Interview with Daniel Musto, Celebrity Stylist
By James MacLean, Contributor
Daniel Musto is a fresh and engaging 27-year-old television personality, fashion expert and celebrity stylist. Viewers have come to appreciate Daniel’s singular sense of style through his appearances on NBC’s hit shows Fashion Star and Eva Longoria’s Ready for Love. Daniel also stars in the YouTube series The Stylish.
His styling work is in high demand by celebrities including Jenny McCarthy, Paula Abdul, Ashlee Simpson and Paris Hilton (among others), and his creations have graced the stages of American Idol, XFactor and the pages of People and Rolling Stone. Daniel has also been a runway stylist for designers including John Varvatos, Jessica Simpson and Nicole Richie.
As a fashion journalist, Daniel has had bylines in Cosmopolitan, TV Guide, Huffington Post and UsWeekly, where he is featured every week in the ever-popular “Fashion Police” feature.
Q: What prompted you to decide to become a stylist? Why did you get involved in the fashion business?
[quote]I choreographed a number of hip hop dances as a captain of my high school dance team.[/quote]
Through the process I began designing the costumes, as well. With the exploration of fashion through performance, I learned that I not only loved clothing, but I was great at creating show-stopping looks.
Q: What is your favorite article of clothing or accessory?
A white Gap t-shirt and classic distressed Levi’s. The shoes I wear change often, but the casual clothes usually stay pretty steady.
Q: What’s your typical day, and what’s the most challenging part of the day for you?
Every day is different. The most challenging part is adjusting physically to the insane hours my job demands of me to get the job done.
Q: Is there one look that you’ve styled that you might consider your “signature style”?
I love the pink classic capsleeve Michael Kors dress I put on Kendra Wilkinson for a movie premiere. I paired it with a playful Moschino shoe and really made a statement that declared her image-shift.
Q: What’s the biggest “faux pas” when asked to style a celebrity?
A lot of times people don’t understand how much goes into creating perfect looks for celebrities. The faux pas I see aren’t necessarily in the style, but in the misunderstanding of how intense my business is.
Q: Have you ever had a designer who refused to send you clothes? Or a celebrity who refused to wear an outfit?
Designers are extremely picky about who they dress because it can make or break their futures. I’ve definitely had designers decline to work with a client of mine, but I’ve also pulled amazing looks from designer friends of mine who love me, and know my work will improve the image of their brands.
Q: Who in your opinion has flawless style? Yesterday, today and tomorrow?
[quote]Gwyneth Paltrow always looks classic, yet playful. I appreciate the small risks that she and her stylist make.[/quote]
Q: What are some of your favorite shops?
For retail, Selfridges in London. For re-sale, Decades on Melrose in LA.
Q: Name three items every woman should have in her closet in order to have GREAT style.
[quote]Three items every woman needs are a closed-toe pump, an open-toe pump, and a great pair of black skinny jeans.[/quote]
Q: What’s your favorite trend right now? Which trend would you like to see pass?
I typically don’t follow trends. I feel it’s my job to create them. I do love seeing the way that different variations of fringe appear on the scene each year. It is one of the few ways to provide “movement” to a look, without taking too much of a fashion risk.
Q: Who would you allow to style YOU for an event?
My friend, Delaney Del Prete, always has an amazing eye for menswear. Otherwise, I would trust my team to pull something together for me, because they know me so well and have all the resources to get the job done right!
Q: What are you wearing RIGHT now? (Knowing that this is an online / at home interview and nobody’s looking.)
AHHH! I am having a Clarissa Explains It All fashion-moment. I am wearing plaid pajama pants with a striped, long-sleeve henley. Clarissa LOVED mixing prints, and so do I!
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ABOUT JAMES MACLEAN
Trend-setting, accomplished and passionate. Those are just a few words to describe luxury marketing expert James MacLean, who has transformed the celebrity product placement industry through events such as GRAMMYS, Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards, American Country Music Awards, Golden Globes, Spike TV Video Game Awards, BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Sundance Film Festival and Grand Prix Monaco. He continues to set the pace and raise the bar in some of the most glamorous settings around the globe.
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