The Oscars: Emma Stone’s style is irresistible

By Bee Shapiro, New York Times News Service

Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017 | 6:07 a.m.

Few actresses are more likable than Emma Stone. She is spunky, talented, self-deprecating and slightly goofy. But unlike some approachable actresses, who stick with the pretty if bland aesthetic, Stone is as soignée as they come.

“She’s very spirited when it comes to fashion,” said Petra Flannery, her stylist for the past decade. “She’s a very animated person, and my goal is to make the clothes complement all of that, whether it’s through color, or a material that makes it unique, or an interesting design.”

It helps that like the variety of characters she inhabits — Stone is nominated for an Oscar in the best actress category for the feel-good musical film “La La Land” — she has range. She comes alive in marigold (a flirty, floral-printed Gucci creation at a W magazine party last month, which Flannery called “the ultimate party dress”); sky blue (a crystal-encrusted Prada dress at the Los Angeles “La La Land” premiere in December); and even pale sea foam (a shimmering Atelier Versace gown at the Venice Film Festival in September, which seemed to have gone through a very expensive shredder).

Strange proportions are also fair game. At the EE British Academy Film Awards, familiarly known as the Baftas, this month, Stone managed to make a tea-length embroidered smoke gray organza dress over above-the-ankle pants (Chanel haute couture, mind you) seem like kismet. “The look was so cool because of the pants, but also it was a little Lucille Ball because of the ‘50s shape of the dress,” Flannery said.

It was not the first time Stone carried off a tricky Chanel design — or pants on the red carpet, for that matter. While an ornate embroidered jacket and a heavy silver and gold column skirt, both in tweed, might have sapped the youth out of some, Stone was a sophisticated jeune fille in the Chanel Métiers d’Art outfit she wore to the Paris premiere of “La La Land.”

Yet Stone doesn’t overdose on opulence. Like a palate cleanser, the actress peppered her red carpet look with minimal slip dresses (a rich burgundy number by the Row for the London premiere of “La La Land” in January and a strappy black Stella McCartney design at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this month). Another Stella McCartney, a midnight blue jumpsuit worn to the Oscar Nominees Luncheon a few days later, was also relatively spare, though the puffed one-sleeve cut had plenty of quirk.

“I always want to keep it fresh and fun,” Flannery said. To that end, she works with a combination of custom and runway pieces. “I love doing custom, because it’s nice to know you’re really surprising people,” she said, pointing to the glittering star-bedecked Valentino gown Stone wore to the Golden Globes last month. Sourcing directly from the runway used to be the gold standard, but, Flannery said, “it’s different today with social media.”

“Instagram images pop up all over,” she continued, “and by the time a dress comes from the runway, it can feel like you’ve seen it already.”

Luckily, Flannery has such access — Stone, after all, is a red carpet score for any designer — that she can nab a collection piece before it has ever left the studio. Such was the case when she secured the remarkable Alexander McQueen dress with lily pad embroidery that Stone wore to the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January. With asymmetrical draping and a lace bodice, the design was a visual feat: Stone looked as though she was partially undressed.

Flannery said the gown was from the label’s 2017 pre-fall collection, which “had not been viewed by anybody yet.” She reserved the piece a couple of weeks before the awards ceremony as she was passing through London with Stone.

“It’s true designers love her,” Flannery said, “but also Emma appreciates fashion from an artist’s point of view. Style is innate. It’s in her bones.”

The Adademy Awards will be broadcast by ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST today, with red carpet coverage starting earlier.