It's arguably Sabrina Carpenter's year: releasing her sixth studio album Short n' Sweet, selling out the US tour that concluded last month in LA and receiving eight Grammy Award nominations.
For the Short n' Sweet era, Carpenter made a strong image for herself as a '60s-inspired bombshell thanks to the vision of stylist Jared Ellner, who also works with the latest generation of A-list celebs like Rachel Sennott and Emma Chamberlain.
It makes sense that Ellner worked closely with Victoria's Secret throughout the album cycle, especially as the brand makes a comeback after six years of pausing its fashion show. Carpenter wore a 2001 Victoria’s Secret runway archive corset minidress originally worn by Bridget Hall the NYE ball drop, an archive gown originally worn by Naomi Campbell in 1997 for the cover of Time and another 1997 runway piece for her Coachella promo. And besides pulling from the brand's archives, Ellner worked closely with the brand to make custom pieces that the pop star wore on tour.
"The biggest shock in this whole process has been getting to watch everyone’s reactions to all the hard work that my team, Sabrina and I put into these looks," he tells PAPER. "I’m so deeply grateful to have had a small part in such an impactful, thoughtful show."
PAPER caught up with Ellner after the US tour concluded about working closely with Victoria's Secret and creating back-to-back major moments with Sabrina Carpenter, below.
You worked with brands like Victoria’s Secret for Sabrina’s outfits. Can you tell us about the process of pulling pieces from their archives?
The first time I pulled from the Victoria’s Secret archives was for a New Year’s Eve look. Sabrina wore a look from the 2001 show originally worn by Bridget Hall. I found the look online and VS happened to have the exact one still in their archives. Once I knew that pulling from past shows was a real possibility my team, and I continued to explore their archives for a variety of creative projects.
How do you balance using archival pieces and styles with more contemporary fashion?
I adore pulling archival fashion, but I do my best to use it when it’s truly the perfect garment for the client and event. I think now a lot of times people wear archive just for the sake of wearing archive whether or not it’s the best option for the occasion. For me, regardless of whether it’s archive or contemporary clothing, it’s always most important to use the look that best fits the project at hand.
Do you have a favorite look from Sabrina’s tour wardrobe, and what makes it stand out to you?
I honestly love all of the looks equally, which almost never happens. However, the opening towel look really does hold a special place in my heart. I love that we were able to turn this look into a moment that really engages the audience and makes the show almost interactive. I am also always a sucker for a lingerie-inspired look.
How do you ensure that the outfits are also functional for Sabrina’s performances on stage?
Sabrina is such a pro and has years of experience wearing stage outfits. She really understands what she needs for a stage look to be functional. I’m lucky enough to just follow her lead.
Was there anything surprising or unexpected in the design process for this tour’s wardrobe?
The biggest shock in this whole process has been getting to watch everyone’s reactions to all the hard work that my team, Sabrina and I put into these looks. I’m so deeply grateful to have had a small part in such an impactful, thoughtful show.
Photos courtesy of Jared Ellner
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