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Sister styling duo, Wendi and Nicole Ferreira didn’t always style Hollywood’s leading men.
The Ferreira sisters got their start assisting legendary stylists like Phillip Bloch and Linda Medvene.
After assisting Medvene for over two years, the sisters went their separate ways. Nicole went on to do a tour with Sheryl Crow, and Wendi began working for The Ellen Degeneres Show.
It didn’t take long for the Ferreiras to decide they wanted to get back together, and they found their niche styling men.
“In the very beginning, we realized that there was this untapped niche. Men weren’t really considered for styling as much as women were,” Nicole said.
Now, the Ferreira sisters style some of the biggest names in Hollywood, from Jacob Elordi to Chris Pine.
For the latest episode of Who What Wear With Hillary Kerr, the Ferreira sisters share how taking a big risk early in their careers paid off, some of their favorite menswear brands, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.
Can you talk to me about how the heck the two of you ended up in your current roles with your current careers?
Nicole Ferreira: While I was in school for design, I interned for two different stylists. At the time, there weren’t a lot of celebrity stylists in Los Angeles. There was only a handful. I had the opportunity to work with Phillip Bloch and Linda Medvene.
From that experience, I was like, “I think I’m really into the design part of this job. So I’m going to concentrate on design.”
I had this great idea—I was getting ready to graduate—I had like six months left and I had this great idea that I was going to propose to my dad to continue my studies and get a master’s in costume design.
When I presented the idea to him, he literally laughed in my face and he said, “No, you’re not. You’re gonna get a job.”
I was like, “Oh, okay.” Cut to a couple nights later, we were at dinner in New York in Soho and three booths over was Linda Medvene.
I was so excited to see her and also so nervous because, will she remember me? How do I say hi? What do I do?
My eight year old niece, Kayla, looked at me and said, “What’s the big deal? I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?”
Just hearing that from her, I got up from the table and I walked over. She was lovely. We exchanged numbers and it felt really good to have the courage to walk up to somebody who I really looked up to.
Then it was six months later and I decided to make a list of all the people I had met since moving to LA and not necessarily to look for a job, but just to connect and see what they were excited about in the business, what was happening in the business.
Linda happened to be the first person on my list and she answered the phone. She said, “Oh my gosh, Nicole, I cannot believe you’re calling me. I needed you to start yesterday.”
I did and Wendi and I both went on to assist Linda [Medvene] for about two-and-a-half years.
Wendi Ferreira: I got brought in because I had moved to LA from Orange County in January of I think 2001.
I came here, I wanted a job, I had been working in fashion at Guess. Nicole called me and was like, “We need you now. We need you to meet us at the tailors. We need you to meet Denise Richards. Linda and I are busy and we can’t get there in time for her.”
So I show up and this is the same thing: It’s the courage it takes to decide you can do this and jumping into something brand new.
I show up and I introduced myself to Denise Richards as Linda Medvine’s assistant and took it from there. Carried on with the Golden Globes that year.
That was the start of Nicole and I working together as assistants. Opportunity took us different directions from one another. In 2003, I think, after about two and a half years of assisting.
Nicole went on to do a tour with Sheryl Crow and I worked on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Then after about a year-and-a-half or two years of that we’re like, “What are we doing? Why aren’t we doing this together?” So we teamed up and here we are.
I know that you started your careers at styling both men and women and you still work with Octavia Spencer and you will take on female clients when the situation presents.
Wendi Ferreira: No we won’t.
Hillary Kerr: No you won’t? No more?
Wendi Ferreira: That ship has sailed. I will say it right here.
Hillary Kerr: You heard it here. I made some assumptions. Okay, that is really interesting. Talk to me about that decision, please.
Wendi Ferreira: I think that when we started narrowing down our business to menswear, we became extremely focused. Adding women into it is a whole other level now.
We just can really hone our skills in on this menswear business that we’ve created for ourselves. And Octavia [Spencer] is just the most amazing human on the planet and we love her.
Nicole Ferreira: When we started, we took on everything. We had to. In the very beginning, we realized that there was this untapped niche. Men weren’t really considered for styling as much as women were.
We’ve had a lot of fun growing with menswear, because when we first started, it was a gray suit, a black suit or a navy suit.
Out of the countless looks that you have put together over the years, what are some of your personal standouts?
Wendi Ferreira: The thing that keeps standing out to me is when David Oyelowo walked the red carpet at the Oscars in a red three-piece tuxedo. There’s a few reasons for this.
Number one, David [Oyelowo], when he came to us did not want to be a wallflower. He wanted to stand out and he was like, “I will wear color.” Color wasn’t huge on men at the time. Putting a red three-piece tuxedo on someone for the Oscars was a giant risk.
I will never forget being at Channing’s [Tatum] getting him ready for the Oscars and David comes up on the screen. Brad Goreski looks at the screen and goes, “Whoa, who styles that guy? Because that guy is perfectly tailored, and I love the red.”
It was like one of those moments where I was like, “It’s us. We did that Brad. Thank you.”
I think that it gave us the confidence to take those risks. It gave us the confidence to put more color on men.
For our current career, that’s the moment that I really look back to and feel really proud of.
Nicole Ferreira: Mine is Nicholas Hoult at the Oscars in 2019. He wore a custom Dior tuxedo by Kim Jones that had the wraparound sash.
He was one of the first to wear that style. I love that look. It’s fashion and elegant. It was done so exquisitely with its tailoring, that it didn’t feel over the top. It didn’t feel like he was trying too hard.
It just felt like here’s a new version of a tuxedo. I love that there’s the ability to take what is so classic and put this fashion spin on it and still have it done in a very elegant way.
What are the best tips for women who are styling men in their lives? What’s one great piece of advice all women should know if you are having to put an outfit together for a guy?
Wendi Ferreira: Let them be themselves. Not everyone can wear what Chris Pine wears. I’m not saying stay in your lane, but I’m saying just be honest about who that person is.
Nicole Ferreira: I think that comes with listening. Listen to what to what their boundaries are, listen to what they want, listen to what they feel works on them.
Where are some of your favorite places to shop for men in general?
Wendi Ferreira: Mr. Porter is a great resource for men’s clothes. We love Corridor for fun, sort of funky things.
I love the brand Buck Mason. They make such amazing classics. Great tees.
Nicole Ferreira: I think Todd Snyder and Double RL have really great masculine—I mean double RL jeans are my favorite jeans if you’re not going to wear vintage jeans.
I also have to give a shout out to J.Crew. The classics and the basics at J.Crew are gonna last a lifetime.
There is a sweater that my husband has that he’s had since the 90s. You can’t find that navy, cotton crewneck sweater, in that weight anywhere else. I think that it’s a tried and true go-to for really great basics.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Next, check out our interview with Sydney Sweeney’s celebrity stylist Molly Dickson.
