How Stars Can Be Paid $250K To Wear A Designer Dress On The Red Carpet

The people who dress A-listers like Emily Blunt and Lady Gaga reveal what goes on behind the scenes.

Lady Gaga in Paris
Lady Gaga in Paris
(Image credit: Rex Features)

The people who dress A-listers like Emily Blunt and Lady Gaga reveal what goes on behind the scenes.

Ever wondered why celebrities choose their dresses for the red carpet? It might not be based entirely on the gown, midi or mini's appearance.

According to top stylists Jessica Paster, Brandon Maxwell and Brad Goreski, the decision to don a certain designer's creation might be swayed by money.

'If it looks awful on you, $100,000 or $250,000 is not worth it, but if it looks gorgeous and this is the dress you were going to pick anyway, why not get paid?' said Jessica at the Vulture Festival's Hollywood Power Stylist Panel this weekend.

Jessica - who counts A-lister Emily Blunt as one of VIPs she styles - made the revelation to The Cut's senior editor Isabel Wilkinson and openly discussed the fact she's netted between $30,000 and $50,000 for picking a certain outfit herself.

'Let's not forget that when [designers] make these custom dresses, they’re spending about $100,000 dollars, so someone is getting paid.'

Brandon, who has worked with chart-topping singer Lady Gaga, doesn't see any problem with this happening, stating: 'It's all wrapped up in money. It's Hollywood, we’re not at church!'

'The whole point of having a stylist is that you can make more money, or more people will want to hire you or the brand that you’re wearing is making more money because it's driving sales.'

Although this presents a challenge for young designers who don't have thousands of spare pounds to dish out on some levels, Brad is adamant that he wouldn't rule out picking something crafted by an unknown if one of his stars bagged a last-minute invite to an bash.

'If we get a call that one of our clients is going to an event that night, we are going to pull what we have access to so if there's a young designer in a showroom and I think your dress is dope, I’m pulling it,' he adds.

'I’m not going like, "Oh, I don’t know who this person is".'

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