Maeve Riley, the woman behind Haley Bieber's enviable street style
Thanks to Instagram and the paparazzi, a star's everyday attire (street style) is just as important as their red carpet looks. Hailey Bieber's off-duty style, in particular, is cool, effortless, a little masculine, yet always sexy and enviable. Celebrity stylist Maeve Riley is the woman behind it all, but what she has built with Bieber is a partnership, and I would be the first to say that these two are in fashion heaven. [How her personal style, toned-down with leather, baggy pants, crop tops, and sneakers, has influenced her craft, her career journey, and her client list that includes Ciara, The Chainsmokers, Channing Tatum La La Anthony, and Norman, and we spoke with Riley about the process of creating Bieber's effortlessly cool style. What started as an Instagram DM turned into a very iconic look, like the off-white wedding dress.
Marie Claire: Have you always wanted to work in fashion?
Maeve Riley: Always. I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology (NYC) for undergrad, and I took classes at FIT in high school. I knew I wanted to go into fashion, but I didn't know what kind of world I wanted to go into. When I was a kid, styling wasn't on the map, it was before Rachel Zoe, and when I was 17 I got an internship on the set of a TV show, and I knew then that this was what I wanted to do with my life.
MC: When did you decide to go independent? [MR: I was an assistant for over eight years. I think you know when it's time to become independent. You learn what you can do and what you can't do. In the meantime, I would get asked to do small jobs from all over the place. I never turned anything down and took every job that came my way. Everything was a learning experience and everything was great. I started getting a lot of jobs styling back-up dancers for music videos. That's how I met Janelle Monae, and someone from her record company knew me from my music video work, and he asked me if I would be interested in styling Janelle Monae for the BET Awards, and of course I said yes.
MC: You started out with men's work. Did you ever consider styling women?
MR: If you had asked me 10 years ago, I would have said men only. I believe that styling for women is difficult. It's super saturated and there are so many great stylists out there. I didn't think I could do what they were doing. The main reason we got Janelle was because I was styling men and at the time [Janelle] was only wearing suits.
MC: You have a unique sense of style, and that's what sets you apart.
MR: It's not about standing out. It's about growing up and becoming who you're supposed to be. My personal style has evolved so much over the years. For example, I was obsessed with Rihanna, so I wanted to work with someone who was styling Rihanna. I knocked on Rob (Zangardi) and Marielle (Hehn)'s door until they met me and hired me. There was no social media. If you can find some sort of referral it really helps. If you want to break out, you have to figure out what area you want to specialize in and do everything you need to do to stand out.
MC: In the last five years or so, your off-carpet style has become as important as your red carpet style. Why?
MR: I think social media has dramatically increased my visibility as a stylist and has made people stand out in so many different ways. I noticed it a few years ago when "Vogue" started featuring Haley on the street, and before, you had to do a big red-carpet spread to get recognition. [MC: How much effort does it take to create that effortless off-duty look? [25] [26] MR: Haley herself has great taste, and she has great taste without me. We typically have fittings at least once a week. We lay out potential looks for her and she wears them whenever she wants. Often, Haley remixes the look when she gets home. It's a very collaborative process. It's not me telling her what to do, it's totally a team effort. She's just so cool. She has something you can't buy: she's swaggy.
MC: All of your clients have a Maeve Riley-ness to them, yet they all look different. How do you blend your sense of style with theirs?
MR: The most important thing for me is that each of these girls feel like themselves, as one person. They don't come to me to be like other girls. In Haley's space, there are a lot of people who come in and say they want to be like her. Because what we have done together is unique and I don't want to share that space with anyone else. In my opinion, the real skill of a real stylist is being able to adapt to different body types and different spaces. For example, Normani dances and needs to be on stage.
MC: What advice do you have for women on a budget trying to emulate these looks?
MR: We recognize that Haley's fan base is young and wants to wear what they are wearing. We love to mix high and low. We don't just shop at Bergdorf's. We love Urban Outfitters, ASOS, Aritzia, and Joah Brown. If you're looking for the big names, RealReal is great too. In fact, we carry a lot of stuff at RealReal.
MC: Was there a moment in your career when you realized your influence?
MR: There are moments when I get physically stuck. For example, I remember going to 1OAK in L.A. a few years ago and thinking, "Wow, all these girls are trying to look like Haley-inspired sexy tomboys. I am just humbled and grateful that people are paying attention to me. But I don't do it to get people's attention, I do it because I love it.
MC: Do you plan to branch out beyond styling? [MR: I would love to start making clothes. We want to create accessible items for people who want the off-duty look we create. I don't want to move away from styling, but I would consider reducing my workload to focus on other projects.
MC: Who are your style inspirations?
MR: It sounds weird, but I always answer with Haley. We are on the same wavelength. I'm a little edgier than her. I like things that are a little flashier. I look to the streets, but overall I like to fit in and dress for my body. I have a uniform [of baggy pants, crop tops, sneakers, and leather jackets] and I stick to that.
MC: What are some of Haley's favorite looks that you styled? [MR: Her wedding dress, of course. That whole weekend was amazing.
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