Lifestyle Style The Most Memorable Dresses of the Year, According to Celebrity Stylists Who better to pick the best looks of the year than the stylists who created them? Here, celebrity stylists pick out the designs that they loved most on their clients in 2017 By Sharon Kanter Published on December 29, 2017 12:30 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 01 of 54 Viola Davis in Armani Prive Stylist Elizabeth Stewart: The stylist says that this was hands-down the most important dress of Davis's year. "I love the simple strength of this dress," she explains, "it's bold, clean, sharp and bright." 02 of 54 Priyanka Chopra in Ralph Lauren Rob Latour/REX/Shutterstock Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: “Initially stumped about how to pay homage to the Comme des Garçons brand and its designer Rei Kawakubo [at the 2017 Met Gala in May], we drew on one of the most classic silhouettes that Ralph Lauren offers, which is the trench coat,” says Ehrlich. “In playing with the tailoring and fit, we discovered that we could create this really special moment on the stairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art by extending her train to the point of no return. What started as something so simple ended up becoming what some would consider an art piece and not just a dress. Priyanka’s willingness to commit is what carried this look into being one of the most talked about of the night.” 03 of 54 Tracee Ellis Ross in Comme des Garçons Stylist Karla Welch: While Welch says she likes “every single look we’ve done [together] this year,” this Comme des Garçons the Black-ish star wore to the Met Gala in May — which actually honored the designer — was her favorite. 04 of 54 Lupita Nyong’o in Halpern Kevin Mazur/WireImage Stylist Micaela Erlanger: “This was us ending the year on a high note for sure,” the stylist says of the glittering green Halpern design the star wore to the premiere of Star Wars: The Last Jedi in L.A. in December. “Sometimes you just have that feeling and you just know when something is going to work and have a moment and this was one of those feelings and one of those moments. I am inspired by Halpern and his designs and excited by it. Everything about this look was special. And it was the right dress on the right girl. It was especially spot-on because of the nature of the event — she brought the galaxy with her.” 05 of 54 Julianne Moore in Calvin Klein George Pimentel/WireImage Stylist Leslie Fremar: “Julianne loves feathers!” says Fremar, who put the star in this fluffy design for the Met Gala in May. “This Calvin Klein feather dress was custom made for her and all the feathers were beautifully colored in red and orange.” Chopard earrings completed the look and made it “all come together,” Fremar adds. 06 of 54 Selena Gomez in Coach Neilson Barnard/Getty Stylist Kate Young: “I really enjoy working with creative director Stuart Vevers at Coach and love that this look feels both like Selena and like Coach,” Young says of Gomez’s look for the American Music Awards in November (where she also debuted platinum blond hair!). “Plus, it’s sexy and cool and her hair surprised everyone.” 07 of 54 Jessica Chastain in Givenchy IAN LANGSDON/EPA/REX/Shutterstock Stylist Elizabeth Stewart: "Because Jessica was on the jury, we had so many moments at Cannes," the stylist says. But if she had to pick her favorite? "I would say the lavender fringe [worn to the Okja premiere in May] because it was the last of many special Givenchy moments with Riccardo Tisci [before he left the fashion house]." 08 of 54 Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Stylist Elizabeth Stewart: "It’s a hard look to carry off and she just looked so right in it, and to me, very style-icon-y," the stylist said of this look worn to the InStyle Awards in October, where, fittingly, Blanchett picked up the Style Icon Award. "I love that it was from the first Clare Waight Keller collection [for Givenchy] as well." 09 of 54 Olivia Wilde in Michael Kors Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Stylist Karla Welch: When Welch helped fit Olivia Wilde in this custom red-hot Michael Kors Collection design with a plunging neckline for the Tonys in June, she described the look simply as, “dead.” 10 of 54 Charlize Theron in Dior Neilson Barnard/Getty Stylist Leslie Fremar: “This Dior look on Charlize was really effortless and cool,” Fremar says of the bra and mini set the actress wore to the Atomic Blonde premiere in July. “The leather bra and fringe skirt were edgy and definitely an outfit the real Atomic Blonde would wear.” 11 of 54 Zendaya in Ralph & Russo Allen Berezovsky/Getty Stylist and Image Architect Law Roach: "I thought that was such a glam ‘60s Barbie moment," he says of the look he put the star in for the Spider-Man: Homecoming premiere in June. "My first client was Barbie, so for us to have that full circle moment — her with her first big premiere and me taking it back to my roots and playing with a life-size Barbie — I think that was a dream come true for me.” 12 of 54 Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Carolina Herrera John Shearer/WireImage Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: “Julia is Hollywood royalty, particularly in the category of television,” says the stylist. “We’ve have had many beautiful collaborations together with Carolina Herrera and this year [at the 2017 Emmys in September] was no different. Julia broke records this year at the Emmys [by winning her sixth consecutive Emmy] and she will continue to surprise us with her ingenious wit and brilliant comedy. But this year specifically was significant for her and I feel her Emmys look matched that.” 13 of 54 Allison Williams in Giambattista Valli Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: “Allison is a red carpet goddess already, and so it’s never a wonder why she looks so divine in Giambattista,” says the stylist of this delicately embellished design, which the star of Get Out chose to wear to the Gotham Awards in November. “She has worn his gowns many times, but this particular look was fresh, wintery and just purely beautiful. I often wish people could see the dress in person to experience the details in something like a couture gown, but I loved that the best intricacies of this dress were captured in the photo.” 14 of 54 Elisabeth Moss in Oscar de la Renta Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/FilmMagic Stylist Karla Welch: “This look combines our most favorite things — ballet and rock ’n’ roll!” Welch says of this Oscar de la Renta ballgown and moto jacket pairing the star wore to The Square premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. “Only at Cannes!” 15 of 54 Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Oscar de la Renta Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: “This look we chose right off the runway, which worked perfectly,” the stylist says of the reflective pailette-covered blue design the actress wore to the Los Angeles premiere of Beauty and the Beast in March. “The color and the shine of the dress worked perfectly on Gugu and both the elements of its length and color were spot on for what we wanted to achieve.” 16 of 54 Kate Winslet in Tom Ford Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Stylist Leslie Fremar: “I loved the simplicity of this Tom Ford dress,” Fremar says of the black long-sleeve design the actress wore to a screening in New York City in Wonder Wheel. “The jewelry and red nails added a little glamour. It was perfect for a New York premiere.” 17 of 54 Celine Dion in Stéphane Rolland Couture Stylist and Image Architect Law Roach: “For me, that was probably the highlight of my entire career,” Roach says of the dress the singer wore to perform "My Heart Will Go On" at the Billboard Music Awards in May. “After I did that look, I stepped back to watch, and as she’s performing and I cried, I literally cried. It was such a powerful moment, and for me to have such a big moment in someone’s career who has such a big career — I almost felt like I had to retire. I was like, ‘What could I possibly do to top that?!’ It was such a beautiful moment.” 18 of 54 Lena Dunham in Elizabeth Kennedy Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: The stylist describes Lena as “fearless, in every sense of the word.” So, for the Met Gala, “we knew that she needed to be in something that represented the voice she carries across the board,” explains Ehrlich. “Lena rarely wears silhouettes with such extreme volume, so it felt like a proper nod to the formality of the Met Gala, while still playing to the edginess and rawness that Lena possesses.” 19 of 54 Meryl Streep in Givenchy Jim Smeal/REX/Shutterstock Stylist Micaela Erlanger: “When she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes in January, it was such a powerful moment and to be a part of that was really exciting,” Erlanger says of the memorable moment in which Streep spoke out against Donald Trump. “And she wore this gown that was so avant garde with cracked mirrors and all. It was fierce!” 20 of 54 Uzo Aduba in Sally LaPointe Vince Bucci/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: “Our inspirations were really drawn from glamour and the idea of this being a year of celebration,” Ehrlich says of this silver look the Orange Is the New Black star wore to the 2017 Emmys in September. “With [designer Sally LaPointe], we were able to achieve the elements of a gown that felt appropriate for the Emmys but not serious. Uzo is someone who will continue to create memorable roles in whatever she does, so we really wanted to approach this look with the idea that it should be special, but not feel like something we took too seriously.” 21 of 54 Jennifer Connelly in Louis Vuitton Nicholas Hunt/Getty Stylist Leslie Fremar: For the October opening Louis Vuitton’s New York exhibit, Volez, Voguez, Voyagez, in downtown New York in October, Fremar picked this mixed fabric look by the house for Connelly, who herself a longtime supporter of Vuitton. “I like the contrast of the patent leather with the embroidery and her coloring,” says the stylist,” noting it “just brings it all together.” 22 of 54 Margot Robbie in Versace Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Stylist Kate Young: “This look gives me chills,” Young says of the Versace design Robbie wore to the Los Angeles premiere of I, Tonya. “I worked for Anna Wintour in 1996 and remember her wearing Versace chainmail at the Met Ball so it holds a special place in my heart. The spring 2018 Versace show finale this year was so exciting [with supermodels Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen] and I knew right away that I wanted Margot to have one of those dresses.” 23 of 54 Kelly Clarkson in Christian Siriano Neilson Barnard/Getty Stylist Candice Lambert: Lambert says this custom Christian Siriano design, which she paired with vintage Chanel accessories, “was a big moment for Kelly” because of the timing of her new album, announcement of her new label and because she was due to perform twice at the November event. “I wanted and needed this night to be perfect for her,” says Lambert, so she called designer Christian Siriano to come up with a few concepts. “The black and gold velvet and sequin red carpet dress really encompassed everything Kelly and I wanted,” she adds. “It showed her beautiful curves, it was sexy, had a bit of glam, it was fun, unique and had that soulful ‘90s glamorous vibe. Watching her that night, I literally cried — it was perfect.” 24 of 54 Amanda Seyfried in Alexander McQueen Venturelli/WireImage Stylist Elizabeth Stewart: "[The First Reformed premiere at the] Venice Film Festival was her first post-baby carpet, somehow making it feel very special," Stewart says of why this look stands out. 25 of 54 Kelly Rowland in Georges Chakra Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images Stylist Ade Samuel: "The playfulness of the gown’s silhouette plus the intricate play of fabrics — mixing tulle with lace and sequins — was genius to me and worked," says the stylist, who added Fendi thigh-high boots "to keep it sexy and youthful, and see that pop of color through the tulle." 26 of 54 Busy Philipps in Jeffrey Dodd Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Stylist Karla Welch: “I loved the unexpected color and combination of the camouflage pattern,” Welch says of why this Jeffrey Dodd gown the actress wore to the SAG Awards in January stood out most. “Busy always bring clothes to life.” 27 of 54 Demi Lovato in Ester Abner Steve Granitz/WireImage Stylist and Image Architect Law Roach: When the singer wore this look, he says "me and Demi hit our stride." He continued: “For me, it’s important to find the emerging designers who don’t have a huge voice yet and try to help them find that. We found that designer on Instagram and reached out and they did that dress for Demi. She looked incredible.” 28 of 54 Sarah Paulson in RVDK Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Stylist Karla Welch: Welch picked this RVDK design by Ronald van der Kemp for Paulson’s appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in February. “Ronald is one of my favorite designers ever,” says the stylist. “His clothes are ethical couture and all made by hand. Every time my girls wear his looks, it just feels like heaven.” 29 of 54 Diane Kruger in Halpern Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock Stylist Micaela Erlanger: “This was a really cool moment,” the stylist says of the sparkly two-tone design by Halpern’s Michael Halpern she put Kruger in for the New York premiere of In The Fade in December. “This was right after he had just won the British Fashion Award for British Emerging Talent in Womenswear. It was really nice to support someone starting a brand. It is really cool when you’ve discovered something new — and I actually found him while browsing on Instagram. His work just jumped out at me!” 30 of 54 Amber Heard in Versace Steve Granitz/WireImage Stylist Karla Welch: Welch is working with Amber Heard for her Justice League press tour and chose this sexy Versace look to kick off their collaboration together. “This was our first look together and I think we nailed it,” says the stylist. “I cannot wait for our upcoming press tour — glamour.” 31 of 54 Taylor Hill in Alexander Wang Dave Benett/Getty Stylist Leslie Fremar: For the BAFTA Awards in February, Fremar says she picked this design because “Taylor looks amazing in white and this Alexander Wang dress fit her like a glove.” She adds: “This dress was young but still sophisticated and cool.” 32 of 54 Gal Gadot in Prabal Gurung Matt Winkelmeyer/MTV1617/Getty Images for MTV Stylist Elizabeth Stewart: "It was fun to see her in a more low-key ladylike look," the stylist says of the look the Wonder Woman star wore to the MTV Video Music Awards in August. 33 of 54 Alison Brie in Brandon Maxwell Leigh Vogel/Getty Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: “Much like the acting range that she’s been able to show this year, we are having fun playing to these different characters in her range of looks,” Ehrlich says of her approach to the star’s red carpet choices, referencing her roles in critically-acclaimed projects such as Glow, The Disaster Artist and The Post. Her favorite? This Brandon Maxwell design worn to the Washington, D.C. premiere of The Post in December. “Alison has had an amazing year.” 34 of 54 Ruth Negga in Valentino Couture David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock Stylist Karla Welch: For Ruth Negga, Welch says the Valentino Couture at the Oscars in February (above) and Louis Vuitton at the Golden Globes in January stand out most. “Both of these dresses just sum it up our awards season run — modern and romance,” explains Welch. Plus, they were both custom designed just for Negga. “What a treat to have two major designers and talents make us these works of art.” 35 of 54 Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton Rob Latour/REX/Shutterstock Stylist Kate Young: “I love the shape and intricacy of this gown and the little velvet bow just makes me so happy,” says Young of the gown the actress wore to the Golden Globes in January. “It feels truly Michelle.” 36 of 54 Michelle Monaghan in Brandon Maxwell Stylist Karla Welch: When Welch fit Monaghan in this Brandon Maxwell design for the Vanity Fair Oscar party in February, she said the “fitting took a total of three minutes — look at those abs!” 37 of 54 Laverne Cox in Bryan Hearns Jim Smeal/REX/Shutterstock Stylist Christina Pacelli: For Cox’s first time attending the Grammy Awards in February, Pacelli wanted to definitely go sexy. Therefore, “we aimed to create a look reminiscent of a Chanel Boy bag,” explains the stylist. “I knew exactly the designer to call to create against this vision, the talented Bryan Hearns from L.A. Bryan personally fit with us and created the brilliant look from scratch in 48 hours based on reference and inspiration images.” The final look, a revealing one-shoulder design with side cutouts connected by chainlink “hit the mark and fit her like a glove,” says Pacelli. Good thing, too, because Cox met her idol that night, Beyonce herself. 38 of 54 Dakota Johnson in Gucci Splash Stylist Kate Young: “This dress just felt so glamorous and beautiful,” Young says of this Gucci design the 50 Shades star wore to the LACMA 2017 Art+Film Gala in November. (Fun fact: Young had requested for the star just moments after its debut on the runway!) “The beading on the back is really incredible and it’s why she wore her hair up. The Cartier earrings did what the best jewelry does — tie it together and make it sparkly.” 39 of 54 Vanessa Kirby in Prada Karwai Tang/WireImage Stylist Micaela Erlanger: “This Prada dress for the world premiere of The Crown in London in November was just amazing,” the stylist says. “It was this organza with a sheer sleeve with this bronze metallic sequin. It had just the right amount of edge and it was youthful and glamorous. It was just a cool-girl moment, so that was really special.” 40 of 54 Sienna Miller in Gucci Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Stylist Kate Young: “The baby blue and acid yellow in the dress are so weird and amazing,” Young says of the dress she picked for the Live by Night L.A. premiere in January. “It’s such an unexpected shape. It reminds me of something Wallis Simpson wore.” 41 of 54 Yvonne Strahovski in Julian McDonald Vince Bucci/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: “This was Yvonne’s first Emmys, so we knew that what we wanted to achieve needed to be straightforward and easy but with strong elements of glamour,” Ehrlich says of choosing this gown with a plunging neckline for the star of The Handmaid’s Tale for the September awards show. “Between the color of the dress, her incomparable beauty and the simple gold Cartier jewelry, I consider it to be an amazing first Emmys moment for Yvonne.” 42 of 54 Sia in Custom Armani Stylist Samantha Burkhart: "This custom Armani look was inspired by a color that Sia is obsessed with – egg-yolk yellow. We had it made for an event the year before, but we loved it so much that we wanted to save it for something special." That moment? The 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar party in February. 43 of 54 Karlie Kloss in Naeem Khan Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Stylist Karla Welch: “Supermodel glamour” was the reason Welch chose this look that the model wore to the Vanity Fair Oscar party in February as her favorite. 44 of 54 Betty Gilpin in Gabriela Hearst Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: “Betty is such a new and fresh face to the red carpet—one I know you will see a lot of for many years to come—so we really wanted to achieve something that felt pared down and with graceful ease,” the stylist explains of this Gabriela Hearst pick for the L.A. premiere of Glow in June. “It’s no surprise that you put what is basically couture pajamas on an ingenue like Betty and it creates a moment worth remembering.” 45 of 54 Zoey Deutsch in Alexander McQueen Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Stylist Elizabeth Stewart: "We loved this look on her," the stylist says of the dress the actress wore to the L.A. premiere of Before the Fall. 46 of 54 Paris Jackson in Dior O'Connor/AFF-USA Stylist Sonia Young: "This was my favorite look of the year because I truly watched it come to life," Young says of this design the rising style star wore to the MTV Video Music Awards in August. "Seeing the look come down the runway at the Dior Resort show in Los Angeles, I immediately knew it was meant to be worn by Paris — I have never felt so strongly about a look so quickly. Watching my vision come to fruition was incredible!" 47 of 54 Ana de Armas in Giambattista Valli Couture Jun Sato/WireImage Stylist Micaela Erlanger: While the stylist says the star’s entire tour for Blade Runner 2049 was a highlight of her year, she was particularly drawn to this “sensational” design Tokyo premiere in October. “It felt like the perfect gown for that location and premiere,” says Erlanger. “It had this beautiful high neck with a jeweled collar detail and this floral print on a heavenly chiffon. She just floated.” 48 of 54 Greta Gerwig in Rodarte James Gourley/REX/Shutterstock Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: This look was love at first sight for the stylist. “We knew immediately upon seeing it in the [Rodarte fashion] show that it was going to be Greta’s dress,” Ehrlich says of the look chosen for the festival’s premiere of The Meyerowitz Stories. “For a carpet as enormous as the Cannes Film Festival, this dress really needed nothing more than the perfect woman wearing it, which was arguably first and foremost Greta.” 49 of 54 Nicole Peltz in Dior Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock Stylist Leslie Fremar: “I love this Dior look on Nicola—it feels very young and fresh and sexy all in the same breath,” Fremar says of this pick that Peltz wore to the Harper’s Bazaar ICONS bash in September. 50 of 54 Rachel Weisz in Chloe Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Stylist Kate Young: “I just want to look like this every day,” Young says of this easy-to-wear combination the star wore to the Chloe show in September, which was the debut for the label’s new designer Natacha Ramsay-Levi. “It feels feminine and strong and cool — the way everyone wants to look.” 51 of 54 Lea Seydoux in Louis Vuitton Dia Dipasupil/Getty Stylist Leslie Fremar: Fremar chose this look for the actress for the Met Gala in May. “Lea is such a beauty,” says Fremar. “I loved how sexy this dress was on her even though it was completely covered up. If you look closely it was made with such beautiful detail.” 52 of 54 Kesha in Gucci Gilbert Carrasquillo/WireImage Stylist Samantha Burkhart: "This look was one of my favorites as it radiates strength and confidence," the stylist says of the look the singer wore to the Q102's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in December. "Kesha looked so happy in this simple silhouette, which is the biggest sign of success for a stylist. This custom embroidered Gucci suit combines current as well as vintage elements, and that reflects Kesha’s one-of-a-kind style and personality. Giving the look even more of a personal touch, we included a ton of vintage turquoise jewelry which has definitely become her signature for this album cycle." 53 of 54 Andrea Riseborough in Erdem Stylist Cristina Ehrlich: “It takes a particular type of women with a particular sense of style who can so effortlessly pull off this silhouette,” the stylist says of this Erdem look worn to the 2017 British Independent Film Awards in December. “We’ve had fun putting looks together, but this one was a perfect meeting of the minds. It was also the first and only thing she tried on.” 54 of 54 Natalie Portman in Couture Dior Stylist Kate Young: "This dress makes me so proud," Young says of this couture design worn by the star in the new 2017 campaign. "I love the evolution of Miss Dior. Natalie is more gorgeous than ever.” The dress she wore is currently on display during the fashion house’s 70th anniversary retrospective at the Louvre.