With a roster of clients that most stylists can only dream of, Kirsty Stewart, the creative behind Olivia Neill and Amy Jacksons’ wardrobes, gets cosy with Wonderland to talk fashion firsts, pinch me moments, and more.

Call it what you will, but the it girl as we know it is changing: once revered for her aspirational and slightly out of touch aura, the new-and-improved it girl is defined by her chaotic, messy yet relatable personality. Just look at Madeline Argy, who started posting online because she had a crush on a girl and wanted to get her attention. After chatting about a worm that was trapped in her sister’s leg, Argy has since garnered over 13 million followers across Instagram and TikTok (safe to say attention was gained, maybe just not the attention Argy thought she was seeking).

Cast your eyes to 2019, as a 17-year-old Olivia Neill got ready for her sixth form prom in front of a camera – the video is now just shy of 1 million views. Or even more recently, Meredith Duxbury picks her poison and lands on bottle-loads of foundation, as she lathers up her skin with it, and gains upwards of 18 million followers on TikTok. From humble beginnings, these girls have captured the pop-cultural zeitgeist, and now they’re rubbing shoulders with some of fashion’s most elite: campaigns with Saint Laurent, sitting front row at Prada, and bagging viral fashion campaigns for Peachy Den.

So, how did these small-town girls become fashion icons in their own right? “It’s about evolving their image in a way that feels intentional,” Kirsty Stewart tells me, as the stylist sits down with Wonderland amidst a jam-packed schedule, filled with Met Gala try-ons and Cannes festival styling sessions. With Stewart to thank for the girls’ warm welcome into the fashion world, the London-based stylist has slowly but surely been cultivating a style identity reminiscent of each influencer, inspired by “chic and elevated” silhouettes at the forefront of her aesthetic, she explains. “I love clean lines and beautiful tailoring, there’s a definite nod to the ‘90s in my work. I never like anything to feel try-hard,” and the proof really is in the pudding, when you look at how well her clientele is performing in fashion and pop-culture. 

Stewart, who somewhat fell into a styling career after initially having her sights set on fashion design, inadvertently found herself at the feet of long-time friend, actress, and British model Amy Jackson Westwick. Who would have guessed that helping out her bestie for a random press junket in 2017 could lead to the fruitful career that Stewart now sits on? The 33-year-old style aficionado is now working with some of Britain’s biggest names, ushering in the dawn of the new it girl. 

In between Met Gala fittings and brand trip look preparation, Stewart sat down with Wonderland to discuss her approach to styling, her relationship with clients, and how we can all splash a slice of it girl spice into our wardrobes…

Hi Kirsty! Thanks so much for chatting with us, tell us a bit about your beginnings, how did you get interested in fashion? Was it always styling for you, or if not, how did you get into a styling career?

I’ve always loved fashion, but I don’t think I ever saw it as a realistic career growing up. In my early twenties, I was living and working in Dubai and eventually managed to save enough to open my own boutique. I stocked some incredible Australian designers – Dion Lee, Camilla & Marc, Christopher Esber, Michael Lo Sordo before they really broke into the mainstream. That ended up getting me a lot of attention from influencers and celebrities in London, and I started to grow a following on social media. Styling happened completely organically. My childhood best friend, Amy Jackson, is an actress, and she asked me to style her for a press junket in 2017. I’d worked with stylists through the shop, so I had a rough idea of how it all worked, but I really did throw myself in at the deep end. No internships, no assisting! From there, I kept working with Amy, and one thing led to another. I started working with people like Neelam Gill, Rochelle Humes, Patricia Manfield, Olivia Neill… and it’s grown naturally from there. 

What’s an average day in the life of a stylist? What’s keeping you busy at the moment?

80% of the time, I’m sat at home on my laptop working on emails! I like to do all the pulling and planning myself, and then I’m so fortunate to have an amazing team that usually handles all deliveries, setting up for fittings, and returns – I couldn’t do it without them!  Earlier this week I had a fitting with Aubri Brag, who is a new client, Meredith Duxbury has the King’s Trust Gala and Met After Party coming up, so we’re fitting for that today. Tomorrow, I have a fitting with Amy Jackson for a brand trip to Budapest, and in the time in between, I’ve been prepping looks for Olivia Neill for a brand trip in Miami. Next week is a big week, I have fittings with Rebecca Donaldson, Amy Jackson and Meredith Duxbury for the Cannes Film Festival, and we also have a commercial shoot happening, so lots of moving parts!

You’ve worked with a lot of prominent, young British female personalities – Olivia Neil, Madeline Argy, Amy Jackson – what drew you to these women in particular? How do you go about cultivating a fully fledged ‘brand’, so to speak, through their dress? 

It’s a collaborative process, but one where I’m always thinking with a long-term strategy in mind. How we can grow their style in a way that feels cohesive, elevated, but still very them. Understanding who they are and how they want to be perceived. 

Can you tell me a bit about your creative process when it comes to styling, how would you describe your approach? Does it differ from client to client? 

It totally varies. Some clients are very collaborative. They’ll send me looks and be like ‘can we pull this?’, or we’ll DM each other brands back and forth. Others prefer for me to take a more of a creative direction role, plan out a full strategy and prefer not to have any input. I like working both ways, and it’s nice to have the balance between different clients. 

How would you describe your styling aesthetic? What inspires you? 

I’d describe my aesthetic as chic and elevated, but not predictable. I love clean lines, beautiful tailoring, there’s a definite nod to the ’90s in my work. I never like for anything to feel try-hard. I want it to feel effortless and authentic to the client.

What are some of your biggest achievements over your career? Any pinch me moments that spring to mind? 

Probably my first time doing Cannes Film Festival. Everything about being in the Riviera during the Film Festival feels magical. The chaos of Martinez, the excitement of the big red carpets. I don’t think I could believe it when I first had a client there. 

Looking into the role of the stylist, people have begun describing stylists as an ‘unsung hero’ in fashion, almost becoming a middle man between talent and brands. Does this resonate with your experience? How has the position of the stylist changed over the past decade? 

Stylists have always been central to the conversation, but historically, we’ve often worked behind the scenes without much recognition. Now, there’s a growing awareness of how pivotal the stylist’s role really is – not just in shaping an image, but in building a brand and navigating the space between talent, designers and PRs. They are often the glue holding everything together, balancing creative direction with logistics, relationships, and strategy. The pace is faster, the stakes are higher, and it’s more demanding than ever. 

Talk me through your relationship with Olivia, how long have you been working with her, what’s been the process of developing her style? How would you describe Olivia’s style? 

Forever! I think it must have been about five years! I love Olivia – she’s the easiest person in the world to work with. She’s so chill, and we’re always on the same page. I don’t have to pull racks and racks of options for her because I know exactly what she likes and what she doesn’t. She usually comes in, tries on one or two looks, and then we’re done! Her style is very effortless, she never wants to do the most – she knows the right brands to work with and has a very clear vision. Right now, we’re loving the likes of YSL, Khaite, Chanel, Alaia, Isabel Marant for her but we still like to balance with some smaller brands like Arakii, Paloma Wool, and Alfie. 

I know you’ve recently started working with Madeline, can you talk me through how this came about? What’s the process like when you first start working with a new talent?

I’m super fortunate to be introduced to a lot of fabulous new talent that I am working with very organically. When working with any new talent such as clients including Madeline Argy, Isan Elba or Meredith Duxbury It’s important to me that their style evolves naturally, rather than feeling like a complete reinvention, so I start building out the visuals – mood boards, references, and a list of designers that align with their aesthetic. I’ll look at past looks they’ve worn, and assess what worked (and what didn’t), so we can start refining from there. If someone is looking to be more involved & have an increased presence in the fashion space, we start aligning with the right brands, the right publications, the right events. Knowing what to avoid is arguably even more important. But above all, I want them to feel like themselves, just an elevated version. 

Prior to these girls becoming involved in fashion, they were known for their candid approach to social media. How did you turn these TikTok stars into personalities that can not only exist in luxury fashion spaces, but start to dominate them? 

It’s about aligning them with the right designers, the right events, and making sure every look supports a broader image. Over time, that image becomes recognisable both to their audience and within the fashion industry. That said, it’s very much a team effort. Their wider teams – agents, managers, PRs are absolutely instrumental in building those relationships and navigating the industry. Styling is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle, but it plays a crucial role in how they’re positioned and how seriously they’re taken in these spaces. 

Riffing on from that theme as well, consumers are starting to prioritise this unfiltered, slightly chaotic, personality, how would you describe the dawn of the new It-girl? Would you say it represents a wider cultural shift? 

Definitely, it’s a real shift from the polished, almost unattainable beauty we saw dominate in the 2010s. People are tired of the curated, picture-perfect versions of beauty and success we’ve seen for so long. The new It-girl isn’t always about having the most expensive wardrobe or the most flawless makeup – she’s real, a little messy, and completely herself. There’s a sense of effortlessness, but it’s rooted in authenticity rather than perfection. She’s relaxed on social media, mixes vintage with designer, and isn’t afraid to show the behind-the-scenes moments, the bad days, the chaotic nights, the ‘getting ready’ process as much as the finished look. I do also think It reflects a wider cultural shift where honesty and individuality are very much valued over total perfection, driven by platforms like TikTok that celebrate real, unfiltered expression and looks. 

What does it take to turn a TikTok teenager into a fashion It-girl, what are the key ingredients? Which brands are dominating the scene right now? 

It’s a tough space to exist in. We see it time and time again – a creator gains a huge following, gets flown out by a major fashion house for their first Fashion Week, and suddenly the online conversation shifts. People start saying they’ve changed, that they’re no longer relatable. That disconnect can happen really fast, and the challenge is finding the balance between relatability and the luxury space. It’s about evolving their image in a way that feels intentional, not like a rebrand, but a natural progression. That’s where styling and strategy come in. Every look, every appearance needs to feel authentic while also gradually introducing them to the fashion space. That’s why brands like Miu Miu work so well. There’s an inherent playfulness and youthfulness to the brand. It’s high fashion, but it doesn’t feel unapproachable or overly polished. That makes it the perfect bridge between the online world and luxury fashion. 

We’ve seen many young females from unexpected niches on the internet rise to stardom in recent years, and their style punctuates that rise. How can audiences achieve an ‘It-Girl’s’ wardrobe? What are the must-haves, or timeless investment pieces? 

If you really want to splurge, you can’t go wrong with a Saint Laurent leather jacket. There’s a new shoe brand called Christen that I love, their pieces are really cool and timeless. I love Anna Rossi for cool girl jewellery. Brands like Susamusa, Effie Kats and St Agni offer slightly more affordable pieces. 

Finally, what’s next in store for you? 

I’m really excited for what’s coming up. I’ve got some major red carpet moments and fashion editorials in the pipeline that I can’t wait for everyone to see. Lately, I’ve been focusing a lot of my energy on working with actresses, so over the next year, my main goal is to continue building out that side of my roster and take things to the next level.

Photos courtesy of Kirsty Stewart
Words – Freya Goodchild-Bridge