MEET THE STYLIST: LISA MICHELLE BOYD

A Conversation with Celebrity Stylist Lisa Michelle Boyd

We love sitting down to talk with stylists. So you can imagine our excitement that we got to sit down and chat with celebrity stylist Lisa Michelle Boyd recently. She is the creative genius behind so many looks for celebrities such as Mila Kunis, Chloe Moretz, Anna Kendrick, Kate Beckinsale, Charlize Theron and the list goes on. Lisa Michelle hails from Ohio but has been working in Los Angeles and New York now for over 15 years as one of the most sought out stylists by photographers and celebrities. She also consults with designs firms such as century-old jeweler, Kwiat, who paired up with Lisa to design a red carpet collection that was ready for debut in time for the 2005 Oscars. Lisa Michelle's aesthetic is not typical as she works with actual designers to come up with the best gowns for her clients. Lisa Michelle has worked with A-list celebrities such as Thandie Newton, Christina Ricci, Jada Pinkett Smith, Selma Blair, and Hilary Swank and amazing photographers such as Yu Tsai, Marc Hom, Nick Night, Kayte Jones, Dewey Nicks, Nino Munoz, Matt Jones, Robert Ascroft, Ondrea Barbe and Andrew MacPherson. Her reputation has lent her to working on editorials such as Blackbook, Arena, Glamour, Interview Magazine, Wonderland Magazine, Marie Claire, and Flaunt Magazine to name a few. Check out Lisa's answers to our questions below!

SS: What is your favorite wardrobe item?

Lisa Michelle: My favorite piece of jewelry is a Panthere de Cartier 18kt Gold Pave diamond necklace given to me by Charlize Theron. We were all in Japan for a press tour and were dining at a restaurant where all that was served was the Chef's choice: a dish with a huge fish head, eyes still intact. After a long night of sake, Charlize dared me to eat one of the eyes and in exchange I would be gifted the Cartier necklace. Well... I own the necklace! In Ms. Theron's fashion it was given to me the next day!

SS: What is your most memorable panic moment?

Lisa Michelle: TSA steals! Seriously, I dread getting on a flight with wardrobe. Either you'll be robbed or your bags will be lost. I was returning to Los Angeles from a fitting with Thandie Newton in Toronto for her character in the 2012 Roland Emmerich film. In my luggage were Chanel pieces, which of course included handbags. They opened locked luggage and took a few!

SS: How did you recover from it gracefully?

Lisa Michelle: When we picked up the luggage, the bags were relocked. I didn't give it a second thought. I was elated just to see them arrive. It wasn't until my assistant started unpacking that we realized the theft. All I could do was call Chanel's PR and tell the truth. I was told not to worry! Relationships are everything.

SS: What is your favorite fashion era?

Lisa Michelle: Definitely the late 60's early 70's.

SS: What was your big break?

Lisa Michelle: My first shoot with Charlize Theron. It was the iconic cover of Andrew Macpherson's book, Two Million Miles. Macpherson, Shane Paish, Enzo Angileri, and I worked together on this shoot as a team and continued working together for 5 years following! It was an amazing experience.

SS: Whose closet would you most like to raid?

Lisa Michelle: Actually no "real" person. But I would choose the wardrobe rooms of Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour, Jane Fonda in Klute, Julie Christie in Shampoo, and Faye Dunaway in Eyes of Laura Mars. True story! Anyone who knows me knows I'm obsessed with Jane Fonda! One day I saw her in the Saks Fifth Avenue's shoe department and was basically stalking her. I finally started a conversation with her detailing my obsession, which of course turned to her wardrobe in Klute. She said, "I hated the wardrobe they had for me so I brought in all my own clothes." My obsession only got worse. LOVE her!

SS: Who are your favorite designers?

Lisa Michelle: Paco Rabanne, Geoffrey Beene, Azzedine Alaia, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens, Alber Elbaz, John Galliano, Nicolas Ghesquiere (formerly of Balenciaga), Karl Lagerfeld, RAF Simons, Tom Ford, Thierry Mugler and Elsa Schiaparelli.