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Exclusive: Kevin Hart's Stylist Shares The 'Major Key' To His Look

Good news, you can cop his swag at Zara or Urban Outfitters.

We’ve got some positive tea for you Kevin Hart fans out there, and it’s all at the center of his fashion. We caught up with Hart’s stylist, Ashley North, who is responsible for keeping the comedian’s look up to par!

Ashley, who you may know from season one of WAGS, wants the world to know she is far from what she appeared on the show, thus explaining her exit after only one season stating, “I would rather do something that’s more focused on who I really am.”

As for who she really is? Kevin Hart’s go-to for red carpets, shows, and any other media related events in which the actor has to step foot in the limelight with expectations of looking dapper and fly.

We sat down with Ashley to discuss her big start, the inspo for Kevin Hart’s style, and his most memorable fashion moments. Here’s what she had to say!

BET: How did you get the gig as Kevin Hart’s stylist?

Ashley Nicole: So, I’ve been working as a stylist for about 10 years, Kevin was one of my first clients back when I first started out on my own in styling, I had met him and been bold. This was like when you would recognize Kevin as the guy from Soul Plane, so this is, like, a long time ago. I saw him and was like, I’m just gonna go up and introduce myself. So, I go up and I’m like, “Hi, my name is Ashley, I’m a stylist if you ever need styling here’s my card.” And then literally like a month later, he calls me and he’s like, "I have this show on BET." It was called One Mic Stand. Then he’s like, "I need a stylist. Do you wanna do it?" And I’m like, "Yes!" So, it’s sort of like my first job out on my own because I had been assisting, and this was, like, my first big break on my own, and we’ve just been working together ever since.

 

(Photo: Essence Magazine)

Essence Magazine

(Photo: Essence Magazine)

BET: How do you define Hart’s signature style?

AN: Kevin definitely sorta has his own signature style, I would say. He’s very much a suit guy, I feel like he does suits really well. In terms of casual wear, a really dope leather jacket, nice black T-shirt (we’re really hooked on Barney’s T-shirts) that’s like his thing. And then he is doing a lot of John Elliot denim right now. So, he’s like a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy but then also a suit guy, he kinda goes in both directions.

BET: What are some of Kevin’s most memorable style moments?

AN: Probably one of the biggest moments with Kevin was the Golden Globes in, I think, 2016, and he got on the best dressed list. That was a really big deal. It was the second time he had attended the Globes, but we hit it big. I thought it was a really good look, and it was nice to see that other people thought it was, too. We did a custom suit with Musika Frere Davidson, he’s my guy and he’s based out here in New York, and we did a custom tux. It was sort of like a sage-y green tux with a black tux pant, and it looked really good on him. The thing about Kevin is, he has a really good skin color, where colors like that pop so well, so he killed it.

(Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage)

George Pimentel/WireImage

(Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage)

BET: What about a look that he sported that got the biggest reactions?

AN: There was a moment, it was mortifying for me. He was at the Super Bowl when it was in Phoenix, this is probably three years ago. He had a show and I was in Phoenix also at the time. This was at the time when I was filming a reality show, so I didn’t have time to meet up with him prior to his show. This man comes out, he had gone to the mall earlier that day and put on this leather sleeveless shirt, like, so his arms are out. Leather. I see it on his Instagram. I call him. This was his own shopping trip. He posted a picture and everybody was going in on him, like, “What the f*ck, dude?” I call him, I’m like, "Kevin, what are you doing?" Because then people think I put you in that, and I would never put you in a leather sleeveless shirt. That was, I think, the most mortifying moment because it got so much press.  He was sticking to his guns. He was like, “No, I like it. Who cares?”  You know, I’m like, “No, Kevin. This was a fail, don’t do it again.”

BET: What’s a major key to Kevin’s look?

AN: We have an amazing tailor and every single thing that Kevin wears gets tailored, so it fits him really well, and I think that’s key.

(Photo: Leon Bennett/FilmMagic)

Photo: Leon Bennett/FilmMagic

(Photo: Leon Bennett/FilmMagic)

BET: Which men do you admire for fashion?

AN: You know there’s a few I really admire. Idris Elba, I think he’s, like, a very classic man, and he’s sexy. So he would be fun to dress just because, you know, he has the body type, and he’s, like, very statuesque. He’s been around for a while and, like, he just stays, and you don’t see him that often and then you see him and then it’s like, he’s there and he looks great and you’re like, wow. There’s another guy in the U.K., David Gandy, he’s, like, a model, but he dresses really well. Like his suit game is dope and he’s cool.

BET: Any advice for the average guy trying to mimic Kevin’s style?

AN: Kevin is, like, super fashion guy. He’s into super high end but, like, I always say you can find that same stuff at Zara, Urban Outfitters, those are my two go-to’s, if I’m, like, trying to do a lower-end thing. The thing about men’s fashion, I think it’s all about fit, you know. So if you’re a man and you need a suit, doesn’t have to be expensive but just get it tailored so it fits you right and then you’re gonna look like a million bucks no matter what.

 

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