Celebrity stylists rule the Hollywood fashion scene, and their star clients often serve as walking billboards. Yet, for A-list stylist Nicole Chavez, it’s not just about setting trends and launching brands, it’s about the close personal relationships she builds. She views Rachel Bilson, Katherine Heigl, Kristen Bell and Jessica Simpson not as celebrity “clients,” but as intimate friends. “I love all of my girls,” says Chavez. “I don’t think I could do my job unless I had those connections with them.”

Chavez’s humble beginnings as a costumer on film sets led to her big break when she began working on the pilot of The OC. “That’s where everything changed for me,” she says. “That’s where I met Rachel and we started falling in love with working together.” As for her fashion philosophy, Chavez believes in challenging fashion norms by putting together outfits that are a bit quirky, a bit out-there. “On a day-to-day basis, I challenge myself to think outside of the box. I don’t believe in rules because I think it limits you from trying new things,” says Chavez. “If you are confident, you could wear a plastic bag and still look amazing.”

An acute eye for fashion and an innate ability to bond with her clients have made Chavez one of the most in-demand stylists in Los Angeles today. But unlike other Hollywood stylists who love to play the fame game, she refuses to think of herself as a celebrity, “I’m pretty under the radar. I think the celebrity and the dress should stand alone.”
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