It’s that special time of year in L.A. when awards season is upon us. The city is bursting with stylists, designers and photographers hustling all of their talents for that one perfect shot. The red carpet beckons, and probably to most, the glitz and glamour seem pretty effortless. But the behind-the-scenes moments are personally my favorite part of the action.
While I haven’t yet tried out any performance chops off-court, I love awards season and I am so inspired by the unbelievable amount of talent lurking around L.A. during this time of year. I’m usually fresh back from the Australian Open, and combatting some serious jet lag. Thankfully, I can count on my long-time bestie and hair stylist extraordinaire, Adir Abergel and the wonderful makeup artist Kara Yoshimoto Bua to give me the glam touch…and a lot of laughs along the way. “It’s so great to work with one of my closest friends, and to spend those moments before a big event not only prepping, but laughing and having fun,” says Abergel. “Maria and I look always love collaborating. We both love fashion very much. The dress, the makeup, the event—all have an effect on the finished look that I decide to create.”
Behind the scenes, Adir treats my hair with Oribe Signature shampoo before he moves on to styling the perfect look for the evening. He’s taught me really valuable tricks and simple solutions for keeping fly-aways in place on the red carpet—and all the little details you have to think about to keep your look going all night.
Kara is so talented and normally creates a really fresh-faced glow. For the red carpet, we love to experiment with a fun pink or bright lip, matched with an Avon brown pencil, and Kanebo’s Sensai concealer and mascara. Red carpet moments are the best—they always inspire me to see how the talented women I admire transform their look. There are so many dedicated artists that contribute to the finished outcome—it gives me a whole different level of respect for the process!
SERVING UP TENNIS, L.A.-STYLE
One of my very favorite things about L.A. is the melding of talent from all different industries. For my first annual Maria Sharapova & Friends exhibition, held at the UCLA Tennis Center, the story was no different. I passionately wanted to bring tennis back to L.A., and was lucky to not only host some of the most formidable tennis talent in the world (Andy Roddick, Kei Nishikori, Madison Keys, Laura Robson, Jack Sock and more!), but I was joined by the likes of some of the most wildly funny people I know—Will Arnett and my dear friend, Chelsea Handler. Playing doubles with Will, Chelsea, and Andy Roddick, was certainly an experience I will never forget—some quintessential L.A. magic that I felt so fortunate to share with fans and friends.
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