MEET THE STYLIST: TONI FERRARA
A Conversation with Toni Ferrara, Celebrity Stylist
It's that time of week again to sit down and get better acquainted with one of the industry's hardest working stylists. This week we sat down with Toni Ferrara.
Celebrity Fashion Stylist & Style Expert, Toni Ferrara is based in Beverly Hills, CA. With more than 10 years of experience in fashion under her ultra trendy belt, Ferrara's resume reads like a who’s who of Hollywood. She's worked with A-List talent, such as Kim Kardashian, Kate Beckinsale, Kristin Chenoweth, Kathy Griffin, Paula Abdul, and Ryan Seacrest, just to name a few. Ferrara styles & consults for fashion photo shoots, celebrity editorials, red carpet dressing, music videos, films, and commercial advertisements; along with these projects she enjoys styling her private clients. Recently, she was selected by Fashion Group International as one of the "100 Most Iconic Influences" in LA fashion. Currently, Ferrara is the Fashion Editor for Beverly Hills LifeStyle magazine. In 2012, Ferrara became a Fashion Expert for InStyle magazine. Catch her style tips & tricks in the Reader Q & A section. She is also Style Network's MyStyle and AOL Stylelist's go-to-gal for fashion “Must Have” trends & tips. As a respected style expert she is regularly quoted in various newspapers, magazines, and blogs. Above all else she loves to see the transformation in a client’s confidence from average to STYLE ICON in minutes!
SS: What is your favorite wardrobe item? Toni: My favorite wardrobe item would have to be my little black dress by Roland Mouret. I'm an avid fan of classic and timeless elegance. You can never go wrong with a LBD in your closet. It’s perfect no matter where my jet-setting life takes me. In LA, I can pair it with a blazer and colored heel and in NYC, a great pair of boots and a leather jacket. The beauty about an LBD is it can take you from meetings with top editors, to date night with just a change of accessory!
SS: What is your most memorable 'panic moment'? Toni: Wow! Where to begin? I've had a few memorable ‘panic’ moments in my career; from broken zippers to sewing clients in their Chanel dress in the limo on the way to the Golden Globes, to a celebrity publicist who claimed her client was a size 4, but really was a 6/8. (I had to cut clothing in the back, line the garment with safety pins and use a shoelace to corset it into place. Yes! Stylists really are the MacGyver’s of fashion.) Most recently, I had dressed a client in a beautiful canary yellow BCBG Max Azria dress for a red carpet event where she was hosting. During her interviews, another celebrity in a short dress with a fresh spray tan hugged her. The brown spray tan was a clear imprint of that celebrity’s leg on my client’s gorgeous gown. My client called me almost in tears (while I was at dinner) sayingthat she needed a new dress for the after party that night.
SS: How did you recover from it gracefully? Toni: I quickly told my friend what had happened, (we hadn’t even ordered entrees at this point) and paid for our drinks. I ran home, grabbed a short black bandage dress from my styling closet, and headed downtown to meet her. We changed in the JW Marriott bathroom downstairs. My client couldn’t stop thanking me and was a good sport about it. We laugh about this incident now
SS: What is your favorite fashion era? Toni: The era I connect with most is the 50’s. The 50’s were the times when the ‘wiggle’ dress and the Christian Dior’s “New Look” made their precedent. Hourglass figures were worshipped and women dressed up for every part of the day. The clothing was flattering to a woman's, figure and fit was crucial. Who doesn’t love the 50’s? I still am inspired by Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and Marilyn Monroe. Their style is the epitome of sexy, classy, and timeless.
SS: What was your 'big break'? Toni: I’m a very humble girl from the south. I know that I have done a LOT in my short time as a stylist in Hollywood. I’ve experienced places and people that most people who have been in the industry for twice as long as I have, have experienced. My resume is impressive to most, but I’d like to think that my journey is still being written daily with new experiences, new clients, and amazing new opportunities to share my style with the world.
SS: Whose closet would you most like to raid? Toni: I’d absolutely love to raid Patricia Fields' styling closet. She is by far one of my favorite stylist & costume designers. The woman who is single-handedly responsible for setting the style for Sex & the City and The Devil Wears Prada has to have one-of-a-kind pieces that every girl dreams about. I mean after all, she was the one who gave Carrie Bradshaw her first pair of Manolos.
SS: Who are your favorite designers? Toni: The beauty of the fashion world is, your favorite designers can change depending on seasons. I am currently a huge fan of Prabal Gurung, Naeem Khan, Alexander Wangrac, Rachel Roy, Oscar Dela Renta, and Basil Soda. Some of your classic designers are like old friends, reliable and true. You know exactly what you are getting with a Chanel skirt suit, a Dolce & Gabbana corset, and a Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress. I love discovering cutting edge designers who are up and coming that have the versatility, fit, and quality of some of the major design houses.
You can check out Toni's blog at www.TheStylistInTheCity.com, check her out on Facebook, visit her personal website at www.ToniFerrara.com or Tweet her @ToniFerrara!