Get to know: VH1's Single Ladies Stylist Anthony Williams

Welp I'm back from vacation!!! I'm going through this ugly post sun burn stage and my skin is kinda gray and peeling ;-(

In other news I want to share a great interview I came across today. It's from Claire over at The Fashion Bomb Daily. She recently interviewed Anthony Williams, wardrobe stylist on the set of VH1's Single Ladies. Now I've yet to watch an entire episode of Single Ladies but the bits and pieces I've caught I did take heed to the ladies wardrobe especially Val played by Stacey Dash. Needless to say I was excited when I found out who the mastermind behind her wardrobe was.

 Many are familiar with Williams from Project Runway but he says his due to the shows budget his creativity has been really put to the test.

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While Anthony’s day job is full of glitz of glamour, he didn’t grow up amongst lots of wealth or gorgeous things. He said, “If there was any ghetto, I lived there. Where I grew up, it seemed there wasn’t a lot of beauty so I had to create it and that’s how I got my start.”

After eventually attending the University of Alabama, his love for beauty and fashion landed him at Neiman Marcus, where he worked the sales floor. He said, “I started at the bottom in accessories, then I moved to handbags, and then to the dress collections.” A well meaning friend felt Anthony had a gift, so submitted his information to the producers of Project Runway. He explains, “She gave me the application. I filled it out, sent it in, and went through the process

In addition to his hilarious one liners, Williams charmed America–and the producers of Single Ladies–with his final collection, which overflowed with sequined pants, delectable cocktails with origami folds, and paillette peppered mini dresses.

He ultimately brought his singular flair to Val, one of the main protagonists on Single Ladies. Williams explains, “To create Stacey Dash’s look, I had to really zero in on what the directors and the producers were trying to do. I read the script to find out what exactly was needed. We didn’t have a huge budget, so we went for a lot of vintage and revamping.”

So how does one recreate Val’s signature style? He says, “The fit is what makes most of her looks. I don’t care what stylist you’re dealing with. You have to have the baddest seamstress in the land to make it make sense.” For Val’s super popular colorblocked look, he paired a $259 Jil Sander top from Jeffrey’s with a skirt he fashioned out of Carolina Herrera fabric. Stacey added her own pop with blue Christian Louboutin peep toe pumps

Though her look is pricey, he says, “It’s really just a t-shirt in a stretch knit in a bright color, a pencil skirt, and a molded belt at the waist. Because of the color, the quality of the fabric, and the fit, it looks amazing. But fit is the most important. High waisted works a lot better than low rise. Especially if you want to have the illusion of a small waist.”

So what else does one need to achieve a ‘Val’ essence? He says, “The fit makes the fashion. We make sure Val is fitted with the proper undergarments–Tumi underwear and the proper bras–so that there are no visible lines. The worst thing is to have a beautiful garment destroyed by a bra strap or visible panty line! Next, I fit her in lots of pencil skirts because they work for her. It’s also important to know what works for your skin tone. Bright, beautiful colors are really in.”

” Lastly, you don’t need a pair of Christian Louboutins to look fierce! Stay in your lane and merge when necessary. If you can’t afford Christian Louboutins: don’t buy them. There’s nothing worse than having Christian Louboutins and a cheap outfit. Don’t buy a knockoff. Just walk away. There have been legends in fashion who looked spectacular long before Louboutins were created.” Preach, now!

Check out more pictures at The Fashion Bomb Daily.
Be sure to follow Anthony on Twitter @sewanthony