Are Stylists Necessary?

Stars—they’re just like us! But really this time. Pinching pennies during these trying economic times, celebrities in growing numbers are cutting out style brokers and choosing red-carpet ensembles straight from designers. And who could blame them? When stylists become stars themselves, as in the cases of Rachel Zoe or Stacey London, their behind-the-scenes luster begins to fade. Meanwhile, The Daily Transom reports, design houses like Burberry and Calvin Klein are better marketing themselves directly to clients by hiring “celebrity services” reps whose sole purpose on this earth is to make stylists obsolete. “It used to be that none of the designers even knew the celebrities,” embittered stylist Phillip Bloch told the website. “Then as time progressed and everyone got greedier, they want to cut out the middle person.”