Quick – think of your favorite celebrity. Did you pick Emma Stone for her girly-yet-elegant red carpet style? Actress Kerry Washington has also been killing it on the red carpet for the “Django Unchained” press tour.

Making a statement with red carpet fashion can make or break a celebrity’s career. And with their career on the line, these celebrities won’t have just anyone dressing them for the Oscars.

Celebrity stylists are extremely powerful in determining a star’s success. When the Oscars air Feb. 24, I’ll be anxious to see the red carpet along with millions of other fashion enthusiasts. Dozens of television shows and blogs will analyze the stars’ red carpet choices for weeks. Yet, despite being a self-proclaimed red carpet enthusiast, I think it’s unfair that their careers are at stake.

If someone makes a misstep, there will be consequences. Take, for example, Michelle Williams’ daring daisy-print Valentino gown at the Golden Globes in 2011. The fall-out from the droopy gown, which resembled 1970s wallpaper, resulted in the replacement of Williams’ former stylist, Leith Clark.

On the flipside, good clothes can open doors. A relative newcomer to the fashion scene, 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld stunned in a striped Prada gown at the 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her age-appropriate red carpet looks were refreshing to see in the era of Miley Cyrus. The executives at Miu Miu, an offshoot of the Prada brand, cast Steinfeld in their 2011 campaign, shooting Steinfeld to even bigger stardom.

A great red carpet look not only helps the celebrity, but also raises the popularity of little-known designers. When Elie Saab dressed Oscar-winner Halle Berry in a stunning burgundy gown in 2002, he shot to the top of every stylist’s list of go-to designers.

Today, people with an Internet connection and a blog consider themselves fashion critics, and a bad fashion decision moves through the Internet like wildfire. Even television shows like “Fashion Police” have fashion “experts” like Joan Rivers and Giuliana Rancic ripping celebrities to shreds over their red carpet choices.

And with paparazzi at every turn, celebrities have to be conscious about their fashion statements off the red carpet, too. A trip to the grocery store becomes a fashion faceoff. Jessica Simpson’s infamous “Mom jeans” incident had her plastered all over tabloids for her bad fashion choice.

Some stylists have become celebrities themselves. Rachel Zoe, credited with creating the “boho chic” trend, has her own reality show and fashion line, and was just named the lead stylist for e-commerce site ShoeDazzle.

While celebrities are often credited with their fashion choices — good or bad — there is a whole team of people making these decisions for them, including agents, managers, publicists and, most importantly, stylists.

The Hollywood Reporter compiled a list of the most powerful stylists in the industry. Rachel Zoe snagged the top spot while Nicole Chavez, Rachel Bilson’s go-to stylist, and L’Wren Scott, a designer who also styles Nicole Kidman and Sarah Jessica Parker, were also on the list.

Even stars that don’t particularly care about fashion are forced into the world of red carpet style. Most notable is permanently pouty Kristen Stewart, whose typical outfit of choice is Converse shoes, skinny jeans and a hoodie.

Stewart’s stylist, Tara Swennen, somehow managed to get tomboy-ish Stewart into some surprisingly revealing Zuhair Murad creations for the “Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2” promotional circuit. She seemed uncomfortable, as always, and the media tore her apart for it. But when she wears sneakers on the red carpet, they call her lazy. I guess she just can’t win.

While I love a good red carpet, the business end of it seems a bit unfair. While it can be great for the star and the designer, celebrities should be able to wear what’s comfortable for them and not be ostracized for it.

Published on February 3, 2013 at 10:26 pm