Fashion wars behind the scenes

Robert Verdi

A-list clientele: Eva Longoria
Signature style: Colourful glamour

As Robert can charge up to $2,500 for an award show prep day, and as much as $50,000 for an extensive project such as a photo shoot or a commercial, he is aware that styling is about far more than simply selecting clothes.

'It's about balancing the image of the celebrity,' he explains. 'It's all about knowing where the client is with the culture at large. A stylist is kind of like a publicist. If there's a red carpet event, you would have more influence with glamour but if it's something like MTV and VH1, you would put them in something more 'anti-establishment.' It all depends on where they are currently in culture.'

To look great, rather than like a slave to fashion, Robert says, women simply need 'an understanding of the trends in general'.

Annie Jagger

A-list clientele: Brittany Murphy, Ashlee Simpson and Emmy Rossum
Signature style: Edgy and original

After being an intern at Nylon magazine and working for Rachel Zoe in New York, Annie decided to strike out on her own. Her young, girly clients like to look cool and different, so Annie isn't afraid of taking risks.

She says: 'The red carpet is about being appropriate to the occasion, but I don't want people to say about my clients, "That's the girl who always shows up in a black dress." I like to keep it interesting.'

She advises the average woman on the street to 'look for coats with special details,' and for curvier ladies, to always draw attention to the waist and away from their lower half.

Kithe Brewster

A-list clientele: Heidi Klum, Gwyneth Paltrow and Julianne Moore
Signature style: Bling luxe

When Heidi Klum has to look fabulous for her Project Runway appearances, who does she call? Kithe Brewster, that's who! An international fashion editor and stylist for more than 17 years, he has planned photo shoots for the likes of Vanity Fair and styled runway shows for Ralph Lauren.

His hip, street appeal is both sexy and glamorous, perfect for his A-list clients. Along with fellow stylist Shaunya Hartley, he is inspired by strong black female styles such as that of rapper Eve, who he has also worked with.

'Black women have great style, but we don't often see them depicted in an affluent way,' he says. Kithe hopes to inspire any youngsters obsessed with fashion to aim for style guru status. 'If you have a knack for it, you can do it,' he adds.