Stylist Leslie Fremar: ‘It’s about making the woman feel as beautiful as she can’

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For years, Hollywood stylists were the unsung heroes of fashion – dream-weavers who masterfully dressed the stars, helping to concoct the red-carpet imagery that would captivate the media and launch trends. More and more, though, stylists are getting their due respect and recognition, and the influence some of them wield when it comes to both shaping a star's image and selling a label is profound. Leslie Fremar, a 38-year-old Toronto-born talent, has been named a top "power" stylist by the Hollywood Reporter several years running. She claims an impressive client list that includes Julianne Moore, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Connelly.

Fremar, who lives in New York with her husband and two little boys, divides her time between styling and consulting, and has earned the reputation of being one of the most consistent visionaries in the business. A former Flare magazine intern and model, Fremar studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology and eventually landed a job at American Vogue assisting editor-in-chief Anna Wintour; a stint at Prada, heading up Celebrity Relations, followed. Most recently, Fremar was tasked with helping to curate and launch the SQ1 Concept pop-up store at Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga – a temporary boutique offering an assortment of Canadian labels. I spoke with Fremar while she was in Toronto, and she divulged how she's managed to win the confidence of some of Hollywood's biggest stars.

What about the fashion world appealed to you from such a young age?

The excitement. And I loved photography – my bedroom was covered in pages from magazines. I was really interested in it as an art form, and I look at clothes like that today.

Did you grow up in a fashionista kind of household?

No, I grew up in the suburbs. Just a normal family. I don't know where it comes from, but I'm very passionate about [fashion]. And I'll do this until I'm no longer passionate about it. I've tried to figure out where and how and why I got into fashion, and I don't really know. I think that the personality I have, the confidence, just helps me make decisions. I make them and I move forward and I never really look back, so I think that confidence helps people believe in what I'm saying.

So many high-profile celebrities entrust their image to you, and that's big, because so much of their success is based on their image. How do you cultivate these relationships and garner their trust?

The relationships come from two directions. You have your clients, who need to trust you. And the designers you work with also need to trust you in giving you their clothes and letting go of them, hoping that the final product is something that they are also proud of. As a stylist, you are contributing hair and makeup choices and you're doing all the accessories. You're making sure that it all fits and then you're sending these stars out into the world, and then they're saying they're wearing a particular label. It's a big announcement. I also think longevity helps. When you work with someone for a long time and you learn about what they like and what they don't like, and all their insecurities. I think that trust comes over time and that it becomes easier and better.

How do you encourage some of the icons you dress, such as Reese Witherspoon, to take a chance and step out of their comfort zone a little bit?

I try to explain to them how it's a business and how collaborating with the right designers elevates their image. And I just try to make the right connections for them – which designers work with their body type in mind. I also think that it has a lot to do with time spent together. Reese and I have worked together for a long time, so there's a level of comfort there. She trusts me.

Could you articulate what makes a great red carpet look? Is there a way of describing what that magic is all about?

It's about making the woman feel as beautiful as she can. When she feels beautiful, that shines through. And I think that really reads in a picture. It's all about making sure that you're figuring it out with them in mind – not you.

Has there ever been a time when you sent someone out there and then had second thoughts or maybe weren't as happy with the results as you would have thought you would be?

I think for small events that happens, but when things are really thought through, or we're making an Oscar gown that we were working on for a month, I'm pretty secure in my decisions and I really don't look back. I try to stay focused and just move forward. I feel good about my choices. Hopefully that remains.

I wonder about the responsibility that some of these stars feel, coming out in a particular look and realizing that the shock waves they send out into the world could give birth to who-knows-what trends. Do you think that they're aware of that responsibility? And do you think that a lot of them take it seriously?

I think that they are aware. But I think they try not to give it too much thought. If you think about it, maybe it would create nerves or doubt in yourself, which they try and avoid, I think. It's become a job and they are embracing it. When you sign up to do a movie, you also sign up to do all the press that is attached to it. They also want to look their best and I think that when they look good, they get roles from that. So it's kind of a cycle.

Lately some people have been saying that the creative spirit has been sucked out of fashion because it's become such a big business. What's your take?

I feel it a little bit. It is a business and we all understand that. But at the end of the day, I think the artists are really creating things that are inspiring and the world of fashion is still inspiring. I am still inspired by things that Karl Lagerfeld or Riccardo Tisci are doing, or the things that Nicolas Ghesquiere is doing, taking over at Louis Vuitton. There's movement and there's newness. And there's young, fresh talent emerging that is trying to make it, and I find that exciting.

This interview has been condensed and edited.