mell ottenberg - stylist

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MELL OTTENBERG Fundamentals of styling

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MELL OTTENBERG

Fundamentals of styling

The Path to Success• Mel Ottenberg is a stylist as talented as he is discreet. A graduate of the

famous Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), he moved to New York just after his studies and began working for a few designers. His career began after meeting and collaborating with the renowned photographer, Stephen Klein.

• “We met at a barbecue”, He recalls, “and suddenly, he booked me for the covers of Italian Vogue and l’Uomo Vogue.”

The Stylists Style

• In an interview with Daria Radlinski when asked about his style in high school he says “At 15 my big look was huge, red Cross Colors jeans with a Junior Gautier black mock turtleneck and steel toe Docs. With a Caesar. “

• He often references the memories of all the kids that he saw in 9th grade, while I was sneaking out or candy flipping at a rave, and the editorials from early 90’s Details, The Face, I-D, Interview and Vogue

• The pinnacle of cool, Ottenberg creates looks that are perpetually ahead of the curve, while maintaining an approach of effortlessness. Though he prefers energetic, exotic looks for his clients, Ottenberg opts for simple, classic pieces accented with worn-in scruff.

• His first job ever was not fashion related. It was a telephone operator at the family business, which was a bakery in Washington.

• He got into styling when he met Matthias Vriens, and was asked to style a story for The Face. I used mostly my own clothes because I didn’t know how to pull or anything. I really liked the pictures and the collaborative vibe, and so I pursued styling as a career.

• One of his Most memorable moments from a shoot was a naked Pam Anderson gyrating in a giant glass

• When asked was his collaborations Mel says “I collaborate a lot with designer Adam Selman on Rihanna’s stage clothes, and he’s my boyfriend too, so we have a great time working together. We did a three-way collaboration with Tom Binns on a hand painted, Swarovski-covered bikini for Rihanna this year. That was one of my favorite collaborations ever

His Work• Mel is known for reinventing the looks of some of the world’s most provocative style

tastemakers, such as Cate Blanchett, Chloe Sevigny and James Franco.• As a leading stylist, MEL OTTENBERG has left his indelible mark on not only fashion,

but pop culture. Ottenberg mixes art school flair with a witty, sexy sensibility – all done with an approach that is equal parts quirky and slightly skewed, yet sophisticated.

• His editorial work has appeared in and on the covers of Harper’s Bazaar, V, Details, I-D, Purple, Dazed & Confused, the New York Times Style Magazine, GQ Style, and many other publications.

• Ottenberg’s narrative approach to clothing has been featured in ads for Nike and Dior’s “Midnight Poison” fragrance (directed by Wong Kar-wai).

• Ottenberg was the costume designer for the films The Heart Is Deceitful and Angel.

• A facet to Ottenberg’s success is his natural proclivity for forging long-term working relationships, be it with photographers like his frequent collaborator Terry Richardson or styling the conceptual runway shows and presentations for men's wear designer Adam Kimmel.

A Life Long Bond• Ottenberg is currently working with pop superstar Rihanna,

serving as the stylist for all of her appearances, videos (including the international smash “We Found Love”), and record covers, as well as serving as costume designer for her recent world tour.

• “For me, the thing that makes Rihanna so interesting is this mix of fearlessness and great energy,” says Mel Ottenberg. “I love that she is completely unafraid of fashion.”

• In the three years since the talented stylist has worked with the superstar, her trendsetting prowess has only grown from strength to strength—whether it be a custom Givenchy Couture look designed for the stage or a casual off-duty ensemble by an under-the-radar designer, Rihanna makes marching to the beat of her own fashion drummer look easy.

• His forwarding-thinking sensibilities make for an electric foil to the singer’s daring personal style.

“Stripes by Adam Selman and Balenciaga boots, Chanel jewels and a major hair moment on the Talk That Talk album shoot. Photo by Ellen Von Unwerth.”(top left)

“In Baku, Azerbaijan. Adam Selman designed the print and it was murder onstage. Boots from Opening Ceremony. Photo by Melissa Forde.”(top center)

“Stella made the perfect look, and we Rihanna-fied it with the details: the hair, makeup, shoes, and jewels.”(top right)

”color and sexy and sheer, but not too sheer— beautiful and strong and dangerous and really, really glamorous all at the same time.” (bottom left)

“The custom porno print on this coat is killer. The illustrations would need to be censored if you saw them up close. Riccardo is a dream to work with and helped make the Diamonds World Tour a big Rihanna fashion moment.” (bottom center)

• Behind every well-dressed celebrity lies a trail of stylists, but the relationship between Rihanna and Mel Ottenberg is one for the history books.

• Rihanna and Mel Ottenberg first teamed up back in 2011 on her “Loud” tour where he created her stage costumes.

• The “We Found Love” video came next and was Rihanna’s springboard into the fashion spotlight.

• The 38-year-old stylist is credited with shaping Rihanna’s look since then .

• His work has paid off. Just last week the 26-year-old beauty walked away with this year’s CFDA Fashion Icon Award.

• Rihanna’s sheer, shimmering Swarovski-coated gown was the talk of the night. It shined a light on an award show typically only on the radar of industry insiders. For stylists like Ottenberg, this is what the career path is all about, creating a moment that can last a lifetime.

• Though Mel does admit sometimes he has to coax her into a look. Like the Tom Ford snakeskin dress she wore to the Met Ball , it took him a minute to convince her that it was the one.

• In terms of Ottenberg actually dressing Rihanna for big events, he usually only gets about three minutes to do so, but they’re now so aware of the look they want–”a scrappy, disheveled type of vibe” that it works out most every time. “My whole thing was she’s so beautiful, she’s so over the top, she doesn’t need so much stuff,” he said. “We can strip it down.”

• Despite his stature Mel admits he still likes to go thrifting for her costumes and loves to find what the new beat is.

• One of the results of his love for thrifting are the pearl Chanel sunglasses she wore, and that became a huge moment and launched a million pearl sunglasses.

• But coincidently long before he found them, he had them on a mood board, and had always hoped to find them.

• Mel Ottenberg is something of a game-changer. He is, after all, the one responsible for millions of teens around the world suddenly (and fervently) gluing fake pearls onto their sunglasses and Mickey Mouse ears onto their headbands. Although his work is so public, he has mostly remained behind-the-scenes.

It’s the link between the hair, makeup, the dress, the photographer, the model and the smallest of elements involved… that makes all the magic happen.

As Ottenberg rightly says “Style is the glue that brings all the

elements together”.

Credits • http://voguebinge.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/stylist-profile-mel-ottenberg/• http://diydib.blogspot.in/2013/03/knotted-fringe-tee.html• http://kvil.cbslocal.com/2014/06/03/style-files-rihannas-dress-at-cfda-awards-leaves-little-to-the-imagination/• http://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/party-pictures/adam-selman-mel-ottenberg-celebrity-and-fashion-

party-photos-030413#slide-4• http://www.vogue.com/866144/rihanna-best-looks-of-all-time-mel-ottenberg/• http://lifeandtimes.com/rihannas-stylist-mel-ottenberg-breaks-down-his-favorite-ri-looks/2• http://melottenberg.tumblr.com/• http://www.style.com/stylefile/2011/01/behind-the-scenesters-mel-ottenberg/• http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/fashion/rihanna-style-stylist-mel-ottenberg.html• http://models.com/people/mel-ottenberg/year/editorial• http://styleblazer.com/286643/mel-ottenberg/• http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2013/09/best-dressed-celebrity-stylists_slideshow_item9_10• http://www.openingceremony.us/entry.asp?pid=4892• http://www.elle.com/news/fashion-style/mel-ottenberg-rihanna-interview• http://www.bravotv.com/people/mel-ottenberg/bio• http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/style/2014/06/11/mel-ottenberg-risd-rihanna-and-that-jaw-droppingly-

sheer-dress/mvmV4adMMfhafpCz2R6VjM/story.html• http://www.openingceremony.us/entry.asp?pid=4892• http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/404946/Mel-Ottenberg• http://www.promostyl.com/blog/en/derriere-les-cameras-un-artiste-mel-ottenberg/• http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/news/rihannas-stylist-dishes-on-her-diamonds-tour-wardrobe-and-getting-

naked• www.cloudzilla.to/cam/wpop.php

By Aaliya Gujral

(Section-A ,FSID Level-1)

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