Like many good things, this story began as a random 3pm conversation in the Ensemble office: Tyson and Zoe randomly, somehow, talking about the influence of Sienna Miller and Zoe's boho era obsession, then Tyson talking about her own blonde icon of a certain era, Lauren Conrad. Both had specific ensembles that had lived rent free in their heads for years, influencing their style back then and possibly even a little to this day. Surely other fashion and pop culture obsessed friends also had similar celebrity outfits that had helped shape their own burgeoning personal style? So we asked a few stylish people to share their style memories, from the 80s through to today – a time capsule of the influence of paparazzi, street style and influencer marketing...

Paloma Elsesser, 2022

The look that's lived rent free in my head is from Queen Paloma Elsesser wearing a Chopova Lowena skirt and black cardigan. As a curve girlie, my entire teenagehood was spent looking at photos of Alexa Chung and other indie sleaze icons thinking, "I can't wear that, it won't look like that on me". When I came across Paloma a few years ago, she was a beacon of cuve-fashion-hope, a ray of sunshine in a world of (personally) unrelatable body types. I've been obsessed with maybe every look she's ever graced us with, but this particular one stands out because of the Chopova Lowena skirt – an incredible Bulgarian British brand that repurposes local textiles into the coolest Vivienne Westwood-esque style skirt. – Anahita Paul, photographer and art director

Courtney Love and D'arcy Wretzky, 1990s

I had a moment during my teens when I plunged deeply into grunge. I’m pretty sure I was the singular person in my hometown getting my wardrobe at the Salvation Army Shop. It was a treasure trove of grandpa cardies and old lingerie. There’s still some residual style playing out in how I dress now but at the time Courtney Love and D'Arcy Wretzky epitomised femme power for me. I wore petticoats over velvet pants, I drew band names on my jeans with vivid and wore army surplus on special occasions as a flex.

My boyfriend and I would bleach each other’s hair at home over the bathroom sink. We more or less slept in Doc Martin 8 ups and when there was a gig in Auckland we would pitch in five bucks for gas and pile into someone’s shitty car and pray that we would make it to the gig without breaking down on the way. 

I remember going to Pearl Jam and being right up the front, the crowd was so hectic at that gig, people were getting crushed over the place. At the end of the night my white fishnets were embedded in my flesh and left weird crisscross scabs on my thighs for the next couple of weeks. That would have been my best grunge outfit at the time – fishnets, denim cutoffs, docs and a baby tee, and of course a plaid flannel shirt tied around my waist. We were so broke, but we were happy. – Lauren Gunn, hair stylist and owner of Colleen salon

Lauren Conrad, 2007

It’s 2007. The Hills star Lauren Conrad is living the big life in Los Angeles, shopping at The Grove, hitting up gifting suites and nightclub openings. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean in Auckland, 16-year-old me is nagging my mum to buy me a Blackberry, listing literature as a hobby on the application for a part-time job at Hell Pizza and thinking incessantly about LC’s bug eyed sunglasses and polkadot headband. The influence didn’t stop there - I wore almost exclusively bubble skirts, styled in the same vein as Lauren - hoiked all the way up and belted basically under my bust. – Tyson Beckett, style reporter

Luke Skywalker

The celebrity look that became my whole identity, and if I'm honest remains so to this day, is Luke Skywalker at the Sarlacc pit - aka Chanel Boots Luke. In the first two Star Wars films he was serving nervous twink, struggling beneath the weight of his destiny. Then he shows up, confident as anything, waving the force around like a glow stick at a rave, and throws off his Jedi cloak to reveal a sleek black ensemble complete with thigh-high leather boots and a new green lightsaber that compliments his eyes. Boy obviously had his colour analysis done between films. As a child I was obsessed with this moment, and I wholeheartedly blame it for my lifelong fascination with long black boots and perfect tailoring. – Kaarina Parker, model and writer

Edie Sedgwick, 1965

In 2013 Te Papa had an exhibition of Andy Warhol’s work. It was there that I discovered Edie Sedgwick’s screen test. I saw choppy peroxide blonde hair, aggressively 60s makeup framing big eyes, the sliver of a Breton top. I was hypnotised. It was impossible to look away; I watched the video on loop. It felt like a crush. 

Just as you would with a newfound teenage affair, I went home and dialled up the family computer to look her up. I loved her mischief, and tragedy. I implicitly understood why Warhol wanted to skin her alive and wear her like a cheetah print coat. She possessed something special that others wanted to destroy. 

I walked around Wellington wearing my school tights as pants and a spotty vintage fur, I listened to Blonde on Blonde. I visited that exhibit two more times; I bought things from the gift shop like they were concert merch. 

I understand the impression this formative experience – my experience of her – imparted on me. It shaped my tastes in clothes, movies, music to this day. – Ch’Lita Collins, stylist, model, It-girl

Alexa Chung, 2016-ish

When I got Zoe’s email asking me to contribute to this story, I thought for about 0.25 seconds and googled “Alexa Chung realisation par mini.” This isn’t the first outfit of hers I was obsessed with (sheer tights, denim cutoffs, leather jacket, Whammy bar lock-ins) but it’s by far the one with the most longevity. For probably five years this look had me by the neck. I can’t 100% say it doesn’t still.

With ankle boots, sunnies, and a cheeky dart, Alexa’s vibe is hot but casual, rich but relaxed. Six or seven years ago, I was doing my best to replicate it with a wrap mini from Glassons and a pair of actually very nice heeled boots my mum bought me before my graduation. Thanks Jane. I wore them until they fell to bits. The night I took that photo, me and my housemate at the time went to see a band play at the Forum in Melbourne and danced our way into a friendship that still stands. God bless a wrap dress. It’ll take you where you need to go. – Harriet Pudney, writer

Elle Macpherson, 2010

In March 2010, Elle Macpherson closed the runway for Marc Jacobs' Louis Vuitton Fall RTW collection in this cascading high-low mullet gown. It was strapless, pleated, ruched and gathered in all the right places and a total work of art. Later that year she appeared on the September cover of Harper’s Bazaar Australia in the very same dress – which was around the same time I was fretting about what I might wear to my Year 13 Leavers Ball.

It was my mum’s suggestion that we make something similar. So she got to work, making a toile before picking a champagne silk brocade with a subtle victorian wallpaper print from the Fabric Store and placing her own spin on the gown. I absolutely loved it.

Like every girl and her ball dress, the design process and its various stages became my whole personality in the month preceding the event, and (looking back at the runway shots) it possibly had much more influence on my personal style than I thought – I still have a thing for interesting silhouettes, proportion and structure, and a laid-back approach to beauty and accessories. Even my last purchase this winter was a pair of elbow-length leather gloves like the runway look! If only I could still fit the dress... – Courtney Joe, stylist

Julia Sarr Jamois, 2011

The detail that gives this look away as peak 2011? The oversized statement Prada sunglasses (and possibly the peep toe booties). This was the era of street style, big accessories and bright colour, as embodied by Prada's banana print and huge frames and Christopher Kane's "Princess Margaret on acid" inspired collection with fluoro lace, of which I was obsessed. So this look from fashion editor Julia Sarr-Jamois at Milan Fashion Week spoke to my late-20s fashion girlie soul:  the perfect grey marle tee (note the rolled sleeves), the ridiculous Prada sunglasses (I had/still have the black versions with the swirly arms) and the Christopher Kane mini skirt. I was so obsessed that I scrimped and saved to buy the same skirt – I think from Net-a-Porter, also peak 2011 – and wore it maybe once (it was not made for my milk-fed hips and bum; I think I eventually resold it at Tatty's and often wonder where it ended up). But I still have the look saved in my 'outfits' folder on my laptop. – Zoe Walker Ahwa, Ensemble editor and co-founder

Alyssa Milano from Who’s the Boss, 1980s; Elaine from Seinfeld and Slash from Guns ‘n’ Roses, 1990s

I’m of an age where, for better or worse, we didn’t have a steady stream of access to celebrity looks. Growing up in Hamilton in the 80s and 90s there was, obviously, no social media and honestly little in the way of magazines. I did love to pour over issues of The Face magazine, months after they were published in the UK, but I never really saw myself in the heroin chic fashion of the time. So I looked more to TV and music for inspiration, which I found in a number of curly-haired icons of the time. 

In the 80s it was all about Samantha Micelli, aka Alyssa Milano in Who’s the Boss. She had the best rolled jeans with sneakers and in one of my favourite episodes she inserted ‘like’ into every sentence so I of course started doing that too. The best episode though was when she got a hickey and used her curls to hide it. All in all it provided a great education on girlhood as well as fashion. 

In the 90s it was more Elaine. I feel like she was presented to readers as a bit of a frump but I loved her wild curls, no shits given personality and iconic 90s outfits. I bought a dress from World to wear for my high school graduation in 1993 that was directly inspired by Elaine (floral, shoulder pads with a wide short sleeve, button down front). In the later 90s, during my more rebellious stage, it was more Slash – mad curly hair that I threw around at parties (often waking with a sore neck), cigarettes and rum. – Rebecca Wadey, Ensemble partnerships director and co-founder

Sienna Miller, 2004

My forever hair icon, Sienna’s boho era was deeply influential on my early-20s style (closely followed by her 60s mod Edie Sedgwick era). She influenced me to buy cowboy boots, a brown bolero, low-slung leather belts, flowy print dresses, faux fur gilet, slouchy bags and bangles from TradeAid. But this look, while she was walking around the streets of Notting Hill, imprinted on my 20-year-old brain and stayed there for years: I think because it was so simple and easily replicated (she also looks hungover and cool). The raw hemmed denim, the exposed purple bra straps under the white tank, the dusty cowboy boots… But it was the fringed Balenciaga Motorcycle Lariat bag that really stuck with me; I bought a fake one and wore it to death. – ZWA