Since striking out solo from One Direction, Niall Horan’s personal music and style has developed greatly -- something he proved Sunday night at the 2017 American Music Awards in his dashing Paul Smith navy and grey checkered suit. Aside from winning the new artist of the year honor, Horan stepped up his fashion game in multiple stylish looks. To give a better understanding of how the singer-songwriter's sense of style has progressed over the years and the direction it’s going in the future, Billboardgot the inside scoop speaking with the star’s stylist, Ellie Stidolph.
“I think Niall’s style has evolved naturally as he got older,” she said. “He likes classics with a twist and is interested in how well things are made. It’s been fun working on bespoke pieces with some of our favorite British brands like Percival, Folk and Oliver Spencer. Music and fashion go hand in hand and Niall’s style reflects the authentic, personal nature of his music.”
From the casual white T-shirts and sneakers he used to wear with his former bandmates, it’s clear his style has become more sophisticated. “Since 2015, it’s become our tradition to do a suit for the red carpet,” Stidolph said of Horan’s AMAs outfits. “I think it’s a great opportunity to showcase how great Niall looks in slick tailoring. He actually often says he would wear a suit everyday if he could.”
However, as we saw in the black henley he wore for his performance of “Slow Hands” during the show, Horan is also after comfort when it comes to his attire, especially on the road. “He’s pretty low-key for tour,” continued Stidolph. “We had fun shopping for vintage T-shirts together in L.A. and I’m forever scouring eBay for them. I’ve bought a lot of Eagles tees at 2 a.m. and then forgot about them until they’re delivered. A great T-shirt, pair of jeans, along with R M Williams boots and Niall’s a happy man onstage.”
No matter how much his wardrobe changes as time goes by, there’s one thing the singer will never get tired of: accessories. Though Horan typically just wears hats when he performs, Stidolph confirmed his eye for accessories is only growing. “Niall enjoys building on his look,” she mentioned. “My approach for accessories, in general, is to let him build. I bring unique options to shoots all the time. You see, I love collecting articles of clothing on my travels and Niall is the same.”
