Michael Fisher is one the most sought after fashion stylists in Hollywood and routinely works his magic on A-list celebrities, including Ben Aldridge, Jake Gyllenhaal, Bowen Yang, Oscar Isaac, Lee Pace, Sebastian Stan, Matt Rogers, and Hugh Jackman, among others.
In 2022, the industry publication Daily Front Row named him Mens Stylist of the Year at the 9th annual Fashion Media Awards.
And while everyone wants their clients to look fabulous, Fisher has made it his mission to go beyond the surface by using his keen eye and sartorial wizardry to empower his male clientele to be their best selves.
“I always style for the person. I consider them first and foremost,” he told SaksFifthAvenue.com. “I need to decide how fashion-forward they are and what they feel comfortable wearing. I concern myself more with making them look and feel confident. I want the person to be seen and punctuated by their look.”
Combining his vision with his client’s taste, Fisher has created a space where these high-profile gentlemen, both queer and straight, feel relaxed enough to experiment with their appearance.
Whether its Oscar Isaac in a skirt at a Moon Knight screening, Jake Gyllenhaal’s transformation into a style king in a baby-pink tuxedo at the Tonys, or Bowen Yang rocking Commes des Garçons, Fisher has mastered how to get guys out of their comfort zone without having them go viral for all the wrong reasons.
“I do think I have a good instinct for tapping into what their DNA is, what they feel comfortable in, and then just kind of elevating it and pushing it forward a bit,” he said of his process to Vogue.
In an industry that can be overly fixated on the superficial and tends to use clothing to present an illusion, Fisher has also flipped the script on fashion by utilizing it as authentically as possible.
He told The Hollywood Reporter, “The biggest challenge for me is not in finding clothes that fit the body; it’s the clothing that fits the personality and makes that personality shine.” Talk about an Oprah “aha” moment!
Despite being at the top of the styling game now, Fisher discovered his calling later in life and then struggled to get it off the ground.
After working for 12 years as an archivist for famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, he found himself looking to make a change in 2007. On a friend’s suggestion he decided to try styling, but immediately hit roadblocks as everyone in the industry said he needed to work with female clients to break into the celebrity market. He knew his expertise lied with men’s fashion.
Determined, he kept at it until he landed the client that would change the trajectory of his life, Mickey Rourke. The pair worked together during Rourke’s buzz-worthy press campaign for his Oscar-nominated turn in the 2008 film The Wrestler. It seemed fate brought them together as both were in the midst of career transformations. The rest, as they say, is history.
In his personal life, Fisher is part of a fashion power couple alongside his fiancé, Michael Maccari, the artistic director of Truth Alone Clothing. Together for nearly 20 years, they’ve collaborated professionally on various projects, but rarely appear on each other’s Instagram. Fisher mostly uses his social media to promote his clients, except when he advocates for issues like LGBTQ+ equality, fighting racism, and gun control. Totally commendable!
Even though his fashion roster includes some of the best in the business, there are still a few queer notables on his wish list.
“Some dream clients would be Orville Peck, if he ever takes off the mask,” he shared to Fashion Week Daily. “Also, I would love to work with Elliot Page and Mae Martin.”
We love how Fisher is using his talents to make fashion less intimidating and turning it into a safe space where people can feel comfortable to take risks and show a side of themselves they may not have known they had. And that’s something we hope never goes out of style.
Check out Fisher’s fashion alchemy in action with a few more of his greatest looks below:
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