How Celebrity Stylist Jamie Mizrahi Landed Her Big Break

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Celebrity stylist Jamie Mizrahi always loved playing dress-up. “I was always interested in fashion. Growing up, playing in my mom’s closet and her jewelry box, it always interested me getting dressed for school, laying out my outfits,” Mizrahi said.

Mizrahi was in college when she realized working in fashion could be a job. After countless internships and different roles in the fashion world, Mizrahi found her calling as a stylist. “It wasn’t till I came out to L.A., [where] really the only aspect of styling that existed out here was celebrity. That’s kind of how I fell into it. It wasn’t the goal from the beginning,” Mizrahi said.

In addition to styling everyone from Jennifer Lawrence to Adele, Mizrahi also co-founded Kit Undergarments and even worked as the creative director for Juicy Couture from 2016 to 2018.

Most recently, Mizrahi collaborated with 7 for All Mankind by styling its S/S 24 campaign.

For the latest episode of Who What Wear With Hillary Kerr, Who What Wear’s editor in chief, Kat Collings, sat down with Mizrahi to discuss her big break in fashion, what drew her to work with 7 for All Mankind, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

I’d love to start at the beginning and hear a bit about your early days. How did you discover an interest in fashion? What parts of the industry were you drawn to?

I was always interested in fashion. Growing up, playing in my mom’s closet and her jewelry box. it always interested me getting dressed for school, laying out my outfits.

It wasn’t till probably my sophomore year of college that I realized it could be a profession. When I was 13, 14, I always worked at clothing stores. I didn’t realize that there were other professions within the fashion world and that you could be paid to get people dressed.

I did a ton of internships, working at magazines, learning about editorial styling, and calling in clothes and kind of how that world worked. Then I worked at this place called the Albright Fashion Library that was a place where a stylist would come and pull clothes for projects—whether it be commercials, music videos, editorial, celebrity styling—and that’s where I really got introduced to what a stylist was outside of stylists and editors for magazines.

I think Linda Rodin was probably the first. She was doing a Victoria’s Secret commercial or campaign, and she came in, and I helped her pull clothes from the showroom. I remember she wanted this Hervé Léger dress that I actually personally owned. We didn’t have it at Albright. I remember she came over to my apartment, and her assistant borrowed it from me. I was so interested to just get on set and understand what that looked like.

Then I started working for an editorial stylist. Then I worked at Vogue magazine more in events.

It wasn’t till I came out to L.A., [where] really the only aspect of styling that existed out here was celebrity. That’s kind of how I fell into it. It wasn’t the goal from the beginning.

Fashion, at the time, wasn’t as present in L.A. I don’t think there were designers that lived here. There weren’t really fashion houses. People weren’t doing fashion shows in L.A. It was just a different time 12, 13, years ago.

Living here, having my now-husband be from here, I think I was like, “Okay, I’m here to stay, so let me figure out how I can build a career in L.A. based around styling, where I can make the most money and be the most inspired and kind of have access to designers by being affiliated with people who are doing interesting projects.”

Your client Jennifer Lawrence is a regular on the Who What Wear homepage. And I feel like we’ve seen an evolution toward really sophisticated looks and leaning into this fashion girls’ fashion. Can you share a bit about when you teamed up and developing this vision?

I think that she’s as big of a part of it as I am. We ended up working together. I’ve been a friend of her husband’s for a long time. We’re neighbors. It just kind of organically happened. Borrowing clothes from my closet, being friends, also just a real appreciation for educating each other on film—her educating me—and me educating her on fashion. She’s interested in it.

I think just our ability to communicate and collaborate is what makes it so fun and hopefully so successful. I think she has really good taste and really cares about learning about new designers and channeling different time periods.

It’s really just like a collaboration. When you have an understanding of how you communicate and you feel really comfortable with someone, I think there’s normally great results. It’s just really fun. More than anything, the process is really fun.

As I said, she has amazing taste, but also in projects, art, and architecture. We kind of speak the same language and our appreciation for beautiful things and learning and evolving.

In addition to your celebrity client styling, you also styled the 7 for All Mankind S/S 24 campaign. Knowing that you started out in editorial styling—but it’s not your main focus—I’m curious what about this job attracted to you? What made you say yes to this campaign besides 7 [for All Mankind] being iconic L.A. denim?

That’s what made me say yes to the campaign is that I remember getting my first pair of 7s. I remember 7s being such an iconic brand. They were probably my first pricier denim that I saved up to get.

I remember I worked at Scoop in New York, and everyone wanted them. You remember the pocket with the squiggle. I just had a real appreciation for the brand and nostalgia for the brand, so I was excited to work with the brand.

Sitting down with a stylist, I have to ask what trends or shifts in style do you think are coming in and relevant for this upcoming season spring/summer?

I think wide-leg denim has been a thing, and I think they’ll continue to be a thing.

I think denim-on-denim. Accessories. Just adding an interesting accessory to everything you’re wearing.

Infusing different colors in a more basic wardrobe—whether it be a belt or a pair of socks or a headband or a hat or gloves.

I also think lots of sheer fabrics and jewel tones.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Next, check out our interview with fashion creators on how they found their personal style.