Behind the Lens with Danielle & Alix

Danielle & Alix, a dynamic celebrity styling duo based in New York and Los Angeles, were named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in the Art and Style category. Early in their careers, they worked in Celebrity Relations at global PR agencies and luxury fashion houses. Inspired by their experiences, they transitioned into styling, aiming to bridge the gap between public relations and celebrity styling.

The duo specialize in styling red carpets and events, street style moments, brand campaigns, and editorials for their VIP clientele with a styling roster that spans talent such as Lindsay Lohan, Camille Kostek, Ellie Thumann, Charly Jordan, and Kay Adams, to viral social celebrities like Alix Earle, Paige Desorbo, Kensington Tillo, Kara Del Toro, and Sophia Culpo.

D&A have lead projects with NBC, Bravo, Sports Illustrated, and GQ. In 2024 alone, the two have launched a collection with Marc Fisher LTD, travelled to Paris Fashion Week for L’Oréal’s first-ever Styling Suite, styled the cast of the Real Housewives of New York for the upcoming relaunch, and hosted a co-branded event with Alice & Olivia to launch their new denim collection. With that, the duo spoke on the University of Michigan Ross School of Business stage with Paige Desorbo & Steve Madden, along with their upcoming podcast appearance on Lauryn Bosstick’s The Skinny Confidential.

Career Beginnings: How did your early experiences in Celebrity Relations at global PR agencies and luxury fashion houses influence your transition into styling?

It was a happy accident; while working in PR, securing celebrity placements and planning VIP events, the two of us found ourselves running the VIP team for brands such as Roberto Cavalli, Rene Caovilla, Ermanno Scervino, and many other highly sought after designers. Talent would come directly to us to pull and we became stylists within our day-to-day work.
I (Danielle) connected with stylist Mimi Cutrell, working with fashion leaders like Gigi & Bella Hadid, Ariana Grande, and Lily Rose Depp, and learned the foundations of how to operate a styling business. We then went in-house (Alix at Stuart Weitzman, Danielle at Hugo Boss) to their Celebrity Relations teams, learning the ropes of true corporate fashion. We felt the confidence to go off on our own as our network and connections followed us.

What inspires your styling choices, and how do you keep your work fresh and innovative?

Our style has always been about mixing masculine & feminine elements to create a unique look, both for ourselves & our clients. We’ve both always dressed with a tomboy edge, and that’s become a signature element of our style. As young stylists in the industry, we can bring a fresh and unique take as we continue to push the norms of traditional styling. We get a lot of our style inspiration from vintage pieces and love integrating emerging designers with more notable names.

Can you elaborate on how you bridge the gap between Public Relations and Styling, and why this is important to you?

Our background in PR has helped to set us apart in this industry; our first styling jobs were born out of who we met while working the door of a NYFW event. As stylists, we sit in a really unique place in the industry; we’re at the nucleus of brands, talent, agents, & management, and we’ve created value in not only dressing our clients, but also creating brand deals, partnerships, and securing exclusive event invites for them. We see the full picture of how what a client is wearing can deeply impact the trajectory of their career. We bridge the gap by being extremely intentional about the brands our girls are supporting.

How do you build and maintain meaningful relationships with your diverse range of clients?

We always say styling is like dating – there has to be that initial connection, trust, and comfortability in order to make the magic happen. The styling process is such an intimate experience; we spend countless hours together on set, and at shoots – at the end of the day, it’s about both the styling and the energy between us and our clients. That’s been another amazing benefit about there being two of us and being bicoastal; our clients will always be face-to-face with one of us.
One thing about us is we’ll always go the extra mile, whether that be chasing down a FedEx truck (and of course getting the driver’s home phone number) or physically going the distance – taking 15-hour flights and going directly to set for overnight shoots – shout out, Celsius, for making this possible.
We truly believe in our clients and the projects they’re working on – we love working with talent that are multifaceted in the industry, and women that inspire us, like Paige Desorbo with her #1 Podcast Giggly Squad, Kay Adams dominating in a male industry with her NFL talk show Up & Adams, and Dancing With the Stars pro, Jenna Johnson.

Can you share a memorable styling moment that had a significant impact on your career and why it stands out to you?

One of the most memorable moments we always reflect (and laugh about) was our first Sports Illustrated carpet. We flew down to Ft. Lauderdale with about ten suitcases, styling Camille Kostek, Jasmine Sanders, Brooks Nader, Hayley Kalil, and a few of the rookies. We were sprinting from one end of the casino to the other to get all the girls sewn into their dresses. Camille arrived via helicopter in a custom chain dress, walking straight from the tarmac to the red carpet. Crunched for time ourselves, we showed up to the carpet in bikinis, t-shirts, and flip-flops, which goes to show that we are always placing priority on our clients. Another major milestone was working with Linsday Lohan – she was such a childhood icon to us and set the tone of fashion for decades to come, so to have the chance to style her was such a pinch-me moment.

You aim to create a positive impact in the fashion industry. What changes are you most passionate about driving?

As we grow we want to ensure we are fostering an amazing team who are passionate and eager to learn the ins and outs of the industry. We grew up in the “Devil Wears Prada” culture, and we’re doing what we can to shift that narrative. We also aim to work with clients who align here; styling should be fun and creative, and ultimately we feel so lucky to be a part of it.
I (Alix) founded the Michigan Fashion Media Summit, which connects fashion leaders (speakers like Rachel Zoe, Steve Madden, and Jennifer Fisher) to students on campus to create tangible opportunities for the fashion world. As a founder, I continue to create valuable connections for the next generation of fashion leaders; it’s been amazing to watch it grow every year.

What are your future goals for D&A, and how do you envision the evolution of your styling career?

Expanding out to LA and opening our office here was a major milestone – we’re excited to continue to hit our markers. Being out in LA, we’re eager to grow with this new wave of celebrity and explore working with more actresses and musicians. We definitely have a few dream clients in mind. We love that we have the ability to build something that has no ceiling or restrictions. It’s even more exciting that we get to work as a duo and experience all the highs and lows together. It would be a dream to be a creative director of a luxury fashion house in the future.

What advice do you have for aspiring stylists looking to make their mark in the industry?

The way we really made a mark for ourselves was by finding a niche; we were working with social media stars and TikTok talent before any stylists were even looking at them. With that, it all comes down to hard work and a lot of sacrifices – while building our business, we were working our 9-5 corporate jobs in the day, and then holding fittings in the evening and working until 2 AM – you have to really want it and believe in it. We’ve made many sacrifices and have missed countless family events or friends’ birthdays to be there for our clients.
We always are looking to hire assistants and interns who are solution-oriented. We’ll literally bribe our tailors with coffee and doughnuts to turn around items within an hour. It’s the little moments that make the difference in building a successful and lasting business.

Do you have any tips or tricks for packing efficiently without sacrificing style?

We pack for ourselves the way we pack for our clients; we’ll take pictures of the looks we plan on wearing, and put together a game plan outlining everything down to the shoes, jewels, and bags. This really helps to eliminate any extra clutter, or packing that item you haven’t touched in a year that you think you’ll wear on vacation. We will put all accessories together in individual clear shoe bags so it is super organized. We swear by packing all clothing completely flat and stacking them on top of each other instead of folding, so much more space this way!

Now, let’s talk travel! What are the must-have items you always pack for a trip, whether it’s for work or leisure?

We always start with the basics: Hanes white tanks, socks, & bras, a vintage pair of Levi’s, and a comfortable, retro sneaker from New Balance. Set Active is a go-to activewear brand we’ll bring whether for working out on vacation or wearing to fittings, along with Monday Swimwear. For airport & travel outfits, you can catch us head-to-toe in Elwood – they make full matching sets of hoodies, sweatpants, and tanks that are all coordinated and have an elevated cut and feel. And lastly, we always are packed up in a Stoney Clover tote – it’s what we use for our kit too, they have so many cute colours & customizable pouches that elevate the travel experience.
Vacation Wardrobe: How do you recommend building a versatile vacation wardrobe that can easily transition from day to night?
When packing for vacation, we like to make accessories the centrepiece of a look. That way, you can re-wear and rework your basics & essentials – white tees, denim – and dress up or down with jewels, bags, heels, and sunglasses. We love packing jewels from Heaven Mayhem & Electric Picks, sunnies from DMY, and pre-owned vintage bags we find on FWRD.

What is your approach to creating iconic red carpet looks that capture both elegance and individuality?

When we’re pulling for red carpets, we really channel both the client and the energy of the event, along with factors like which designers align with our girls. These red carpet moments are such pinnacle opportunities for our clients; it’s a time when we’ll sit down and work cross-functionally with so many talented designers, brands, hair, and makeup artists to create something bigger than just an outfit.
For example, when working with Camille Kostek for the Met Gala, we knew we wanted a timeless and ethereal look – we landed on a beautiful white Christian Siriano gown for the carpet, and a Galia Lahav crystal gown that was originally Paris Hilton’s wedding dress. Another favourite carpet moment was with Paige Desorbo for the MTV Awards – this is always a non-traditional carpet where we can think outside the box and take risks – she wore a Naheem Khan jewelled sheer jumpsuit.

Dan & Alix’s Holiday Rules

What’s your number one rule for packing a holiday suitcase with style and ease?

Stick to quality basics and have more fun with accessories, (lighter to pack)! We are loving all the shoe trends right now so don’t be afraid to lean into it; mesh and studded ballet flats, chunky boots, loafers, vintage kitten heels, etc!

How do you make sure to stay glam during long flights or travel days?

We love to travel in a matching set; it helps us feel coordinated and put together. Some of our go-to brands for travel sets are SET Active, Eterne, & Sisters and Seekers. With that, we travel with our AWAY suitcase sets that have matching overhead & checked sizing and always bring along a vintage designer piece to complete our airport ‘fits, like Dan’s Miu Miu Tote or Alix’s Chanel Bowling Bag.

What are your go-to pieces for effortlessly transitioning from beach to bar on vacation?

The right coverups are essential for a beach vacation since you never know where your vacation day will take you. We opt for a matching linen pant and a button-down set. We are obsessed with anything Monday Swimwear, best-matching linen sets and bikinis and we love sourcing an XL men’s vintage polo button-down for a cool-girl fit, (Rebalance Vintage). The right accessories are key to transitioning any outfit, adding great gold layered jewels, shell pieces, and anklets.

How do you keep your outfits fun and fresh when packing light for a tropical getaway?

The right accessories are key to reinventing outfits with the same pieces on vacation. A basic t-shirt dress or linen pants and tank can be instantly transformed when layering on jewels, sunnies, and the right shoes. Our favourite tropical jewellery pieces are from BonBonWhims, Ettika, Heaven Mayhem, & Julietta; they have the perfect pieces that meld shells & gold-plated hardware. Jewellery is relatively lightweight compared to shoes & bags, so this is where you can overpack and layer on and take risks! Also, DMY x DMY sunnies are a must, you’ll thank us later!

What’s your holiday shopping mantra when curating a jet-setting wardrobe?

Quality over quantity! Travelwear gets a beating, so focusing on higher-quality pieces will last you longer than trendy sets. Layers are super important, especially between climates. We love a cashmere sweater tied over a basic white tee – it’s a chic & functional look.

What must-have accessory instantly elevates any holiday look?

An unexpected shoe! We love to pair a masculine shoe with a feminine look and vice versa. One of our go-to styling tricks is a masculine/feminine juxtaposition. Combining a feminine dress with a chunky boot or studded leather ballet flats makes the outfit compelling and automatically gives it an effortless sense of style.

What’s the best way to add a bit of holiday sparkle to your everyday wardrobe?

We love layering diamonds with a casual look to dress up your everyday wardrobe over the holidays. Swarovski & Nadri Jewels is a favourite right now for their price & look – we love earring stacking & layering their tennis necklaces with jeans (or even sweats). An oversized crewneck with the right glam and diamonds is such a moment for the ultimate cool girl.