An Interview With Barbie Ferreira and Camila Mendes’s Stylist, Chris Horan

Chris Horan has been perfecting his craft since high school, when he would spend weekends organizing a California stylist’s studio. After graduating, Horan moved up as that stylist’s assistant and realized he was on the right path when many of his looks would end up getting final approval. At the same time, Horan was also working in Nordstrom’s designer department, where he would go the extra mile by creating full looks for customers. With this as his foundation, the Thousand Oaks native got his big break when a friend recommended him to Disney star Debby Ryan’s publicist — she ended up being his first client. “The first time I dressed [Debby] was for the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood party,” Horan tells Teen Vogue. “She wore this black-and-white fit-and-flare dress. Net-a-Porter put her on their magazine next to Hailee Steinfeld, and it was a big deal for me.”

Though Horan has been dressing Ryan for the past nine years, she isn’t his only client. His roster has grown to include Rowan Blanchard, Barbie Ferreira, Camila Mendes, and Jordan Peele, who sport the stylist’s California-effortless, masculine-meets-feminine approach with ease. Similar to his relationship with Ryan, Horan has been collaborating with Blanchard since she began her career as the star of Disney’s Girl Meets World. That is to say that the stylist knows how to successfully transition clients out of the “teen Disney star” image as they become adults and work toward the next phase of their career.

Teen Vogue chatted with Horan, who also styled Teen Vogue’s 2020 Young Hollywood covers, to get an inside look at his approach to fashion, his inspirations, and his opinion on what makes an iconic look — especially for Blanchard and Ferreira.

Teen Vogue: What would you say your approach to fashion and styling is at this current time in your life?

Chris Horan: I keep my client in mind first — who they are, what they’re like. I also think I have a specific look to my work in the sense that I don’t like anything that’s too perfect. I don’t like anything that’s overly feminine. I think it’s my California-ness actually. I’m the biggest California cheerleader. I like an effortless vibe more than a fussed-over one. Whether that means a shoelace belt or some other touch that’s not too put together. I think it needs to be somewhat realistic, and I also really like a contrast. Whether that’s one masculine element or one unexpected piece, like the shoe or a quirky accessory. That way it’s not all matchy-matchy.

Rowan Blanchard in a Giambattista Valli white denim studded suit:

TV: When it comes to creating a specific look, how do you start out? Is there a certain place you go to for inspiration?

CH: I definitely make use of the Instagram “saves” button. There are so many good accounts now. I reference a lot of old movie-premiere looks, actually — I think they’re great starting places. Obviously, Vogue Runway is a huge thing, so I just save a ton of clippings. But with most clients, I do save images for not just one event — we kind of create a folder of “this is the vibe of Cami Mendes.” She’s the newest client for me and I think her vibe is very Mugler, streamlined, sleek, and [it has] that cool edge factor. Again, it’s trying to be less feminine and more sleek with it. Because I do think that, [since] she’s on a teen show, [it’s about] showing that she’s still an adult and a woman.

I’m also a huge advocate of [not over-pulling]. I’m very edited. When I do a fitting with Rowan or a client whom I know very well, we usually pull maybe eight pieces and I try to keep it down to that because I think it can get overwhelming. For a client too, if you have eight great options, that’s already a hard choice to make.

Camila Mendes wearing Ralph & Russo couture at the SAG Awards:

TV: You’ve been with Rowan Blanchard since the beginning, which means you’ve been by her side as she becomes an adult and experiments with what that means to her. How did you two begin working together?

CH: Because I got Debby, through friends, that opened up the whole Disney world to me. The people at Disney who were doing all the hiring for talent, they really liked me and I really loved them. So I was [lucky] enough that they would run other opportunities by me. I worked with Dove Cameron for a little bit. Then, they actually hired me to do the Girl Meets World press tour, to dress everybody on the show. I remember — it’s so vivid in my mind — [Rowan] came in and she was 12, and we had the most fun. She was very much how she is — she puts on a piece and if she feels it, she sells it. It’s a really amazing thing to see. That’s why one of the things I love about fashion and clothes is that it can transform you, can really bring out parts of yourself, and it’s like a performance piece too.

[Rowan], as a 12-year-old, would put on a Marc by Marc Jacobs dress and would start dancing and make it fun for everybody. A very special aspect of working with Rowan is that we always have fun and she is still that way — you know, maybe the soundtrack in our fitting has gotten a little more Megan Thee Stallion — she’s very much the exact same girl that she was at 12, in that clothes are still a way for her to express who she really is and how she’s feeling.

Rowan Blanchard at the 2020 Golden Globes after-party in custom Miu Miu:

TV: I am fascinated by Rowan’s style evolution. I was especially interested when, on Instagram, she posted that she was no longer self-identifying as an activist and would instead be doing more fun outfit posts. Did you two discuss what that new chapter in her life would be like, stylistically?

CH: It was never an actual discussion. We are very close and she’s a friend now too. When you see someone so often, it just naturally happens. Every client I have is super collaborative and I never want to take 100% credit on anything. So a lot of times, she’ll be like, “I love this reference of Halle Berry from the early 2000s,” and then I can — obviously, seeing her life, knowing where she’s at — be like, okay, it’s definitely a little more adult now.

TV: How would you describe her style evolution?

CH: I think Rowan’s style evolution has changed by the type of looks. Now that she’s 18, we can play with it getting a little sexier, but I think it’s constantly fearless. I think it’s amazing with Rowan because I never know. Is she gonna go for an oversized suit look that’s hyper masculine and doesn’t show a silhouette? Or, is she gonna want a corseted Mugler moment or Vivienne Westwood corset? There’s always a sense of play and there’s no limit to it.

Rowan at Tiffany Men’s Collection in 2020 wearing Giuseppe di Morabito:

TV: What would you say is Rowan’s most iconic look?

CH: I think I would say her Vanity Fair outfit last year — the Rodarte huge loofa-shoulder dress. I don’t ever operate in thinking that way — “Oh, this award season, we’re gonna dress like this” — but we did have loofa season and I think that was the perfect finale for it. But it’s also my favorite because we love [Rodarte founders] Kate and Laura. They’ve always been one of the first designers to support us, so it was a special moment.

That party is an iconic Hollywood party as well, and it was very special [because] it was her first time going. When we got ready, we took a picture in the mirror together. It felt very special and important for both of us, and I think we had a little emotional moment when that happened, so that is probably my favorite so far — until the Met happens. I feel like her first Met will be a true moment. She said it before in an interview. She’s like, “The Met is not a time when we’re going to go for pretty. It’s going to be full-on fashion.”

Rowan Blanchard at the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party wearing Rodarte:

TV: We also love another one of your clients, Barbie Ferreira. How did you two meet?

CH: We actually met through Rowan. I didn’t know anything about [Euphoria], but Rowan was like, “My friend has this show and it’s going to be amazing…I really think that you guys should work together.” Rowan’s an angel, obviously, and gave me a great recommendation and recommended Barbie’s publicist as well. [Barbie now] works with both of us. That’s how it happened.

Barbie and I had a coffee meeting and her personality is incredible. She loves a little edgy Gothic-ness and playing around…kind of the same as Rowan. Sometimes it’s feminine, sometimes it’s masculine, and sometimes it’s both mixed together.

Barbie at HBO’s Golden Globes after-party wearing a Madiyah al Sharqi green-tassel dress:

TV: What would you say you two try to accomplish with her look? I know Barbie has said in the past that her character on Euphoria has been a huge inspiration to her.

CH: The biggest thing that I try to accomplish for her is to be able to provide options that are fun enough and worthy of her personality. I learned so much from Barbie just by working with her and it was a learning curve for me in the sense that I didn’t think that way. I was like, “Oh great, this luxury brand makes plus-size,” but then she was like, “Yeah, but it’s a black plus-size jumpsuit…I want to wear things that my friends wear.” That really opened my eyes. It makes me want to be like, “You’re right. You fully deserve all of those things. So I’m gonna be creative and figure out how to make it happen.”

I love that Barbie commands the attention of being like, “You can’t tell me how I should look. I’m gonna wear what I want.” I think a good example of that was her MTV Movie Awards look when we did that custom latex dress. I think that’s one of my favorites because it has a nod to Euphoria with latex, but it’s a hot silhouette. She was wearing Tiffany pearls and that was a special one.

Barbie in a blue Vex Clothing latex dress at the MTV Movie Awards:

TV: Barbie’s been open about her experiences with a lack of size inclusivity in the fashion industry. What are your thoughts, as her stylist?

CH: I think there are not enough options. I mean, there always needs to be more, but there are not enough options for anyone, you know, teenage to whatever, for going out with your friends. You want to be able to shop with your friends. I think the experience of being able to shop with your friends is so important. You shouldn’t have to just wear, again, a black jumpsuit.

TV: What would you say is Barbie’s most iconic look?

CH: She did an AOL Build series and she wore this vintage Vivienne Westwood corset and we paired it with that skirt from Unif. It’s like an $80 skirt. It’s a good mash-up, and then she had a little Snow White–type choker.

Barbie in vintage Vivienne Westwood and Unif for AOL Build:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Y78v0HLsP/

TV: You did nine covers for Teen Vogue’s upcoming Young Hollywood issue, which is so exciting. What was it like styling these covers?

CH: The Young Hollywood issue is my favorite Teen Vogue issue. It has been since I was a kid. I remember collecting all of them. So it’s a huge emotional and career goal for me. I’m so grateful. I actually met [Teen Vogue editor in chief] Lindsay through Barbie because we love 11 Honoré, the site that has plus-size designer fashion, and Patrick, the CEO, introduced Lindsay and me.

During Fashion Week, [Lindsay] was like, “Let’s get together,” and I thought it was just going to be a meet-and-greet-type thing, and she brought this idea up. She was like, “I was thinking that you would be a good person to style the Young Hollywood covers.” I fully remember — I just met her, and she’s the best and so nice, but I was like, “Play it cool.” But in my mind I was freaking out. And that was September. A couple of months went by and we shot it in December. I was also like, “Don’t get too excited. It might not happen.” And then it did. I’m so grateful to Lindsay for thinking of me and giving me the privilege of doing it. I think everyone on set had a good time together and I obviously wouldn’t have been able to do it without my team. I have the most amazing assistants, Lauren and Charlie.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue