Enrique Melendez is a stylist to the stars. He’s the mind behind iconic looks on famous faces such as Jenna Ortega, Josh Rivera, and even the mega-famous pop-rap group the Black Eyed Peas. But Melendez didn’t always style famous celebs for some of their biggest moments of their lives. In fact, his career began in the same way it does for many people who work in the fashion industry: in retail.
“I’ve always had that love for clothing and wardrobe and style, but I didn’t find out that it was something that I could do professionally until well after college,” Melendez tells Her Campus in an exclusive interview. He was actually considering getting into real estate when his friend, a makeup artist, suggested he consider working as a stylist. So, he started interning, working his way up in the industry, and the rest fell into place (with a lot of hard work, of course).
Soon, Melendez was in the same rooms as the biggest stars in the music industry. “When you’re on tour with these music groups in the summertime, you’re in a circuit,” Melendez says. “You are in the same hotels and everything, so I met Bruno Mars, I met Jason Derulo — that’s how I kind of started in the music world as far as styling.” From there, he started working with actors for events such as press tours, which served to both expand his portfolio and increase his star power.
These days, Melendez stays booked and busy, with every day being “absolutely different with every client or every project,” he says. Some days, he might be creating mood boards and reaching out to designers to start the styling process. Another days, he’s pulling looks from designer showrooms, outsourcing clothes to do fittings, and getting outfits tailored for the stars. “There’s so many moving parts of it, because it’s not even just the clothing; you have to do the accessories, shoes, bags,” he says. “Also collaborating with the hair and makeup team — there’s a lot of that.”
Collaboration is actually an important part of Melendez’s creative process, since he and his team work together to help his clients’ visions come to life. “When I’m involved with my clients, we try to have a whole story from head to toe.”
Working as Jenna Ortega’s stylist for the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice press tour was a significant milestone for Melendez this year. This project was special to Melendez for many reasons: Not only is he a longtime stylist and friend to Ortega, but he’s also a major fan of Burton and the original Beetlejuice film. “Tim Burton, I’m a huge fan of his work, his legacy, and everything, so I just always wanted to make sure that we protected that,” Melendez says. “And I know that Jenna did as well.”
Melendez has so many fond memories from his time working with Ortega on this project, such as the now-viral “handbag for the recently deceased” bag he dreamed up to pay homage to the original Beetlejuice movie. But one of his all-time favorite looks from the press tour was from the film’s London premiere, when Ortega wore a custom Harris Reed gown. “That one was really special because we never even had a fitting,” he says. “We literally landed in London from the Venice Film Festival, we arrived, and it just fit her perfectly. We didn’t have to do not one tailoring thing. And usually, that never happens. And I’m like, ‘Thank God, because we have to be out of this hotel in an hour and 25 minutes.’”
While he may be a stylist to the stars, Melendez is also helping fashion lovers across the country shop great styles at wallet-friendly prices. This year, Melendez joined the Marshalls Good Stuff Style Collective, in which he shares styling tips and his expert advice to curate pieces for Marshall’s The Edit Shop, a tool that helps customers (like you and me!) shop the latest trends at Marshalls. “There’s such a parallel between what I do and what Marshalls does for their clients. They’re giving you access to on-trend, high-quality looks and pieces. And I do the same thing,” Melendez says. “That’s what I loved about doing this partnership with them.”
So, even if you aren’t planning to walk a red carpet or perform on a stage, you can still dress like you’re a celeb, thanks to Melendez.