About Cristina and Estee: Two of the most in-demand celebrity stylists in the world today are Cristina Ehrlich and Estee Stanley. You may not have heard of them, but by all means you've probably admired their work! And not only are they fashion stylists - they also design the chic, high-end "Miss Davenporte" clothing line. Based in Los Angeles, the duo gave me the skinny on their style influences and fashion tips.
Their Clients: Although the duo graciously says they never "dress and tell," we hear that Cristina and Estee are regularly responsible for the dazzling looks of Demi Moore, Jessica Biel and Penelope Cruz. And when Nicole Richie famously parted ways with her stylist Rachel Zoe, she turned to Cristina and Estee - and has been a loyal fan ever since!
How They Got Started: These fashion darlings have worked hard to get to the top: Cristina was a former ballet dancer who began as a stylist's assistant, while Estee got her feet wet working on music videos. How did they become a duo? They say: "We started styling as a team a little more than 5 years ago. Our first project together was working on a boy band video and we've been partners ever since." Gotta love it!
Style Philosophy: When I asked about what drives their work, they said: "We like classic, chic style - not trendy. Our goal as stylists is to help each of our clients evolve their own fashion style. We never want anyone we work with to look back ten years from now and wonder what they were thinking when they chose a certain look."
Budget-Friendly Tips: Even though they regularly work with multi-thousand dollar dresses and jewels, Cristina and Estee still know how to dress on a budget. They say the best way is to "find a classic piece and build around it - like a little black dress. Spend your money on quality pieces with great fabrics -- you'll have them forever and won't constantly be re-buying the same silhouettes." But whatever you do buy, just "be sure to pick the pieces that will last forever, not just this week," they add.
Fashion Advice: No matter the budget you're working with, Cristina and Estee say great style is within reach. One of their favorite tips? They say: "You need to pay attention to the little details - things like making sure you don't have deodorant white marks all over your clothes. We love 'Little Black Dress Approved' Degree Women Ultra Clear Deodorant." If you would like to read even more of Cristina and Estee's fashion tips, you can visit www.usmagazine.com/littleblackdress.
Final Words: The most refreshing thing about these gals is that they're so nice! They realize they are lucky ladies, saying: "We're incredibly fortunate to work with such a diverse group of women who have totally different styles and body types -- it means that no one is ever going to look "cookie cutter" because we work with them." Sounds great to me!
