• Style Section LA
THE GREAT FRAME UP: Zooey Deschanel, one of Kurata's clients, in the winter 2009 Oliver Peoples campaign, shot by Kurata's best friend Autumn DeWilde and styled by, um, Kurata. Duh. Image: Oliver Peoples

Style by Shirley

Meet Shirley Kurata, the soft-spoken stylist backstage at Rodarte.
By Ellyce Woodleigh
Published on March 25, 2010

Shirley Kurata is that awesome friend you wish you had. The down to earth stylist dresses Zooey Deschanel, has the Rodarte girls on speed dial and misses the days she could dress her dolls without judgment.

The native Angeleno, who calls Los Feliz home, studied her craft in Paris at Studio Bercot, an intimate institution that counts distinguished designers Isabel Marant and Martine Sitbon as alumni. After graduation, Kurata moved home to L.A. and found her calling.

Now, along with best friend, photographer Autumn DeWilde, Kurata works with some of the music world’s biggest names—Beck, Jenny Lewis and the Bird and the Bee, just to name a few.

We caught up with the just-under-the-radar super-stylist and got a glimpse into the mind of a genuine cool girl.

 

Style Section L.A.: You help out with Rodarte's runways. Tell us, how did your relationship with Kate and Laura Mulleavy come to be?

Shirley Kurata: Autumn [DeWilde] photographed their first collection and from there they became best friends. She’s photographed all their collections. She was with them for the very first collection in New York. And at that point it was just Kate and Laura, they didn’t have any hired staff or interns. And the next collection, they were really stressed out. So I flew myself out and helped them organize everything, helped dress the models. And from then on, it’s been me, Autumn, Kate and Laura. Things have progressed—now they have two people that are employed staff and like seven interns or something. It’s cool to see their ascent, which was so quick. It was cool because they’re, you know, outsiders.

SSLA: Outsiders?

SK: We’re also, like, late bloomers, kind of, like, in our own little bubble. I think Kate and Laura are like that, too. That’s who I kind of prefer. Either that or someone a little bit quirkier.

 

SSLA: You’ve certainly styled quite a few quirky personalities: Devendra Banhart, Elvis Costello, Nancy Sinatra…the list goes on. Who has been your favorite?

SK: Well, Elijah Wood is just a sweetheart. And he’s also a friend. Him, Autumn, me, Kate and Laura have a movie night. But it’s a horror movie night— really gross horror movies. As a person I love working with him. Miranda July just has great style. I don’t know if I have a favorite. But I like it when they’re a bit more adventurous.