Awards season kicked off with WWD’s inaugural Style Awards on Friday night at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, honoring the fashion visionaries and beauty leaders who craft iconic red carpet moments, from the stars themselves to the glam teams behind them.
“Public Tracee was in the closet,” Tracee Ellis Ross said of returning to a social affair after the holiday break. “I shook her out. I put her in the shower, and I was like, ‘We’ve got to get dressed.’” She was honored with the Fashion Trailblazer award.
Ross brought laughs during her speech, declaring: “Do not wait for events to wear your pretty clothes. You are the special occasion. Whip them out for the market, put on a red lip when you workout, and just be your inner song.”
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Defining style, she said, “It’s the confidence that your bones give you to let your heart sing, your soul dance and your feet walk your own path. It is the way you dress and it is the way you live. If there’s any trail that I’ve blazed, I hope it’s paved with the footprints of my humanity, my service, my wholeness, my accountability, my gratitude, my joy and my delight. And in a world that is attempting to steal so much of our freedom and censor our expression, I think that 2025 is the perfect time to be free in your expression and your joy.”
Celebrity facialist Iván Pol, who works with Kim Kardashian, Sabrina Carpenter and more, shared upon receiving the Skin Savior recognition, that he started his career in fashion with WWD: “My first ever cover when I was a makeup artist was with WWD, so to be honored for something I have so much passion for is the ultimate gift and reward.”
Pati Dubroff, whose clients include Margot Robbie and first muse was actually Barbie, was also reflective when winning Best Makeup Artist: “I remember when I was younger, I was really focused on the joy that I would see in the person whose makeup I was doing, the joy they would feel when they looked themselves in the mirror. That’s all I cared about. But then I started to realize that the beauty that they’re putting out in the world is inspiring the entire world, and that’s what we do. We inspire the world through our art, our craft, our passion.”
Chris Appleton — named Best Hairstylist for his work with Jennifer Lopez, Kardashian and others — thanked his parents, who flew out from the U.K. “I’ve been since a young age helping people transform from the outside, starting with my mom,” he said. Meanwhile designer Wes Gordon, who was awarded Red Carpet Visionary, showed appreciation for his team, adding, “At the end of the day, if we can make something that makes a woman feel empowered and beautiful, it’s a success.”
Kate Young, honored for her fashion styling for clients Michelle Williams, Dakota Johnson and others, was quick to praise those who work alongside her, including the tailers who don’t get enough recognition, she said, adding: “I just feel like this world is so stressful, and what everyone in this room provides is beauty and fashion, and it gives us a little bit of a way to create joy and stress all that together.”
“Shōgun” actress and Golden Globes nominee Anna Sawai, awarded Fashion Newcomer, put the spotlight on her stylist, Karla Welch: “She is the mastermind behind every look. It’s not easy dressing someone who’s short like I am.”
“I am standing up, I’m just this small,” men’s groomer Jamie Taylor also joked about her height, when it was her turn to take the mic. “I know I have the best job in the world, the best clients. Thank you Nicholas for coming with me tonight,” she said of client Nicholas Hoult, who came out in support.
Guests at ceremony included Elizabeth Olsen, Justine Lupe, Christian Louboutin, Jonathan Simkhai, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Leila George, Adria Arjona, Abigail Spencer, Jimmy Akingbola, Melanie Liburd, Kathy Hilton, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Flavia Lanini, Leah Kateb, Camilla Luddington, Darren Barnet, Christina Kirkman, Chriselle Lim, Charlotte Lawrence and Jeannie Mai.
On the red carpet, Ross said, “I’m always tickled, tickled, tickled,” of the recognition, “Mostly because I think it justifies the shopping habit,” she laughed. “It tells the little person in me who won’t stop shopping that it’s worth it.”
Her last splurge was a Balenciaga tote: “It’s a really big one. It’s called the Bel Air, and I got the extra-large.”
She had on an Alaïa jumpsuit for the occasion, with a matching belt and bag, Saint Laurent heels and Phoebe Philo earrings. While she typically works with Welch, who was also in attendance, Ross dressed herself.
“It’s out of my closet this evening, things you guys have seen me in,” she said. “I have quite a wonderful journey will Karla and all the glam folks. In the beginning I had to do it all myself for so long. I also was a stylist, so I know what the job is — it’s a lot of schlepping,” she smiled.
How has she seen the job evolve? “The red carpet is now an industry.”
Appleton knows a thing or two about the impact of a red carpet moment, working with the likes of Lopez and Kardashian.
“There’s a couple of things that people always bring up to me,” he said of his creations. “Most of the time, it’s Jlo’s hair, big, sexy hair, like at the Super Bowl. It never really goes out of fashion. Kim’s Met ball looks, the one in the Mugler dress with the wet waves. I think because it told a story. It looked like she was getting out of the water, with her hair wet.”
What’s next in hair?
“I feel like we’re in a different space, which I’m really excited about,” he said of current trends. “I feel like for the longest time, people got labeled. I don’t think it’s great that people get put in boxes, and people love to do that. Thinking about eras, the 60s was the bouffant, the 90s was the Jennifer Aniston haircut. Now it’s all about change at the flick of a finger. Someone has short hair, long hair, then they’ve got bangs but then the bangs are gone. People want to know more about changing up their style on the daily. What’s on the forecast is change.”
“My prediction is this, we’re going to see more extremes,” said hairstylist and TV personality Jonathan Van Ness, who will be taking the beauty stage at WWD’s Eye on the Red Carpet livestream on Sunday at the Golden Globes. “I think we’re going to see more expression with hair. When Republicans are in the White House and there’s conservative governments in power, people tend to express themselves through their style more.”
For makeup artist Patrick Ta, “It’s all about the stained bitten lips, a nice flesh of color cheek, really keeping it minimal.”
At the Golden Globes, he’ll be working with Sara Foster, producer of Netflix’s hit “Nobody Wants This.” They met through her former half-sister, Gigi Hadid — Ta’s longtime client.
“This is going to be my 11th Golden Globes,” said Ta, explaining the glam for the day. “I feel like fresh skin is always the way to go, something understated, not too much, really showing your true beauty.”
Naturally, he’s rooting for “Nobody Wants This,” nominated for Best Musical or Comedy TV Series, along with Best Actor and Best Actress in the category for leads Adam Brody and Kristen Bell.
“That TV show was so funny,” said Ta. “I binged the entire season in a day.”
“I really loved ‘Better Man,’ the Michael Gracey movie,” said actress Kathryn Newton. The film is up for Best Original Song for “Forbidden Road” by Robbie Williams, who stars in the biopic and is portrayed as a chimpanzee with CGI. “I was touched by his use of a monkey. The monkey had me have empathy in a different way. I think if Robbie Williams was just a human, I wouldn’t have felt as bad for him. I really liked it.”
For Gordon, “Anora” is a standout. The film is nominated for Best Musical or Comedy Motion Picture and Best Actress for its star, Mikey Madison. “I was blown away.”
“‘Anora’ is up there for me,” chimed in actress and “Abbott Elementary” creator Quinta Brunson. No stranger to an award show, Brunson is nominated yet again for her ABC hit. “Also, and she’s in my category, but I thought Kathryn Hahn was incredible in ‘Agatha All Along.’ I was really excited to see her get nominated. I’m just always rooting for her. She’s a lovely woman, and I would never be upset at losing an award to her.”
Standing alongside Gordon, Brunson was in one of his Carolina Herrera designs.
“First of all, I just love the color,” she said of her cobalt blue gown. “This is probably one of my favorite shades. When I saw it come in, I was just over the moon to be able to wear it. Like most of his designs, it works very well with me. The struggle is often picking a dress, because I have so many options.”
While the two have been working together for several months, it was their first time meeting.
“We’ve had a long-distance relationship,” joked Gordon. “This is her fourth moment recently in Herrera. She always looks so beautiful. I’m so grateful. I think at the end of the day, the dresses are just fabric. It takes an amazing woman to turn it into something special.”
Sawai, too, wore cobalt blue. Working with Welch, they opted for a custom Louis Vuitton two-piece.
“We tried on a couple of outfits today, and when I wore this, I was like, ‘Done. I love it,” she continued.
It’ll be her first time attending the Globes for “Shōgun,” which swept the Emmys with 18 wins.
“For the Emmys, I was crying all day,” said Sawai. “I was meeting people that I didn’t think I would ever meet, and I was so emotional. So, this time, [at the Globes], I just want to be happy and say hi to everyone, all smiles and just have fun.”
