Dara Allen: A Stylist's Style Icon
Interview Magazine's fashion director brings the editorial slay to Hunter Schafer's red carpet fashion at "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" premieres.
Now that Jacob Elordi has settled into the silver screen limelight— with the success of Priscella and Saltburn— it’s time for Euphoria co-star Hunter Schafer’s big debut. In The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes— the highly-anticipated prequel to the young-adult movie franchise— Schafer portrayed Tigris, the fashion apprentice cousin of antagonist Cornelius Snow.
Beyond her character’s passion for upcycling old clothing, Schafer went viral with her fantastical Tigris-inspired red carpet fashions during the film’s press tour. Despite even that being over now, many Schafer moments are forever engrained in my mind, including her warrior-like Alexander McQueen gown, designed with silver beads, reflective panels, and a long, fringed train.
It is one of many incredible and custom looks styled by Schafer’s friend and acclaimed stylist Dara Allen, the fashion director at Interview Magazine, who notably styled magazine covers for the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Nicki Minaj and Anne Hathaway.
“Hunter and I wanted to play with the creativity and ingenuity of her character, Tigris, while pushing the envelope with fashion on the red carpet,” Allen tells Vogue about styling the actress. “Coming from the world of editorial styling, I approached this tour like it was a living, moving fashion story inspired by the films and her character.”
Who would’ve thought that Instagram-ready photoshoots, shot from the luxurious comfort of Dara Allen’s apartment-turned-studio, would’ve landed her on the Marc Jacobs FW17 catwalk? A typical 9 to 5 never looked desirable to the San Diego-native. Instead, Allen hustled her way to becoming a transgender icon by assistant styling then-unknown model Hunter Schafer in 2017 and turning modeling into a “fashion business” crash course, leading her to friend and frequent collaborator photographer Ethan James Green.
While Allen’s credit may appear differently in editorial nowadays (i.e., her degree in fashion journalism), her innocent Tumblr days of reblogging the greatest ‘80s and ‘90s fashion and beauty moments became a mental encyclopedia that bankrolled a multi-disciplined freelancing career.
Mel Ottenberg caught wind of this gritty, DIY determination and brought Allen’s styling abilities to Interview Magazine during his reign as creative director. However, when he upgraded to editor-in-chief of the Andy Warhol co-founded publication in 2022, Allen’s position simultaneously matched the ranks of famed predecessors André Leon Talley and Fran Lebowitz as Interview’s fashion director.
So, how does the San Diego-born stylist deploy her bonafide archival knowledge to clients like Miu Miu, Vanity Fair, and Calvin Klein? She carefully breaks the safety pins off conventional glamour and turns a Monday morning shower emergency into a New York Fashion Week statement.
In layman’s terms, the renegade New York City stylist brings just enough risqué, editorial slayage to the polished red carpet fashion, especially at The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes premieres. “Because it’s Hunter’s first big movie role and the next step she’s taking, for me, it was really important to push her towards the classic Hollywood modes’, Allen told Show Studio. While the dynamic duo set a mouthwatering precedent with the feather bandeau from Ann Demeulemeester A/W 23 at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, The Hunger Games press tour saw Schafer hone that avant-garde quality into movie royalty.
Of course, the two creative minds had a common goal: to bring Tigris to life. The visual feast was complete with designer orgasms from Alexander McQueen— who previously outfitted the majority of Effie Trunket’s Capitol fashions— Issey Miyake, Thom Browne, Dries Van Noten, and more.
The birth of Tigris first first viral when Schafer wore a hand-painted paneled dress from Schiaparelli’s A/W 23 haute couture collection to the Berlin film premiere. Then came New York’s Marni S/S 24 flower dress, made of metallic sculpted petals, and a refreshingly regal custom gold Prada two-piece.
I know this newfound fashion duo will grace us with something iconic in 2024, but will anything top the iconicness of this press tour?
More recently, Allen deserves a whole bouquet for giving viewers a full Britney Spears fantasy with Troy Sivan’s drag transformation in the “One Of Your Girls” music video. If you haven’t been to heaven, Allen certainly takes us there with Sivan’s divine feminine aura. You can thank me later by watching and subscribing!
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