Celeb Styling: Here’s What Actually Happens Before The Red Carpet

If you’ve watched any awards show since the year 2000, you’ve probably seen celeb stylist Adir Abergel’s (@hairbyadir) work. He’s the hairdresser behind some of Hollywood’s most memorable beauty moments—his clientele is made up of names like Kristen Stewart, Saoirse Ronan, Jessica Biel, Rooney Mara and Reese Witherspoon! He’s also the creative director for Virtue! Adir went live on Instagram with BTC Founder Mary Rector-Gable to dish out all things celeb styling, plus he walked us through what actually happens before the red carpet. Check it all out and watch the full video below! 

Do you dream of styling celebs? Here’s what to expect.

1. Adir starts his prep a few weeks before each awards show. While he doesn’t know what dresses his clients will be wearing, he starts by pulling references and images to study and find inspiration. Adir builds close relationships with his clients and those connections are an important part of the process. “You have to know your girl,” shares Adir. “What I do on Rooney Mara, I would never do on Reese Witherspoon.”

Rooney always opts for an upstyle, so Adir is constantly imagining new and unique ways to create a variety of ponytails, knots and braids.

2. On the morning of each show, Adir wakes up and starts his day with a 10-minute meditation. Then, he sits with his team (he always works with three assistants!) and preps for the day, reviewing his references and deciding who’s doing what so there’s no surprises! This includes: posting Insta stories, collecting and downloading finished shots, having products ready, etc.

3. Then, Adir and his team head out and fuel up for the big day. “We all get in the car and stop at Urth Caffé in LA for healthy food that’s pure energy,” shares Adir.

4. Then, the magic happens. Adir sits down with the makeup artist, stylist and actress. If possible, he asks to see the actress in her dress to study her proportions—this helps Adir make the final call for what style will best complete the look.

5. Adir’s average styling time is 1 hour and 45 minutes. Here’s his go-to routine:

• “Red carpet is all about the right foundation,” shares Adir. “So, I give all of my clients Virtue shampoo and conditioner to prep their hair.”
• Apply Virtue Uplifted Volumizing Whip to the roots on damp hair. This creates the memory and foundation for styles that last all night long.
• Blow-dry the hair to create style-ready texture. Then, Adir creates a unique style, often embellished with twine, gold or other accent pieces.
• Apply hairspray, pomade or texture spray to lock in the finished look.

6. Sometimes Adir has multiple women to prep at once, so how does he handle two celebs AND two major looks in only a few hours? At the 2018 Golden Globes, actresses Saoirse Ronan and Jessica Biel booked rooms in the same hotel, so Adir was able to run (literally!) back and forth between the rooms to style both women.

Get Jessica Biel’s Golden Globes look HERE!

Get Saoirse Ronan’s Golden Globes look HERE!

7. Once the celebs have officially left the building, Adir works with his team to organize his finished shots, create how-tos and answer interview questions. This takes hours of work (usually wrapping up around 10pm), and then Adir heads to the after-parties to socialize and network. 

Watch the full interview below!