NOW IT’S PERSONAL
How Elizabeth Aboody is bringing personal expression back to celebrity styling
In 2026 ‘personal style’ and ‘celebrity style’ feel like opposing ideas. With the prevalence of the celebrity stylist, our favorite Hollywood stars feel ubiquitous- polished and beguiling, yes, but ultimately anonymous. There may be style in Tinseltown, but it isn’t personal.
Through her work with reality TV star-turned-multi-multi-hyphenate Whitney Port-Rosenman (professionally ‘Whitney Port’), Elizabeth Aboody is redirecting the course of the celebrity stylist from buttoned-up to avant garde and playful, ushering in a new generation of stylists who promote the personality of the individual underneath the outfit.
May 5, 2025 At the Manner Hotel in SoHo, Aboody proves that the most elite fashion girls like a good mirror pic as much as the rest of us
Photo: @elizabethemii via Instagram
Celebrity stylists are relatively new in the history of fashion. Around the mid-aughts, red carpet and press appearances were increasing, and with it, a swelling demand for varied, eye-catching ensembles. Many stars couldn’t keep up with their event-filled schedules and turned to the fashion world, namely editors and stylists, to steer the proverbial ship. The original celebrity stylists had one job: to make their clients look good. Now, nearly two decades later, that isn’t enough. Audiences demand beauty and personality. This request coincides with Gen Z’s obsession for a true one-of-one quality in all aspects of life. They are trading in the minimalist, clean-girl of Millennial’s past for thrifty, unfiltered Brat Summer-bumpin womanhood. The verdict is in and uniformity is out. Fortunately, this is exactly what excites Aboody about fashion.
I remember the first time I met Elizabeth- Lizzy as I call her. It was 2018, about a week before my senior year at NYU began, when she swung open the door to her Bleecker Street apartment. My eyeline lowered nearly a foot to meet hers. Lizzy was petite, just under 5 feet tall, and incredibly chic; there aren’t many 23 year-olds who can pull off a Wintourian bob, but she certainly did. As I greeted Lizzy, her puppy, Shiloh, just a few months old at the time, bolted out of the apartment to the elevator where movers were offloading my belongings. She chased after Shiloh, her trademark stack of bangles jingling on her wrist as she ran.
It was August in Manhattan, and, as anyone who has ever spent the summer in the City can attest, the true dog days. No offense, Shiloh. I walked into the apartment I had only seen online (we connected through an NYU Facebook page) and noticed her black and white JW Anderson Pierce bag flung on the couch. As my eyes traveled around the apartment, I saw that she took inspiration from a variety of styles: British Mod, Harajuku, and Italian modern design. This, I thought, was one stylish girl.
When we lived together, Lizzy was working at Net-A-Porter, an online fashion retailer, in New Jersey. Every morning, without fail, she’d wake up at 5am to get made up before catching a bus to the Garden State from Port Authority Bus Terminal. I’d never respected anyone more. During the weeks, we were ships passing in the night. However, on the weekends, I’d watch Lizzy slip into the apartment with shopping bags larger than she was. Her usual suspects? The holy trifecta: Henri Bendel’s (RIP), Saks, and Opening Ceremony. On occasion, she’d bypass this trio and head straight for the holy grail: Bergdorf’s. If shopping was a sport, Lizzy would be the champion.
Need some proof? Check out Aboody’s Instagram (@elizabethemii). A quick browse and you’ll be abandoning Pinterest as your source of outfit inspo indefinitely. While she’s just as charming, Lizzy should be thought of as Emily in Paris’s younger, undeniably cooler, sister. Her fashion sense is explosive, highly-sensory, and stimulating, like the titular Emily Cooper’s. However, it also has a grounded quality that anchors her daringness. Whether she’s dressing in casualwear or black tie, the bones of Lizzy’s style are consistent and apparent to anyone who pays attention.
In addition to working at Net-A-Porter, Lizzy has also taken positions at Moda Operandi, e-commerce luxury retailer, as well as Thread Styling, a luxury personal shopping service and captain of the most drool-worthy Instagram out there. Beyond fashion, Lizzy’s experience is varied; she studied music at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and acquired her esthetician license during the COVID-19 pandemic. I guess it’s no wonder that someone like Lizzy would be compatible with a fellow multi-hyphenate like Whitney.
January 16, 2024 Lizzy and Shiloh twin in bubble gum sweaters and black pants while shopping in New York
Photo: @elizabethemii via Instagram
In writing this article and reconnecting with Elizabeth, I’m reminded of how incredibly intelligent she is when it comes to talking about fashion. She’s loquacious, not in an aimless sense, but in a way that demonstrates she is always searching to understand and distill the truth in her ideas. That foraging embodies the brilliance of Lizzy’s work. It is, perhaps, the reason why she can take a pair of jeans and white T-shirt and transform them into an honest portrayal of any wearer. She knows just what to add to a look to make you think, ‘ah-hah! Now this is me! Now it’s personal.’
In this interview, Ms. Aboody goes into detail about the origin of her relationship with ‘The Hills’ alum Whitney Port, her creative process, and the brands that currently excite her.
May 22, 2025 Aboody touches up Port’s look on set of her collab with Luv Lou
Photo: @ginaalmonte via Instagram
How did your relationship with Whitney come to fruition?
It’s actually a funny story and a great reminder that so much of life comes from putting yourself out there. One day, as I was checking who viewed my Instagram stories…as one does when they have a new crush…I noticed Whitney Port and her blue check pop up. I thought it was a little surreal, but also figured, ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’ So I sent her a quick DM saying, ‘hi’ with a pair of eye emojis as a playful ‘I see you.’
She responded immediately and we got on a call that same week. A month later, she flew me out to Los Angeles for my first campaign shoot. We instantly vibed. Whitney is incredibly warm and genuinely open to collaboration, which has made the creative process feel so natural. I truly couldn’t have asked for a better first celebrity client.
What does your creative process look like with Whitney?
Whitney and I are in conversation 24/7. We’re exchanging posts, products, references, and ideas, which has allowed me to develop a genuine understanding of her on a personal level. That kind of closeness is essential when it comes to helping a client access their style in an authentic way.
With Whitney, my goal is not to change the person everyone already knows and loves. Instead, it’s about amplifying all the facets of who she is: her playfulness, beauty and softness, and definitely her edge.
Each project looks a little different, but we usually start with a phone call to talk through what the project entails, how many looks we want, and the overall feeling we’re aiming for. I’ll follow that by sending her a mood board. From there, I build the looks around a few key pieces that really anchor the story for me.
May 21, 2025 Port struts in a look from her collaboration with Luv Lou styled by Aboody
Photo: @soulclubb via Instagram
With social media, the look and lifestyle of a celebrity is easily identifiable: Erewhon smoothies, (Mercedes) G Wagons, and (Hermès) mini Kellys. Whitney feels separate from that. Can you talk a little bit about differentiating Whitney’s look?
With Whitney, we focus far less on trends and much more on the pieces that genuinely excite us. Whether it’s an incredible vintage coat, an inspiring emerging designer, or something unexpected that feels emotionally resonant, the priority is always how a piece makes her feel- not how it performs in a trend cycle.
September 14, 2025 While promoting the Ritz Carlton NOMAD during NYFW, Port showstops in layers of Agmes NYC, Staud, Maria McManus, & more styled by Aboody
Photo: @whitneyeveport via Instagram
Audiences know what red carpet ensembles look like, but what is at the heart of everyday styling?
Styling Whitney for everyday life is all about functionality while still keeping things fun and chic. I always want my clients to feel confident in what they’re wearing. Everyday moments are also where there’s room to experiment and play. They’re less about perfection and more about expression, which often makes some of the most exciting looks.
Whitney owns an incredible amount of vintage, so her style is naturally eclectic. When I’m dressing her for everyday life, I like to lean into her existing wardrobe and build from what’s already there.
What does a good celebrity stylist achieve?
Celebrities are often pulled in a million different directions, so it’s important to have someone on their team who truly understands them- not just as a person, but as a brand. Styling goes far beyond the clothes. It’s about the products you align with, the environments you place yourself in, and the larger story you’re telling. A good stylist creates cohesion across all of those elements, ensuring everything feels intentional and reflective of who the client is at that moment in time.
Whitney has always had a cool, effortless energy about her. Quirky, fun, and refreshingly unbothered. My goal is to translate that into what she wears.
January 27, 2026 Port attends an event at The Maker Hotel in Hudson, NY wearing a vintage leather Roberto Cavalli Tattoo top styled by Aboody
Photo: @cortnee.photography via Instagram
Do you think your personal style influences how you dress other people?
It’s funny, my friends will say all the time, “that’s so you, I can see the ‘Lizzy’ in it.” I definitely have a strong point of view, and my personal style can lean a bit punk, which finds its way into my work. Fashion, to me, is about igniting opinion and emotion. I’m drawn to creating looks that provoke some kind of reaction, whether it’s recognition, curiosity, or even disagreement. If you feel something, it’s working!
May 13, 2025 Aboody styles Port in a Monse Maison top, vintage Fendi bag, and Luv Lou sunglasses
Photo: @soulclubb via Instagram
Any style or shopping tips for people trying to find their style? Where are you finding inspiration?
To find your style, think about the version of yourself you present to the world versus who you truly are. Where’s the gap? What are you afraid of uncovering? My style began to really flourish when I started leaning into the parts of myself that I was hiding from. Style is powerful when you dress from a place of honesty rather than performance!
In terms of shopping, I’m currently loving so many emerging brands, such as Awake Mode, Bonnetje, ShuShu Tong, Studio Constance, Lado Bokuchava, and Haikure for denim. My favorite established brands are Dries Van Noten, Comme de Garçons, Issey Miyake, Helmut Lang, McQueen, Marni, y3, and Schiaparelli.
My inspiration really comes from the people I’ve moved through life with. Every friend opens up a new side of me creatively, and I often find myself getting dressed thinking, ‘how can I bring a little bit of this person into my look?’ That constant exchange keeps my work feeling personal, intuitive, and alive.