Dressing celebrities has bigger Zoey Washington's own anatomy image.
"Working with celebrities — anybody thinks it's activity to be so abundant fun, and acutely it is, but what you apprehend absolutely bound [is] that celebrities are aloof like us," said Washington, a 33-year-old Baltimore built-in who works as a accidental appearance editor for Bodies Appearance Watch and Essence as able-bodied as a celebrity apparel stylist. She has additionally done stints with Elle and Vogue magazines.
"They accept absolute anatomy issues, absolute insecurities. It accomplished me to acknowledge my own body. If addition ... has a absolute anatomy — by best accounts — and they still accept insecurities, again I'm not accomplishing too bad."
Through Washington's work, she has apparent celebrities at their best vulnerable. Booty two starlets Washington dressed aboriginal in her career for a advance for a top appearance magazine.
One actress, Washington recalled, had a "whatever, I don't care" attitude.
Zoey Washington's Instagram / HANDOUT
Kerry Washington and Zoey Washington affectation for a behind-the-scenes photo. Kerry Washington is on the October 2015 awning of Essence, and she was styled by Baltimore built-in Zoey Washington.
Kerry Washington and Zoey Washington affectation for a behind-the-scenes photo. Kerry Washington is on the October 2015 awning of Essence, and she was styled by Baltimore built-in Zoey Washington. (Zoey Washington's Instagram / HANDOUT)
"She admired her anatomy and knew her worth. She was actual self-possessed," Washington said.
The added added spent best of the shoot crying.
"The one affair that stood out to me was how sad she was," Washington said. "She had all these admirable gowns to chose from. But she was still bogged bottomward by insecurities and abhorrence of judgment. In my opinion, she was a adjustment admeasurement 2."
Whether it be angry with a arch lady's insecurities or analogous the appropriate artist abrasion with a celebrity's faculty of style, apparel stylists accept to adept a complicated bamboozlement act.
The access these stylists accept with appearance designers — and their adeptness to ability a acceptable attending for their audience — accept fabricated them hot bolt for aggregate from a paparazzi-swarmed accident to a annual spread.
Lupita Nyong'o owed abundant of her red-carpet success in 2014 to stylist Micaela Erlanger. And stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Anne Hathaway, Will Smith and Zoe Saldana accept fabricated the careers of Rachel Zoe, Brad Goreski, Phillip Bloch and June Ambrose.
"In the '90s, bodies didn't absolutely apperceive that celebrity administration existed," Washington said. "And again it acquired into stylists actuality big names themselves and them architecture a cast for themselves. Now it's apparent as a abutting accord amid celebrities and stylists. It's a co-branding."
Zoey Washington's Instagram / HANDOUT
Keke Palmer and Zoey Washington affectation for a behind-the-scenes photo. Keke Palmer is on the January 2015 awning of Essence, and she was styled by Baltimore built-in Zoey Washington.
Keke Palmer and Zoey Washington affectation for a behind-the-scenes photo. Keke Palmer is on the January 2015 awning of Essence, and she was styled by Baltimore built-in Zoey Washington. (Zoey Washington's Instagram / HANDOUT)
Publications and celebrities from the worlds of film, TV and music accept approved out Washington for shoots and appearances.
Erika Perry, the above artistic administrator at Essence, has formed with Washington back 2007.
"Zoey has admirable taste. She's consistently on top of the trends, and her appearance is courtly chic," Perry said. "It's adult with an edge. She's absolutely 18-carat and candied and humble. She has her feel on the beating of what's next."
As artistic director, Perry brought Washington in because of her professionalism and abilities as a stylist. Essence continues to assignment with her.
"She's a joy to assignment with," said Perry, who is a adviser in New York City. "Zoey became a allotment of the family. You accumulate those relationships going. She's absolutely one of those people.
"She's spunky, abounding of activity and a abundant spirit."
Nino Munoz / HANDOUT
Baltimore built-in Zoey Washington styled Keke Palmer for Essence Magazine.
Baltimore built-in Zoey Washington styled Keke Palmer for Essence Magazine. (Nino Munoz / HANDOUT)
Pamela Edwards Christiani, adorableness and appearance administrator at Essence, echoed Perry's sentiments.
"Zoey brings a actual able appearance sensibility, but there is a faculty of whimsy to it," said Christiani, who has formed with Washington back 2006. "She's absolutely acceptable at bond designers with the accountable amount and talent. She aloof gets it. She goes that added step. She has a abundant eye. I can consistently assurance her bazaar assignment and choices."
During a shoot, Washington said, a array of affective genitalia are involved.
"It takes a accomplished aggregation of bodies to get celebrities attractive that effortless," Washington said. "There is a lot of anticipation that goes into every angel that you see in magazines. Every angel absolutely represents hours of prep, emails, buzz calls and meetings. Every angel represents weeks' annual of work."
Dressing celebrities for contest or photo shoots isn't as simple as cogent them what to wear.
"At the end of the day, you can't force addition to abrasion article they don't like — abnormally a celebrity," Washington said. "Some celebrities do accept preferences. They accept personalities. Their personalities are taken into account."
As red-carpet division hits its aiguille — the Oscars are Sunday — we asked Washington to accord some behind-the-scene apparel administration tips.
Keke Palmer
Nino Munoz / HANDOUT
Keke Palmer is on the January 2015 awning of Essence, and she was styled by Baltimore built-in Zoey Washington.
Keke Palmer is on the January 2015 awning of Essence, and she was styled by Baltimore built-in Zoey Washington. (Nino Munoz / HANDOUT)
Washington styled the "Scream Queens" and "Grease: Live" brilliant for Essence's awning in January 2015. Palmer wore an Oscar de la Renta organza bodice, angel cut dress adorned with atramentous calamus and beading embellishments.
"She was so funny and actual energetic," Washington said. "Keke is like a array of activity and enthusiasm. She was active in her heels and jumping on set."
Palmer is slim, which fabricated applicable her easy, according to Washington.
"She has a added able-bodied anatomy and usually dresses in extremes. ... She either wears actual body-conscious clothes or added airy sweats," Washington said. "The key to that shoot was putting her in aerodrome looks that were added courtly and affected because her accustomed activity fabricated aggregate attending youthful."
TIP: If you accept an able-bodied build, don't be abashed to go for a added feminine look, Washington said. "I would advance fuller skirts and added structured contour because they actualize the appearance you appetite for your body," she said.
Kerry Washington
Nino Munoz / HANDOUT
Kerry Washington is on the October 2015 awning of Essence, and she was styled by Baltimore built-in Zoey Washington.
Kerry Washington is on the October 2015 awning of Essence, and she was styled by Baltimore built-in Zoey Washington. (Nino Munoz / HANDOUT)
Zoey Washington styled the "Scandal" brilliant for Essence's October 2015 cover. She additionally styled her for an Entertainment Weekly advance in September 2015. Washington wore a Marc Jacobs camo-print applique clothes for Essence and a atramentous covering bodice top and a atramentous A-line mini brim for Entertainment Weekly.
"Kerry is actual tiny and a absolute appearance plate, so it was so abundant fun to dress her," Washington said. "She has actual able account about how she wants to look, so I capital anniversary best to reflect her faculty of claimed appearance as able-bodied as the artistic administration of the shoot."
TIP: If you are baby like Kerry, booty a added beat access to black wear, Washington said. "Evening looks don't consistently accept to be brawl gowns and candidly sexy. Go for acceptable black capacity like sequins or all over beading, but do them in day-time contour like a T-shirt or shirtdress. Glamour is aloof as abundant about actuality adequate in your bark as it is about attractive red carpeting ready."
Portia de Rossi
Washington styled the "Scandal" added — and Ellen DeGeneres' wife — for the Entertainment Weekly advance in September 2015. De Rossi wore a white, arduous paneled v-neck pleated tulle and organza dress by Jason Wu.
De Rossi is alpine and slender. "You can booty added risks back you are continued and angular like a model," Washington said. "You can accept all the accretion and whistles with addition with Portia's anatomy type."
It didn't aching that de Rossi additionally has her own style.
"I adulation her all-embracing attending and style," she said. "Her appearance is polished. She's actual abreast with a little bit of an edge. She's actual animated and elegant. ... It's actual youthful."
Bonus: De Rossi was absolutely nice. "It was not aloof for appearance or for set or because bodies were watching," Washington said.
TIP: Fabric is your acquaintance if you are congenital like a aerodrome model: "Layering and draping can add anatomy and curves to a attenuate frame," Washington said. "[De Rossi] would attending abundant in Lanvin because it hits her in all the appropriate places."
Usher
Washington styled the singer/actor for the August awning of Essence in 2008 and for an central affection for Essence in 2009. Usher wore a chrism fisherman-knit cashmere sweater and corduroy pants by Ralph Lauren. His then-infant son was additionally cutting head-to-toe Ralph Lauren.
"I can't alike call how acceptable this man smelled," Washington said with a laugh. "Usher knows how he wants to attending at all times, so in that attention he was one of the easiest celebs to style. He is so dapper, but he absolutely knows how to absorb adolescent artery appearance after attractive accidental or silly. He aloof reads affluence to me."
TIP: For men, it can be difficult to acquisition a antithesis amid business and claimed style, according to Washington.
"I would acclaim that you advance in quality, around-the-clock staples [cashmere sweaters, coats, aphotic denim and Alden boots] and accompany the active ability by abacus claimed T's and an advance watch," she said.
Jill Scott
Washington styled the singer/actresses at atomic four times from 2007 to 2009. One of these occasions was for the September 2007 awning of Essence. Scott wore a bittersweet clover off the accept clothes by Igigi.
"She is curvy, gorgeous, and she absolutely embraces her style," Washington said. "I adulation her aplomb and accepted demeanor. I toured with her back she launched a band of plus-sized bras, and she was so caring to everyone. Her appearance is all-embracing with a birr of glam."
TIP: "The best way to appearance off a ample anatomy is to 1,000 percent advance in abundant undergarments," Washington said. "Get adapted for a able bra and absorb the money on ones that fit. An billowing bra can add weight and abashing to your midsection. Once you adept the bra, your accomplished attending aloof avalanche into place."
john-john.williams@baltsun.com
