When the SAG-AFTRA strike started in Hollywood this July, the industry’s glitzy red carpet events came to a halt immediately (literally: the cast of Oppenheimer walked out of the UK premiere). While members of the union—which represents more than 160,000 television and movie actors, voice artists, and other performers—demanded a new contract with AMPTP, many other industry professionals such as stylists, and hair and makeup artists were impacted as well. “I was in the midst of preparing for clients who were scheduled to be at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals,” says stylist Elizabeth Stewart, who dresses Julia Roberts, Viola Davis, and Amanda Seyfried. “My clients weren’t working, so I wasn’t working. But it was a pivotal moment for our industry, and extremely important that my clients take part.”
The strike ended up lasting a staggering 118 days—which meant over five months of unpaid work for stylists, and the stars that they dress. “The summer was terrible, because it was suddenly dead, but I had no idea how long it would last,” says Ilaria Urbinati, who styles leading Hollywood gents such as Barry Keoghan and Dwayne Johnson. Karla Welch—who counts America Ferrera, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Greta Gerwig as clients—agrees it was an uncertain time. “Nobody knew how long the strike would last. “We had so many press tours pending. It was a real waiting game on when to prep, when to not prep.”
As a result, many stylists shifted their day-do-day operations, and focused on other sources of income, such as collaborations with fashion brands. Stylist Kate Young, who dresses Julianne Moore and Dakota Johnson, focused on designing a new ready-to-wear collection made in partnership with Splendid; Welch continued working on developing her own intimates brand, The Period Company, and working with singers such as Lorde. “I have never been reliant on the red-carpet season,” says Welch. “I pivoted years ago with my brand and collaborations.”
In mid-November, however, the Hollywood strike officially came to an end, as SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP came to a tentative deal. Some stylists started pulling red carpet looks the very next day. “The strike ended during cocktail hour at the Creative Time Gala, and Julianne Moore and I were there together, so we started talking about her premiere look for May December within minutes,” says Young. Welch shares an equally quick turnaround time. “Vanessa Kirby s Paris premiere for Napoleon was days later,” she says.
It helps that Hollywood events overall have picked right up, too. This past month alone, there have been the Gotham Awards, the LACMA Gala, and the Academy Museum Gala, among others. All saw huge celebrity turnouts—and the crowds were dressed to impress. (Julia Roberts has been embracing festive holiday style, while Margot Robbie has continued her reign of Barbie looks). “We hit the ground running the morning after the strike ended,” says Urbinati, who has been recently focusing on dressing Barry Keoghan during his Saltburn tour (don’t miss his Givenchy vest this week). “It was a little funny, because my team and I had been planning this tour for months, and suddenly it was happening. We made it work—but it was more hectic than I would have normally wanted.”
The momentum isn’t going to slow down anytime soon, either. With awards season coming up in January—starting with the 2024 Golden Globes on January 7th—stylists are now scrambling to conjure up even more fabulous looks. “We’re doing the same kind of prep we always do, but we normally would have started a little earlier,” says Young.
Another complication: there are more red carpets in a shorter time span, to make up for those that would have happened during the strike. “It’s chaos because normally at this point, the race would be whittled down with the front runners,” says Welch. “Right now, everyone is campaigning—but we’re just going to go with the flow.”
But many stylists are more than ready for the challenge. “It feels hectic—but fun,” says Urbinati. “I actually really love awards season. It’s crazy, but it’s where us stylists really get to flex.”
