This week we teleport to LA to chat with celebrity and editorial stylist Laura Cox
@laura_sophie_cox
Photo Credit: Brandon Kaipo Moningka
@kaipo81
Would you tell us a little bit about what you do?
I am a British Celebrity and Editorial stylist, based in Los Angeles. My clients include Emma Watson, Olivia Rodrigo, Natalia Reyes, Jacqueline Toboni and Paola Núñez. We have collaborated on everything from world press tours to award season events to advertising campaigns. I have worked with sustainable brands and platforms including @byrotationofficial, @senreve, and @triarchy and regularly contribute for @whowhatwear, @nytimes and @wwd, as a sustainability advocate.
How and when did you get into fashion styling?
My career began in the magazine world over 10 years ago with an internship at Glamour UK. From there, I went onto to become Fashion Editor Hannah Teare’s First Assistant and freelanced with publications including American Vogue, British Vogue, Vanity Fair and Stylist.
What took you to LA?
In 2016, I was living in New York and ready for a new adventure. An amazing opportunity arose to run Celebrity Stylist Micaela Erlanger’s office in Los Angeles. For two Award Seasons I dressed Oscar-winning and nominated Actors before setting up my own business in 2018. With years of editorial and celebrity styling experience under my belt, it felt like the right time to venture out on my own!
As an industry we are having a detrimental effect both socially and environmentally, when it comes to styling do you take this into account when working with brands?
Sustainability lies at the heart of my business. This crucial conversation of sustainability is exciting and important for me to think about, both as a stylist and a consumer. The fast fashion facts are terrifying: 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make polyester; 150 million trees are cut down every year to make fabric and micro-plastics from our clothing are polluting the shorelines.
My clients and I aspire to be working with brands that champion sustainability and think with environmental responsibility. Celebrating progressive designers in this arena and platforming the brands who push against the tide, is a powerful message on the red carpet.
I think a lot of people have a different take on ‘sustainable’ how would you define it?
Transparency throughout a company’s entire supply chain. As customers, we have the right to know the full details of a brand’s labour conditions, their sourcing strategies, the materials being used and their environmental and animal expectations.
What to you are the three most pressing sustainability related issues that we face in the fashion industry?
Fast fashion. One-hundred billion items of clothing are produced annually, and 50% of fast fashion is disposed of within a year, ending up in our landfills. Those companies making $5 t-shirts aren’t just continuing to do business as usual, they’re actually growing. The frenetic pace of change means consumers are pushed into buying the latest items to stay on trend. The global fashion economy is speeding up at such a rapid pace but companies and those at the top need to be held accountable.
Denim. On average, creating one pair of jeans can use up to 1800 gallons of water to create. Checking your labels when purchasing is imperative! My go-to sustainable denim brands: @triarchy, @elvdenim and @citizensofhumanity.
Fabric. Non-organic cotton is the largest pesticide consuming crop. One polyester dress can take over 200 years to biodegrade. Choosing sustainable fabrics is one of the first things we can all do to make our wardrobes more eco-friendly. Buy organic natural fibres. There are so many futuristic and innovative fabrics such as Tencel, Piñatex and Econyl being utilized within the sustainability sphere.
For a consumer interested in sustainability what should they consider when purchasing a garment?
Prioritise socially responsible brands and research a brand’s ethics before purchasing. Avoid brands that don’t pay fair wages and aren’t transparent about their supply chain. Show love to those designers that are sourcing responsibly and adhering to social responsibility. Use those important apps to help you. It can be a minefield out there, but @goodonyou_app pulls all the information together and gives each brand an easy-to-understand score. They do all the hard work for you – they are my sustainability bible!
Look at alternatives. Shop vintage @whatgoesaroundnyc, @beaconscloset, @timelessvixen, @monvintage. Buy secondhand @therealreal, @depop, @farfetch. I also love to use rental services @byrotationofficial and @hurr.
What are your go to brands?
Excluding the beautiful designs by @kaparalondon, @maggiemarilyn has endless optimism about the future of our beautiful industry. Her fierce determination to create change and problem solve is inspiring. @rosie_assoulin encompasses romantically fantastical designs injected with electric colours. @christydawn for daily whimsical dresses, and @motherofpearl - creative genius Amy Powney is a force to be reckoned with and provides a strong voice within our industry to inspire a new generation of designers.
As a celebrity stylist the lack of events that have happened in the past 6 months must have been tough, how have you found it?
I have had to adapt my business. Client events have been happening virtually but I have spent time working on editorials, with much smaller sets, writing, brand collaborations with sustainable platforms and I have two very special capsule collections coming out in 2021, which I am really excited to share with the world soon!
How do you like to switch off?
Podcasts, daily swims in the ocean and hiking!
