How stylist Harper Slate builds a sartorial world around Clairo, Charli xcx, and more

Styling is second nature to Harper Slate. “Clothing was my first language, because as a kid, I didn’t always know how to express myself with words,” she tells The FADER. “But with an outfit, I felt like I could say so much.” The Los Angeles-based creative — who often switches between creative director and stylist mode — has become fluent in dreaming up of worlds built around clothes. Yearslong stints jet-setting between L.A. and New York City and casting for the likes of Petra Collins and Beats for Kim Kardashian have led her to now dressing many of the top women in music today. Her star-studded roster includes BANKS, 070 Shake and The Marías, but most recently, it’s the work she did for Clairo’s Charmed residency and Charli xcx’s Grammys performance that got her increased attention.

“Styling is all about the thrill of the encounter. It’s discovering and sharing images, and conveying emotions and identity without needing to speak,” she says, describing her job as telling a story — and at times even falling into pure fantasy. “No one has to know anything about you because you could dress up and be whoever you want to be.” Ahead, get to know the budding stylist for music’s top it girls as Slate walks us through her styling journey, crafting the dreamy looks for Clairo’s Charmed residency shows, and why it’s cool to be an outfit repeater.

The FADER: How did you get into styling?

Harper Slate: Growing up in Los Angeles, I’ve always been drawn to music. I got my start in styling while living in New York from 2016 to 2019, and it was a huge turning point for me. I worked with stylist Ian Bradley for about three years before moving back to LA. Being there in my early 20s taught me so much about the industry. I was also a casting director in my past life. I casted for Petra Collins, Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS and Beats campaigns, and 070 Shake’s “Skin and Bones” music video. Casting is always something I hold dear to my heart. But when I started working with The Marías, that’s when I went full force into styling.

What inspires your storytelling process?

I always start with a moodboard. It reminds me of my Tumblr days. It depends on the project and the world we’re trying to build, but I often find vintage to be inspiring. When I first got into styling, the only access I had to designer clothes was through vintage. It was out of necessity because I didn’t have a portfolio, but I could create a fantasy [through secondhand pieces].

You mentioned The Marías being your first major client. How did that opportunity come about?

I started working with María Zardoya in 2022. She was the first client that truly shared my love for vintage and that connection made our collaboration even more special. For the “All I Really Want Is You” music video, we went to Italy and shot it at this historic castle two hours outside of Florence. Everything [she wore] was designer vintage and archival pieces. It was cool to see how I started out sourcing vintage as a necessity and now, it’s a huge part of my career. It’s a full circle moment.

You recently worked with Clairo on the outfits for her Charmed tour. What were some of your favorite standout looks from the shows, and how did those looks come to life?

Imogene Strauss introduced me to Clairo because she worked on her creative direction on stage. After she hit me up, I had two days to present my deck to Clairo. My work with Clairo led to my first viral fashion moment. I worked on her residency tour in New York and Los Angeles (with assistance from Cole Norton). For her first outfit, she wore this white top from Geel, who’s an independent designer, and a Sandy Liang brooch. People started dressing up in that look for Halloween which was so surreal. In my mind, people only dress up as icons for Halloween, so I was like, “Oh my god, she’s literally an icon.” I couldn’t believe it.

I hired my friend who runs Arbitrage Vintage who helps me source very specific pieces. I’m obsessed with early ‘90s Miu Miu collections, and we were actually able to find some of those. She also wore this [custom] Piatori dress inspired by Kate Moss. It was such a perfect moment to recreate for Clairo. Her album is called Charmed and I feel like throughout this whole process, I was definitely charmed.

How would you describe Clairo’s style for the tour?

Clairo’s music is so dreamy. I wanted to make sure that the clothing matched who she is as an artist. There’s an intimate aspect to her shows, and I wanted to convey that level of intimacy throughout her clothing as well.

Did the live setting affect your styling choices?

Functionality is important because everything has to be tailored to withstand multiple wears. I also never want anything to be too sheer if it’s not supposed to be a see-through moment. The stage is usually higher up, so you want to be cautious of silhouettes like that. Another thing I consider are the mic packs. For Clairo, we made these custom armbands, belts, and hidden pockets. Luckily, she’s always wearing these cute wired headphones, so it really played into her “indie darling” vibe.

You also worked with Charli XCX for the BRAT rollout.

Charli’s creative director, also Imogene, brought me on to the BRAT campaign. For the “360” music video, I worked on styling the background talent while all of the “360” girls and Charli were all styled by the amazing Chris Horan. I also styled the “Guess” music video. I found out on a Wednesday, and we shot that Sunday. My fitting started at 5:30 in the morning, but I had two hours to fit and dress 30 people. I loved the concept from that video: The rip-away underwear, the Zoolander inspiration, and Steven Meisel’s early 2000s photography. It was a cool moment for me because it was the first time I experienced that in those situations, you don’t have time to think — you just have to feel.

I styled over 100 looks for Charli’s Grammy performance which was so rewarding. The highlight moment was definitely Sophia Ziskin — she was the one kissing The Dare. I put her in this low-rise British flag skirt, and it was a perfect nod to Charli and her crew.

How has your love of vintage shopping influenced your styling?

You can go into a thrift store [and] find vintage pieces that look straight from the runway. If you know enough about fashion, you know. I feel grateful to scour for things I love. Now, I feel like everything is so accessible, but I love the thrill of the chase of all of it, especially researching something.

I noticed you incorporate underwear in a lot of your looks. Is this intentional?

Oh my god, I literally never thought about that but you’re so right. I love styling women for women, and reclaiming femininity and sexiness. I’m so lucky that all the women I work with are so beautiful, and they’re down to express that. There’s a rawness to it that I appreciate. It feels stripped back.

What do you consider a hero piece that should be in every wardrobe?

I love anklets. That’s my signature thing. I did it for Clairo’s tour, but it’s so hard to showcase an anklet. It’s so sexy. I think everyone should own one.

How would you define your personal style?

My personal style is definitely defined by girlhood and sophistication, but staying practical. Recently, I feel like I have a uniform which makes dressing so easy for me. I love finding pieces and wearing them to shreds. It’s about reimagining pieces that really speak to you and giving them a new life every time you wear them. The coolest girls rewear stuff because they own it and they love it. Plus, designs are meant to be worn.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.