple stylists over the years, I’m sure I'm not wrong to presume that any coverage a stylist’s client receives is great coverage.   

In the fashion industry, celebrities are often dubbed a stylist's walking, talking, red-carpet-attending resume, and similar to your new employer judging your resume, the work of a celebrity stylist is critiqued by not just their clients but the world. 

With the extensive time, effort and patience this creative career requires, it’s only fair that these clever creatives receive the same — if not more — fashion recognition as their superstar bosses.  

Thanks to social media and fashion publications delivering an endless array of celebrating-spruced style content, the underlying message that a celebritiy's personal fashion taste has been curated entirely by them, is often the norm. 

With fans, followers and the public continuing to presume just that, we have seen an increase in the number of actors, artists and sports stars who are now making headlines for their fashion taste rather than profession — thanks to their stylists, of course.  

From articles on ‘How to dress like Hailey Baldwin’ to in-depth features on how Sydney Sweeney’s cute-girl aesthetic is shaping the fashion-sphere, there is no denying the recognition of stylists is, well, non-existent.  

While journalists, media and readers are not exactly in the wrong in situations such as this, they are — to some degree — responsible for fuelling the idea that celebrities are their own stylists which is, by all means, not usually the case... at all.   

Although it may be hard to believe, it’s not unusual for a candid shot of The Kardashians at the gas station, to actually be a full-blown PR stunt that has been coordinated, styled and scheduled for media coverage.  

This brings me to my next question: Why are we celebrating celebrities for their fashion taste, when it’s actually the stylists choosing?  

Sure, Taylor Swift and Zendaya are style icons in their own rights, but so too are their stylists — which the public often hears and sees little of.  

Image: Supplied/Phoebe Blogg

This question also begs the attention of many more. What if stylists are the real un-tapped talent and celebrities are merely their glamorous coat hangers? Why are there two creatives on the red carpet but the camera is only angled at one? 

Stylists do not simply choose their celebrity clients, but rather celebrities choose them, hence it is extremely rewarding for a stylist to be selected, credited and associated with these superstars when and wherever they get the chance.       

It's also important to remember that unless a stylist is tagged or verbally mentioned, it’s often hard to distinguish who and what, is and is not, a product of their work. 

This lack of crediting has led to several stylists missing out on opportunities to attach their names to some of their celebrity client’s most viral, paparazzi-snapped outfits.  

While I'm not asking you to un-link your favourite celebrity with their reputable cult-status fashion taste, I'm suggesting that you dig a little deeper and learn more about the fashion-savvy masterminds behind the styling process. 

Although A-listers may occasionally choose what brands they wear and collaborate with, at the end of the day majority do prefer to work with a stylist, for all — if not every — occasion.  

Celebrity stylists are typically responsible for what 90 per cent of celebrities wear to press tours, movie premiers, exclusive launches and yes, even gas stations.  

While I do encourage you to continue to support your favourite fashion-forward celebrity, I also want to stress the importance of recognising and commending those behind the scenes. Producing a series of ever-evolving, grade-A outfits is no easy task, for anyone.    

After all, Cinderella could not be Cinderella without her team of talented helpers, and a celebrity cannot dress like a celebrity without their right-hand man — or woman, of course. 

What do you think of celebrity style? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Getty; Supplied; Mamamia.