Grammys With a New Tone: How L.A. Fires Are Shaping Style and Sentiment
It was unclear these last few weeks whether music’s biggest night would take place Feb. 2 as scheduled, with Santa Ana winds remaining a threat in Southern California, more than 10 million people under red flag warnings, and the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires still not 100 percent contained.
“At one point, Grammys wasn’t even on the table for a rumored second,” said celebrity stylist and tailor Matthew Reisman.
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But the show will go on as planned, though it remains to be seen if the stars will show up. The Grammys finally announced its host on Tuesday, with Trevor Noah returning as master of ceremonies for the fifth consecutive time.
“Most are back just today,” Reisman said on Tuesday of fashion showrooms in L.A. opening back up to the year-round business of requesting and lending sample pieces for celebrity dressing. He and husband Reginald Reisman are the styling duo better known as Matthew + Reginald. They’ve dressed and tailored looks for Lizzo, Rihanna and Megan Thee Stallion. For the upcoming 67th annual Grammys, they’re working with SZA and Latto.
“During our prep, we noticed that there’s a huge energy shift in how we reach out, how we communicate,” said Reginald. “We’re checking in. It’s, ‘How are you doing? How’s your family? Have you been affected? How can we help?’”
Based in Hollywood, they’ve had their bags packed in case they needed to evacuate after the Sunset fire — which is now fully contained — broke out Jan. 8 in the Hollywood Hills near Runyon Canyon. Since then, they’ve been donating new clothes and water to those in need.
“Respectfully, it’s silly to be reaching out [to designer showrooms] for dresses and things when people have real life issues and losses going on,” added Matthew. “So, it just changed the tone of how we’re working, and the grace we offer each other, and the expectations that work is demanding.”
Brands and showrooms that were open to lending pieces in surplus are now restricting the volume available to stylists, he explained of the new, more mindful mood — a reaction, perhaps, against anything that could be perceived as an overreaching, overly demanding ask.
SZA and Latto’s Grammy looks are set. The stylists began prepping for the show prior to the holidays, and they’re now focused on accessories, and finding that showrooms are looking to limit the number of jewelry pieces they lend out for consideration for the big night.
“There’s just this caution to not be wasteful anymore,” Matthew continued. “We generally like to work like that, where it’s controlled and more thought-out, versus just fill a room with things just for the sake of doing that.”
“We’re pulling with intent,” said Reginald.
The fires have impacted their work. It slowed them down, with most showrooms closed until recently because of lingering high winds, dangerous air quality and other limitations. They had to cancel a fitting in L.A. and reschedule it out-of-state. But mostly, they’re adjusting to a shift in the mood on the red carpet.
“There’s a tone of being grounded in a look,” said Matthew of what stars are looking for in fashion. “People have lost their lives and homes, so this sense of parading through like nothing happened is really distasteful, and that’s something to know in a look also.”
Stylist Storm Pablo had custom looks from L.A.-based brands in the works that were halted by the fires because of closures and delays. “[The artists have] been totally understanding of why they’re not happening.” His clients include Bad Bunny, Young Miko, Kehlani, who are all three nominees, as well as Jack Harlow and Big Sean.
Pablo has had to pivot and work exclusively with houses and brands abroad. And he expects fittings to happen “super last minute,” he went on. “None of my artists are living in L.A. at the moment. And I don’t think anybody is in a rush to get here right now just because of everything that’s going on,” he explained of how some Angelenos have migrated to points north and east for a break.
He’s also focused on supporting his team of five: “We all have friends that lost houses. We’re trying to get through it day by day.”
For Haile Lidow, an L.A. native and owner of fashion rental Lidow Archive in Los Feliz, business has been slow and is only just picking back up after she reopened last week.
“We were shut down,” she said. “Vibes are obviously pretty dark and not fun. We had a lot of email chains drop off or fittings canceled. That’s been hard financially because these are months that I really rely on for a big chunk of income. And especially with the Grammys, because even though I work with the entertainment industry as a whole, musicians are way more my demographic, considering the types of pieces that I have.”
Lidow Archive has become the go-to destination for unique and eccentric fashion finds like a 1991 Christian Lacroix jumpsuit or Anthony Vaccarello’s 2017 Saint Laurent roller skate pumps — which have been worn by Rihanna, Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus on the stage, music videos, red carpets and photo shoots. Lidow has accumulated more than 9,000 pieces and attracted a regular clientele of celebrity stylists.
“We’re still getting Grammys requests,” she said. “They’re a bit slower to come in. There’s been a lot of rescheduling. It’s a higher quantity of those happening than normal. But people still are pulling.”
She, like others in the fashion and events businesses who have spoken out about it on social media, believes events need to go on to prop up L.A. in this vulnerable time.
“I can understand why people would be hesitant to continue with the Grammys, but I think also a lot of people don’t realize that Los Angeles as an economy relies so largely on award season and on these kinds of events to sustain. And there are so many small businesses and people who work behind the scenes to make these events happen and make the celebrities look the way that they do.”
Still, the fires have had some lessons.
She’s now rethinking her business plan: “I basically had this hard realization that my work is entirely based in a physical product that is largely irreplaceable. And if something were to happen to that, I wouldn’t be able to just snap my fingers and continue on with my career. So, it’s definitely had me thinking about how I’m gonna continue growing the business and maybe diversifying the direction that I’m going in…But right now, I’m just trying to get through day by day, and also figuring out ways that I can be helping my community that’s been impacted.”
At VPR, the public relations agency that works with contemporary brands like Retrofête and Sans Faff, showroom doors are still closed. The team has been helping with essential donations.
“Navigating awards season, typically one of our busiest times, feels very different this year,” said Tia-Marie Yan, PR director of the firm, which has locations in both L.A. and New York.
The Grammys moving forward offers a glimmer of normalcy, she added. “At the same time, it’s impossible to ignore the impact of what’s happening around us. Ultimately, I think we’re all curious to see how the Recording Academy and attendees will use this platform to support those affected by the wildfires.”
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