This Canadian sommelier-turned-stylist is the biggest thing in Hollywood right now

When a celeb walks down the red carpet, takes the stage or graces the glossy pages of a magazine, it's easy to assume that the dress they're wearing materialized in their hotel room only hours before. Of course, in fact, a personality's look is carefully curated by a finely tuned team, perhaps none more important than the stylist. Canadian-born Karla Welch happens to be leading the pack as one of Hollywood's most celebrated celebrity stylists.

Being named among the most powerful red carpet tastemakers by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 (with a magazine cover to match) and recently awarded Stylist of the Year by the Canadian Art and Fashion Awards only further cement her status as a major fashion player. Her client roster reads like a swanky VIP guest list and includes Justin Bieber, Ruth Negga, Karlie Kloss, Lorde, Elisabeth Moss, Olivia Wilde, Sarah Paulson and Tracee Ellis Ross. But she's not content solely as the brains behind some of the biggest red-carpet style moments or as the trusted wardrobe advisor to half of Hollywood. She idolizes the white t-shirt, which brought about her successful Hanes x Karla collaboration and her hotly anticipated partnership with Levi's (keep an eye on her xkarla Instagram account for details).

Further proving there's substance behind the style, she wears her politics on her designer sleeve (or more accurately, her Instagram feed) using her social voice to champion those she believes in. And though she credits her success to "a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work", there's no doubt that the secret sauce lies in her ability to tap into the zeitgeist and direct fashion's future. We caught up with Welch at the Vancouver launch of the Escala, Cadillac's newest concept car, to talk about the transition from sommelier to stylist, her unique Canadian lens, and the fashion advice she gives her own daughter.

What were some of your earliest experiences in fashion? I read that you were obsessed with Fashion File while you were growing up.

I grew up on the Sunshine Coast and was definitely obsessed with it. I really think my first experiences were working at my father's clothing store. He had a menswear boutique, sort of haberdashery, with everything from suits to raincoats.

Tell me about your early years in Vancouver.

I worked at Vij's restaurant and I feel like that's when I really started to become who I am as a person, finding my real way. It's where I met my best girlfriend, the girl who was a total mentor to me. That was the start of getting me on the path of where I was going.

I also read that you trained as a sommelier.

One of my main talents is that when I like something, I want to know everything about it. When I was a sommelier, it was because I was also the maître d' of the restaurant and in order to be the maître d' I went to chef school because I wanted to run the restaurant. I wanted to see how all the elements worked together. I guess it's hard work and curiosity and never feeling like I could be the leader unless I knew what goes into everybody's position.

How did you transition to styling?

I assisted in London and then I worked with Amy Hall Brown who was an editor at Vogue about 15 years ago. I started feeling confident that I could do it on my own and dove in that way. It was a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work.

How do you choose your clients?

People are coming to me, but I choose clients based on whether I feel that I'm inspired by them, their project, their talent and what they stand for. I'm more interested in building long term relationships if I'm inspired by them.

With so many diverse celebrity clients, how do you go about crafting an individual's image, keeping in mind current trends?

That's my specialty. I don't want everybody to look cookie cutter. When I work with someone, part of my process is that I very much think about them and where I think they should go stylistically. Then I conjure a muse, but it's very internal. It's not as if I'm looking at a Grace Kelly picture and say, "we're going to do this". I decide on a direction and we go from there.

Do they often have an idea of what they want?

Not usually. It's pretty collaborative, but generally if you're coming to me, it's because you want a strong image. Tracee Ellis Ross, for example, has incredible style and it was the merging of two worlds and seeing how crazy we could get together. But I'm a very directional stylist, I'm not a personal shopper.

Tell me about your approach to styling. Where do you find your inspiration?

I keep my eyes open and find it anywhere. I don't ever want to be limited to thinking my inspiration has to come purely from fashion.

How did your relationship with Cadillac come about? How do car design and fashion design align?

It's an interesting… ten years ago, we wouldn't have a stylist talking about a concept car. It's about having an understanding of craftsmanship, an understanding of design and identifying what's luxury. To me, it actually makes perfect sense. A concept car is here to let us dream about the future and, in a way, that is what I do with fashion too. I think there are incredible parallels. With the Escala, it's refined, and the technology is hidden. That's something that I really appreciate and look for in working with my clients or doing editorials. I like refined luxury.

Are you seeing the world of technology enter the world of fashion?

Of course, everything is technology-based. Right now, it's all in the messaging but I imagine we're going to see so much more wearable technology. The story telling, what went into making something, and where we can go with technology and sustainability is really interesting. I think it will become a normal part of the conversation in the next 10 to 20 years.

Aside from celebrity clients, you also have a very successful collaboration with Hanes and one with Levi's on the horizon. What attracts you to work with these iconic brands? How do you approach design differently than styling?

When I finally decided I wanted to create a brand and have pieces that I've designed, I didn't want a typical collaboration. In fact, it's my t-shirt and I chose Hanes fabric because I like it, and then Hanes came on board. It's a reverse collaboration. It was the same with Levi's. I wanted to explore the idea of icons, and American icons especially. For me, the white t-shirt and blue jean are the most democratic pieces of clothing you can have. There's no one who does white cotton t-shirts better than Hanes, and there's no jean that's more iconic than the Levi's 501. Everybody who gets into denim knows that that's the north star, so for me to take on icons was interesting on a cerebral level. It's like a gold medal.

You were named one of the most powerful celebrity stylists by the Hollywood Reporter and named Stylist of the Year at the Canadian Art and Fashion Awards. What do these accolades mean to you?

They're super nice to get and it's wonderful to be recognized, but at the end of the day, you're a person picked to be on a list. I take it with a grain of salt, I'm not too overly sentimental and I move on quite quickly. I know the work that goes into getting there and I'm more interested in growing and continuing to do interesting projects.

You're outspoken with your political views. How do you see the world of fashion resonating with the current cultural climate? Why is fashion still important now?

Fashion is always important because it's important to dream. I think the brands that are having the most success are those who are saying, "I stand for something". Ultimately, our money is our vote and how you spend your disposable income (on products or clothing or films) has an impact. You can support companies you believe in. Fashion can show diversity, different sizing and have a message. Politics should not be limited to politicians, they should be an open forum for all people. We're all part of the political process, I don't know why anyone would want to feel excluded from it.

Looking to the younger generation, what fashion advice do you give to your own daughter?

To yourself be true. Also, technology is not going anywhere but to keep it real and not to get too caught up in it. I came to Instagram quite late and I didn't even show my work for the longest time but I'm a visual person and I actually like the community of people who I'm connected to. I like to think that if you follow me, you pretty much know who I am. It's an interesting time to be a young kid. And don't be afraid to be bored. We love being bored. Look out the window, daydream, that's where all the best ideas come from.

Tell me about some of your most prized pieces. What do you have in your closet that you would save first in a fire?

I have my Balenciaga motorcycle jacket by Nicholas Ghesquiere that's just magic, it's so worn in. I would also save my Rodarte dresses because they are little works of art. I have about five because I try to buy one every season. They're investments but I love them.

Caitlan Moneta (@caitlanmoneta) is a Toronto-based fashion editor, writer and stylist. She's a firm believer that there's nothing a little retail therapy can't fix.