Stylist To The Stars Derek Warburton Discusses Life in the Glam Lane… and How It All Began As a Homeless Teen Living in the Woods
By TomTietjen
“There are three people every celebrity is good to,” says star fashionista Derek Warburton. “Their hair, makeup and stylist. Because once that movie, show, or record single is made, the rest of what makes up celebrity is gloss. And you don’t mess with the people that put on the glitter.”
Known in industry circles as Derek Fabulous, Warburton’s styles have been featured in The New York Times, InTouch, and in various luxury lifestyle publications. He’s also appeared on countless television programs including Fashion News Live and The Insider. And yes, in case you’re wondering, that was Derek on season three of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York City. Life on the fast lane is pretty glamorous for the Manhattan-based stylist to the stars. But it hasn’t always been. Manhattan’s Mr. Fabulous will be the first to admit he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. In fact, for a few months as a teen, Derek and his mother were homeless, living in the woods.
“My mom got behind on the rent,” he remembers. “Expenses kept building up, then credit issues and health problems. The road to homelessness was swift and unexpected. Most surprising of all was that my mother held a job the entire time. We were among the working poor.”
Living on the streets will make a kid grow up fast. For young Derek, it made him realize that if he ever wanted to make anything of his life, he would have to do it for himself. Opportunity wasn’t going to be handed to him. He had to fight for his dreams. After graduating New York’s The Fashion Institute of Technology, Derek found work as a makeup artist in Miami, shooting test campaigns and small catalogs. From there, he met a woman who owned a celebrity styling firm. She offered him a job and by the next year, he was a full partner at the agency, styling for several Florida-based fashion books.
“It was never hard for me to get noticed in fashion,” he says. “I was always fairly avant garde, especially for Miami. I would walk around in stilettos, carrying a Chanel quilted bag with long hair down my back. I didn’t give a fuck.”
Warburton had nothing to lose. He could come up with crazy out-of-the box style ideas and if they worked – and they always did – fantastic! If they fell flat, it didn’t matter. “I had already experienced homelessness. What else could they take from me?” He concentrated on building relationships within the fashion industry. His friendship with a photographer who regularly shot for Beyonce is how he got his first major celebrity styling gig, working on the launch campaign for House of Dereon. “I was in my glory”, he recalls, “recreating Beyonce’s grandmothers house and styling her jewelry. Beyonce was incredible to work with and fun. We have mutual friends and that is always helpful when you walk in the door.”
Last month, he worked with Jessica Alba. They, too, bonded when they realized that they were actually, at one time, neighbors in New York City.
“Everyone gets so excited about celebrities but people forget that they are normal people. Most actors and actresses are artists just like I’m an artist. I’ve never been made to feel any different.”
In many ways, he’s not so different. Just like them, he too, spends a great deal of time in front of TV cameras. He just completed a national tour, offering style tips on local daytime talk shows; all part of his job as ambassador to the Speigel brand. While he says his personality is a natural for daytime talk, he admits his look hasn’t always been.
“You know how they say, ‘those who can for others, can’t do for themselves’. I fell into that category in the beginning of my television career. It has taken me quite some time to develop a personal style for broadcast that I am happy with.
“My clothes today say, classic but with lots of fun, quirky things thrown in to create a big look.”
Lately, Derek’s been focusing his style tips more on the everyday woman. “I have never been one of those people that can only focus on one thing at a time,” he explains. “One day I am dressing a celebrity and the next I am dressing a homeless woman for a job interview. I’ve built my career on versatility. I enjoy all aspects and because I do high fashion, it helps me with the everyday work too.”
According to Derek, this season is all about fur. Also, patent leather is hot, as are jewel tones and tons of knits. He names Rita Ora as the most rebellious celebrity for 2013. “Her look is brave and fun. She doesn’t take fashion so seriously and has made that work for her.” On the men’s side, the style award goes to Redfoo from LMFAO. “He is not afraid of anything. He’s fun, sexy, cool and his look says fuck you.”
However, when styling a client, he looks for what is right for them. “It’s not about my taste per se. A stylists’ work should suit the person or the brand direction. Unless, of course, we are brought in to make changes. Then, the artist in me really comes out!” The biggest criticism he has of other celebrity stylists is that many act like they are above everyday people. “I wish some of my peers would act more grateful for the blessings we have.” Derek certainly does. He says if he could give one piece of advice to the homeless teen he was years ago, it would be to keep hope alive.
“Life sucks right now but study, play sports, join drama, whatever it takes to stay distracted and out of trouble. The pain is temporary. When you make it out of this, you will be able to draw on the experience for the rest of your life and you will be stronger for it,” he says.
“Just never forget where you came from, kid.”