The Hollywood Reporter just dropped its annual Power Stylists issue for this year, now that award season is over. 

 

Colman Domingo, with his stylists Wayman + Micah is on one of the covers and Colman, as you can see, has been crowned… AS HE SHOULD BE. 

What Colman served on every carpet for the last year has been nothing short of excellence and his streak continues the standard that Wayman + Micah have been setting for years with their client list that also includes Tessa Thompson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Regina King, and Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner, Da’Vine Joy Randolph. 

 

As for THR’s Stylist of the Year, this shouldn’t be a surprise: Andrew Mukamal because… well…Barbie and Margot Robbie. That press tour is for the ages. I do want to mention here that for all the success that we’ve seen with Margot and Andrew, this came after not a lot of success with Margot and her previous stylist, Kate Young.

 

In fact, when Margot and Kate were working together, the looks were not giving. Kate Young also used to work with Selena Gomez, and Selena also changed stylists and the difference was dramatic, an immediate improvement after she and Erin Walsh started working together. Erin is on the Power List, and so is Kate, because she makes it almost every year and my point in bringing all of this up is… 

About a year ago around this time, Law Roach announced his retirement, and in an interview shortly afterwards, he talked about fashion gatekeepers and “the same group of women”. Black stylists have to work that much harder to get recognition even when their work is better.

So on that note, since THR’s Power Stylist issue is basically like the Oscars for stylists, let’s talk about the snub. For me, the most glaring snub is Daniel Hawkins, Fantasia Barrino’s stylist, because as I have written repeatedly during this past award season, as the kids would say, they ATE. There wasn’t a single miss – we saw in real time a fashion elevation in Fantasia and she is not looking back. Daniel Hawkins should be on the list now, but he better the f-ck be on the list next year. 

 

One more thing: to go back to what Law has been saying for years, though, and what he was saying in the days following that retirement announcement, Black stylists make their mark by working with Black talent. But they should not be limited to Black clients. Law’s work with Zendaya is what got the attention of Celine Dion. And then, later on, Anya Taylor-Joy. And etc etc etc. 

But we are far from an even split on this. Which is why it’s important to see Jason Bolden on THR’s Power Stylist list highlighted by his work with Nicole Kidman. I said the same thing back in 2021 when Angelina Jolie collaborated with Jason for the Eternals press tour, perhaps the best press tour of her career from a fashion perspective. As Jason told THR, for him and Nicole “it’s a very new relationship”, they met on a shoot and just sparked. So I can’t wait to see how this partnership evolves and the looks they’ll be producing.