Andrew Gelwicks, Celebrity Stylist who works between New York and Los Angeles and with clients such as Catherine O’Hara, Lela Loren, and Tove Lo, was one of our first 5 Flair Minutes With. On that occasion, we talked about trends, but we knew that he could tell us much more and above all, much more about him, his work, and his style.

Then we met him in person in New York, in his studio, where we chatted about his wardrobe, the stylistic evolution he has gone through over the years while keeping his focus on comfort and minimalism, his must-have accessories and his styling kit, giving us a broader view on his work and his idea of fashion, without ever leaving behind a pair of Converse!

How was your closet while growing up?

Mostly of my mum’s choosing [laughs]. My personal style has definitely evolved throughout the years, I grew up in Ohio and went to college in Indiana where there’s a very specific look that is expected of guys to dress, so large part of my style kind of comes from that and definitely taking the cues like, “This is how a guy is supposed to dress.” But my personal style has always been super simple, I have to feel the most comfortable and this goes back to when I was younger, just the more casual it is, the most comfortable I feel; as a kid while growing up I tried to experiment a little bit with bolder colors and prints and every time I wore them I felt super uncomfortable.

What’s your go-to look?

Probably a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, Converse and a baseball cap.

“My personal style has always been super simple, I have to feel the most comfortable and this goes back to when I was younger.”

Do you have a styling secret, both for you and your clients?

I think that sometimes people underrate the importance of it but it’s just knowing your body; there are certain things that I would love to wear but I’m not like 6’2’’; it’s about proportion when I work on me or for some of my clients, for instance, they want to wear something but it doesn’t necessarily work with their structure, so I think it’s better to just know who you are, your body and embrace it and go from there, it’s best to not trying to fight against it.

What are the three must-haves in your closet?

Multiple colors of Converses, depending on the mood like right now I’m feeling a little wild so I have a pair of red; so, definitely comfortable shoes; I have a wide range of glasses because I dress pretty simple, those are sometimes the fun piece [laughs]. And I think also that everyone should have a pair of jeans that they love and feel great in, no matter what the situation is, you know you can throw those on, walk out the door and feel good or confident.

How many pairs of Converses do you have?

I think 15.

“I think it’s better to just know who you are, your body and embrace it and go from there.”

What’s the piece of clothing that should deserve a closet of its own?

It’s different for every person; for a lot of women it’s shoes, I think a shoe can make or break a look and can also transform it; If you are able to have your own closet where you are able to step in and have a full 360° view on all your options, it can make things so much easier, just like, “I know I want heels, here are my heels, I need flats, here are the flats…” So probably shoes, also because a lot of people have quite a range of shoes.

Have you ever had an epic-fail in your closet?

So many. I was in this phase where I was like super edgy, just really pushing it, and I had a shirt that was like long on one side and didn’t look good on me but I was really trying to make it work and I don’t think I’ve ever worn it [laughs].

If you could wear one brand from now on, which would you choose and why?

I don’t know if it would necessarily be a brand, because, in fashion, brands can have such an evolution so I could love one brand right now but ten years down the line it could be something completely different.

If I could always dress my clients with one brand, designer-wise, it would probably be Miuccia Prada.

You have a last-minute fashion event and you’re not at home, where would you go for an SOS shopping session?

I would have said Barneys but R.I.P. [laughs]. Now it would be Nordstrom actually, they recently opened right across my apartment so it’s perfect.

What do you have too many of in your closets?

A lot of pairs of black jeans but I still feel like I don’t have enough of them because they all look so different to me.

BLACK JEANS

Glasses are sour statement accessory but do you have some favorites?

My favorite brand I usually go to is Anne&Valentin, I just love their glasses. For me, that’s where I feel most comfortable having something that’s more statement, so usually, the ones I’m wearing. right now and I have another pair from the same designer, like brown, wooden-kind. I think they are unique so I love them.

Color block or black?

For me, black. For my clients, color block.

Couture or prêt-à-porter for your clients?

Couture.

How often do you organize your closet?

Once a year. Again I have my personal style so streamlined that I feel I know where everything is and I know what I like and I easily assemble whatever it is that I want to wear. All my closet-organization mental space goes toward my studio, like keeping track of the hundreds of things that are coming in and out there; honestly, people would probably not think that my closet is that of a celebrity stylist [laughs]. I like everything simple, laid out, and ready there for me to grab, I don’t want it to take a long time.

Is your closet a sacred place or you let people get in it?

I’m a convert now, I’m going to have to say it’s now a sacred place because one of my favorite shirts was worn by my boyfriend and he claims he returned it, but I’m sure he did not so now nothing is slipping.

“All my closet-organization mental space goes toward my studio, like keeping track of the hundreds of things that are coming in and out there.”

For what are you saving space in your closet?

I will always save space for jackets, I think a fun jacket is great for me since I usually wear all black and simple, a jacket for going out is an easy way to mix it up a little bit, that’s really important, definitely jackets for sure, you can have fun with them.

How would you describe your closet in just one world?

Minimal.

What’s your closet superpower?

I can go through my entire wardrobe in my head; I know every single thing that I own. Before I get out of bed, I can plan my look, I know every single piece.

What’s in your styling kit?

I have Spanx and undergarments to wear, steamer, iron, clamps, last-minute alteration things like zipper fixers, things for your feet, nipple pasties, duct-tape, crazy glue, pack of earrings, face protectors for when you are putting on things for makeup, static spray, band-aids, lubricating gel for latex, a lighter for loose threads, and ring needles if your ring is too big. I try to organize it as much as possible but it gets a little wild [laughs].

THE STYLING KIT

Photos by Johnny Carrano.

Follow Andrew here.