Countless sleepless nights and overloaded suitcases later, and the celebrity stylist has become an undeniable force in the industry. Today, he tells Wonderland how.

All it takes is just one pap photo of Bella Hadid sporting some sort of fashion item for said item to catapult into sold-out popularity (the brown platform UGG ankle boots she wore out with micro shorts and a leather jacket to grab a slice of pizza? Guilty!). That’s something celebrity stylist Ben Rucos learnt quite early on, but it’s not necessarily what goes through his mind when working with the supermodel. “I try to approach every collaboration with a lot of respect for who they are and how they already dress,” he tells us.

Alongside dressing Hadid for her Orebella campaigns, red carpet appearances, and visioning her street style, Rucos has racked up quite a client roster. On there, you’ll find London socialite Iris Law, whose paparazzi shots going in and out of cars to the most exclusive parties always somehow find their way onto our feeds. He’s also worked with the British rising designer Maximilian Raynor on his Autumn/Winter 2025 runway collection, and has crafted editorials for every fashion magazine under the sun. His Instagram profile reads like a vision board – one moment he’s sitting front row for Louise Trotter’s directorial debut at Bottega Veneta, the next he’s on set with FKA Twigs, and when there’s time, it’s off to the South of France, but not without visiting the Isabel Marant store. Busy with a slice of dreamy, isn’t it?

In between fashion weeks, red carpet season, and jet setting from one side of the world to the next for personal styling opportunities, we caught a rare moment of rest and relaxation to chat to Rucos on all things career advice and insider tea.

First and foremost, how did you become a stylist? 
Honestly, accidentally, I studied fashion business at first because I knew I wanted to go into fashion, but I never had a real path in mind at first. I was always obsessed with clothes in a weird way, more the feeling of them. On my off days I’d spend hours walking around Bond Street touching denim weights and feeling all the leather bags, back then I was just gravitating to all of the fabrics and cuts. Then one day, someone asked me to help on a shoot and it clicked instantly. It really made sense to me in a way nothing else did, like something I’d been doing internally for years without even realising. 

Were there any stylists you looked up to growing up? Or any current ones you’re always finding yourself checking out their work? 
Definitely, I crossed paths with some really interesting creatives early in my career, and I still follow a lot of what they do. You definitely absorb other people’s energy and approach to certain things, especially because I was starting out in environments where the standard was extremely high so it thankfully shaped how I approach things now. So yes, I still look at some of their work today, I like seeing how style grows or shifts over time. Some people just stay relevant to your eye without even trying, and those are the ones I quietly go back to for reference, or for a sense of direction. 

For a lot of creatives in this industry, they tend to look outward for inspiration – whether that’s Jonathan Anderson with his Greek mugs, or Hedi Slimane’s deep roots in the underground rock scene. Are there any non-fashion outlets you feel particularly inspired by?
Movies are a huge source of inspiration for me. I love studying what certain characters are wearing and how it relates to their personality. I think styling is a lot of psychology, when I start a project I always begin with a character to reference from. Who are we this season, who is this character, what era is she from? And then everything just builds cohesively from there. Recently, Anne Hathaway in Eileen lives rent free in my head. 

In a previous interview, you mentioned that “accessories are everything.” What are the top three accessories you’ve been eyeing as of lately? 
I’m really into big bags, like oversized. I love very aged, beat up jewellery. And now we’re in winter and London is sub zero, I’ve been loving a good pair of leather gloves.

As a stylist, what do you look for in a new season’s collection or a brand at large? I know you’re prone to a Prada pull…
I think silhouette is everything, I really care about how something sits on a real human body. Does it create intention, does it evoke a mood or accentuate a shoulder? I always inspect materials too, I love real, good materials. Some things can look good on a live stream but what’s the point if it doesn’t fit right or sit well? Give me thick denim, leather that ages, proper cotton etc… If the fabric feels honest I trust everything else.

Working in fashion, especially as a stylist to celebrity clients, is a beautifully chaotic whirlwind. Can you describe what a recent hectic 48 hours in your life has looked like? 
I have too many to even narrow it down, and some I probably couldn’t even mention. Probably this one week where I was working in the South of France and had to be in Paris the next morning at like 10am for a fitting. Every normal train was sold out, every seat on every flight was gone. My only option was an actual sleeper train to get me back to Paris in time. So I wrap myself up, drag myself on this train, sleep in my little cabin, wake up in Gare de Lyon and walk straight into a fitting…

Speaking of celebrity clients, you’re known to work closely with the likes of Bella Hadid and Iris Law. How do you acquire such people on your roster? What does it take to win them over? 
Honestly, I’ve just been so fortunate. I’ve crossed paths with people who already have amazing personal style, so working with them feels less like ‘winning them over’ and more like joining their world for a moment. I try to approach every collaboration with a lot of respect for who they are and how they already dress. I think trust builds naturally when you’re not trying to overpower anyone’s identity, I’m genuinely grateful for everyone I get to work with, it feels like a lovely collaborative conversation.

You work with her a lot as well on her Orebella shoots. How does that styling process differ from styling say a regular, day-to-day outfit? 
Campaigns always operate on a different level. Orebella has such a strong universe, the colour stories, heritage and emotional layers, all the meaning behind each product. When the brand has such a distinct identity, it becomes a really enjoyable process, you’re expanding on something that’s already very powerful and thinking about how to bring that world into the clothes.

If you had to give someone who’s at a loss with their own personal sense of style some advice, what would it be?
The real tea? Stop overthinking it. Forget finding a signature style. You’re not one fixed person every day, so your style shouldn’t be either. I think people get stuck because they’re searching for one final version of themselves, when it doesn’t work like that. Start with, again, a character. Think about who you feel like that day, the mood, the energy, the version of yourself you want to step into, and dress for that. When you remove the pressure of ‘defining yourself’ you end up dressing much more authentically.

And lastly, what item of clothing/accessory is currently on your personal wishlist?
A Chanel bag from the 2000s.

All images courtesy of Ben Rucos

Words – Juliette Eleuterio