The 20 most stylish people of 2018

We’ve already revealed our round-ups of the best films, tracks, albums, and photos from the last 12 months – but let’s not forget about fashion. The best way to stand out is to pull together the right garments, and right now, in 2018, that means the more meme-worthy they are, the better. Obviously it’s not just about those viral looks though. As always, plenty of those who make looking cool seem completely and utterly effortless make the list, as well as a few curveballs you likely weren’t expecting to see – but then, who cares? There’s no rhyme nor reason to looking good, and fashion after all is all about having fun and breaking the rules once in a while (which some of them do in more ways than one…).

Without further ado, we present to you our list of the top 20 most stylish people of 2018. Strap in.

20. EZRA MILLER

Ezra Miller: meme machine, style icon, and problematic fave. Miller was the name on everyone’s lips during the last quarter of 2018: there was that Moncler coat-dress designed by Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, that GQ shoot where he wore capes and lipsticks and dresses, that Playboy shoot where he subverted the idea of the pin-up – because queer femmes are sexy too – all beautiful, all progressive, and, ultimately, all totally empowering when it comes to those of us with non-conforming gender identities. Late in the year, Twitter users resurfaced a questionable film that Miller directed in 2015 about Michael Brown’s acquitted killer Darren Wilson, which has seen him ‘cancelled’ – and fair enough. But these red carpet looks made him a style fave nevertheless. (Tom Rasmussen)

19. MA ANAND SHEELA

Watching Netflix series Wild Wild Country resulted in me becoming oddly obsessed with Ma Anand Sheela, the impeccably dressed “colours of the rising or setting sun”-wearing disciple of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh – better known as Osho. I mean, yes, she is maybe a weird one to include on this list, and of course, things maybe took a dark turn when the meditation-loving, polyamorous socialist haven took on the state of Oregon, and Sheela and her closest cohorts poisoned an entire town. But, as the documentary delved deeper into the cult’s late 80s mania, I began to notice something else – Sheela wasn’t just hell bent on serving the mute philosopher and his army of followers, she also served some serious looks. From red suede power suits and pink shirts, to velvet jackets with dramatic shoulder pads and fascinators with delicate netting, the woman may have been unhinged, but at least she looked good. It’s very possible that if not stopped by the government, we’d be living in the United Kingdom of Rajneesh, but murder plots and mass poisonings aside, there’s no way the Rajneeshees – and Sheela particularly – can be criticised for their garms. (Kemi Alemoru) 

18. FAKA

Question: what could be more fabulous than one boundary-pushing, impeccably dressed, gender-subverting performance artist with the fashion world (and world at large for that matter) at his feet? Two of them, obvs. Step forward FAKA – the Johannesburg-based duo who took the industry by storm this year. Founded in 2015 by best friends Fela Gucci and Desire Marea, the pair are using their platform to bring wider visibility and acceptance to the LGBTQ+ community of South Africa, and while they might not have had a massive ‘style moment’ a la Daddy Day-Lewis or Pretty Flacko, in their case, consistency is key. Not only are their Instagram feeds full of looks that turn traditional notions of masculinity on their head – think ostrich-feather gowns, thigh-high snakeskin boots, and matching red PVC trousers – they were also seen arm-in-arm with Donatella Versace at her SS19 menswear show (in full archive looks no less *insert flame emoji*) and shut down Telfar’s runway not once, but twice in 2018. No big deal. (Emma Elizabeth Davidson)

17. AVA NIRUI

Artist and bootlegger Ava Nirui – or @avanope as you might better know her – is probably one of NYC’s coolest women right now, with an enviable wardrobe that makes you say “I need that!” with every Instagram post. Mixing Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Balenciaga with one-of-a-kind bootleg pieces that will have you scouring the internet for hours trying to get your hands on them, it’s her collection of new Helmut Lang that she has amassed since joining the team as digital and social editor that will gag you the most. She’s the only person to successfully pull off Shayne Oliver’s transparent suitcase for the label. Not that she needed further validation – 235k followers on Instagram prove that much already – but Marc Jacobs gave it to her anyway, enlisting her to create a capsule collection of hoodies, not once, but twice. Could 2019 bring a third? Watch this space. (Dominic Cadogan)

16. JIMOTHY LACOSTE

“We have creative minds, that’s what makes us beautifully dressed.” Sounds like the wisdom of a mega successful designer, right? Wrong. It’s 2018’s national treasure Jimothy Lacoste! Even before the release of his slick tune “Fashion”, Jimothy had made a very special mark on the fashion world through his signature anti-fashion look: brightly coloured trousers, smart shirts, and lots of Lacoste (obviously). It’s not what you expect from a guy who’s done Boiler Room sets, and that’s exactly the point. It’s a look completely intertwined with Jimothy’s music and dry-humoured persona – the image of a man who doesn’t take himself seriously, doesn’t bow to peer pressure, and basically does not give a fuck. In my opinion it takes a brave man to wear red trousers, so for that alone, whether he’s at number 16 or not, I crown Jimothy Lacoste ‘Fashion King of 2018™’ (feel free to @ me). (Brit Dawson) 

15. KATHLEEN ZELLNER

Let’s be real, the best thing about the ultimately kinda disappointing Making a Murderer season two was Kathleen Zellner, Steven Avery’s series-stealing new lawyer. Let me present you with the evidence: that woman reconstructed crime scenes in a motorcycle jacket and knee-high leather boots. She wore leopard print to visit experts for answers. The celebrated lawyer – who has righted more wrongful prosecutions than any private attorney in America – fought injustice with perfect make-up, hair, and nails. I’m not saying these typical signifiers of womanhood make her work more impressive, but they prove that in a world dominated by dowdy trouser suits, you don’t have to sacrifice femininity to be a force to be reckoned with. Zellner is living proof that you can have your brows on fleek and still be the most formidable motherfucker in the room. (Emma Hope Allwood)

14. PEGGY GOU

In 2018, if you’re meme-worthy, you’ve made it – just ask Peggy Gou. Earlier this year, a photo of her in a full Louis ‘fit, captioned ‘International students showing up for their 8am class’, did the rounds. Not far from the truth, TBH. Korean Gou studied fashion in London, before pursuing music in Berlin, but while she might be focused on the latter now, it hasn’t stopped her from serving looks: just check her Instagram. Whether FROW at Virgil’s historic Vuitton show in a transparent monogram trench, or channelling Miranda Hobbes in her downtime – Gou brought it in 2018 (I mean, she even makes clay pigeon shooting look good.) Peggy has a great time with clothes – and, with a new fashion line launching in 2019, there’s definitely more “Gou” times to come (sorry). (Vanessa Hsieh)

13. JONAH HILL

In 2018, Jonah Hill’s reputation as one of menswear’s most unlikely icons was confirmed. This status had been in the works for a while, mind – he was in a Palace ad in 2016, and in 2017 enjoyed 12 glorious months of the “jonah hill fit watch 2k17”, courtesy of Four Pins. But this year, Hill joined Bieber in ushering in the summer of sleaze. His take was a little less Narcos, a little more Deadhead than the Biebs – he debuted pink hair, wore a fuck tonne of tie dye, and successfully trolled everyone (as he explained on podcast Failing Upwards) by tucking a basketball jersey into some dress pants, getting photographed, and letting the articles roll in. He even showed up at their second annual Jonah Hill day, posing with a cardboard cut-out of himself. A real man of the people. (Emma Hope Allwood)

12. CHRISTINA AGUILERA

Be honest. As the clock struck midnight and you ushered in 2018 with a night of warm prosecco and bad decisions, did it occur to you that, this year, we’d see 00s pop icon Christina Aguilera rise up and take her place as crowned queen of NYFW? I mean, probably not – but rise she did. Xtina was seen at all the Big Apple’s best parties during the SS19 season – including Opening Ceremony’s immersive extravaganza, where she performed alongside Sasha Velour, and that Harper’s Bazaar one, when she transcended all drama in feathered Vivienne Westwood, and took her place on the FROW (where else?) in looks by Gareth Pugh, Dilara Findikoglu, and Art School. Not since the great Celine Dion Renaissance of 2017 have we seen a phoenix as majestic as Xtina emerge resplendently from the fashion ashes. (Emma Elizabeth Davidson)

11. ADESUWA

When she’s not busy snatching your attention on all of the runways – including Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Miu Miu – Dazed 100 model Adesuwa is just as comfortable serving lewks on the streets of New York, London, Milan, and Paris. First off, she knows how to WORK. A. BLAZER. Teetering between ultra-masc and super feminine – but always with her signature locs – the model’s eclectic style includes a host of enviable fur coats, nods to her Nigerian heritage, and the tiniest of shorts to accentuate her up-to-the-armpit-length legs. That said, she can work anything. From Minnie Mouse ears at Disneyland, to an homage to Bring It On’s Clovers (paired with Yeezy sneakers, naturally). Stay tuned to see how the model continues to bring the catwalk to the streets in 2019. (Dominic Cadogan) 

10. A$AP ROCKY

Disclaimer: I love A$AP Rocky, it’s likely you love A$AP Rocky, and we’re all fully aware the man can turn a look with his eyes closed – but, when it comes to this list, both you and I know that he’s here for one reason and one reason only. Do I need to spell it out? Okay fine. Two words: THAT HEADSCARF. Yes, there was some neon Prada, the time he and Dev Hynes rocked cute matching t-shirts, and, of course, that “Fukk Sleep” video, which saw him and Twigs take on the streets of NY like an intergalactic Bonnie and Clyde from the future. All that paled in comparison, though, to the time Pretty Flacko took to the red carpet looking like a Russian granny gone wild in Gucci. This year, I wasn’t necessarily expecting to get served some hot babushka realness by one of the biggest men in rap, but served it I was – and, reader, I loved every single second of it. (Emma Elizabeth Davidson) 

9. BELLA HADID

This list just wouldn’t be complete without Bella Hadid. The undisputed queen of the blue butterfly emoji didn’t just slay every major runway from Fendi to Versace, but basically single-handedly birthed approximately 276 trends this year. We’re not kidding: tiny shades. Matrix leathers. Cycling sunglasses. Y2K everything. Bike shorts. Monogram-mania. VAPING! Hadid wore Virgil’s Louis Vuitton to Virgil’s first Louis Vuitton show, and Kim Jones’s Dior to Kim Jones’s first Dior show. She looked pretty unreal as Lydia Deetz this Halloween, too. (Emma Hope Allwood)

8. JONATHAN VAN NESS 

JVN – better known to mere mortals as Jonathan Van Ness, or That One That Looks Like Jesus From That Tear-Jerking Netflix Show – is the epitome of femme queer style. The most fab (and funny, and beautiful, and warm, and stylish) of the Queer Eye Fab Five, JVN is the man we all wish we could be, both in terms of style and personality. Why? Because he’s got what we all want – great legs, buckets of authenticity, and the ability to make a meal of any red carpet competitor. Where usually the dudes aren’t given a second glance (see: the Met Gala, although in that case there was good reason), JVN steals the show time and time again. That sequined silk skirt and see-through top? Iconique. (Tom Rasmussen)

7. ANNA DELVEY

This year, The Cut introduced the world to Anna Delvey – the baby-faced ex-Purple intern turned Le Coucou-loving, entrepreneurial super-scammer – and, in the process, they pretty much broke the internet. We know what you’re thinking: should we be celebrating the style of a convicted criminal? I mean, come on – what’s a cute little quarter-of-a-million $ fraud between friends? While she might have run up massive credit card bills in Acne, Rick Owens, and Alexander Wang throughout 2017, the pseudo-heiress looked, for the most part, like a hot mess – with her Jane Norman-esque party dresses, seen-better-days leather jacket, and just-got-out-of-bed hair giving her an air of insouciance that only served to make her look as filthy rich as she pretended to be. Add to that the fact she’s currently accessorising her Rikers jail uniform with a pair of Céline glasses (#SoChic) and telling people jail “is not so horrible – I see it as, like, a sociological experiment”, we’re giving Delvey a place on this list for having the ultimate DGAF attitude in 2018. Internet, drag me. (Emma Elizabeth Davidson)

6. TOMMY CASH

Had Tommy Cash’s position on this list not already been cast in stone thanks to his appearance on Rick Owens’ runway or his affinity for luxury labels spanning from Balenciaga and Xander Zhou, right through to Dior Homme and Vetements, then new single “X-Ray” would have sealed the deal. Not only does the Estonian weirdo rapper team a blue satin suit with an uber-Gucci-esque extra eyeball, but he also manages to make a mint green cotton robe, a lightly feathered bob, and a pencil thin moustache look like a viable style option (no mean feat), as he takes on the role of a cult leader in the accompanying video. Pour up the Kool Aid, Kanye East – we’re in. (Emma Elizabeth Davidson)

5. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS

I know – it’s kind of bold to put someone in a best-dressed list when they’ve barely been seen in public all year, but listen: one look from DD-L was all it took to have him elbowing out the competition. His look, modelled on a park bench in downtown New York, was one of many layers – and I don’t just mean literally. This was an outfit that crossed generational lines. This was an outfit that reminded us that Daniel Day-Lewis existed. This was an outfit that almost certainly sent a load of men into Carhartt to buy camel-coloured jackets and many-pocketed work pants. But the most important accessory of all? His flip phone. What other way to demonstrate such complete disinterest in our clusterfuck world of WhatsApp groups and obsessive social media? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t planning on making a trip to Argos this week to downgrade my iPhone. (Emma Hope Allwood)

4. JUSTIN BIEBER

Listen, I can’t claim to know what Justin Bieber has been up to this year, besides getting married (congrats) and getting papped crying in public and supposedly eating a burrito wrong (FAKE NEWS!). Maybe he did a song with Diplo? Honestly, IDK. What I do know, however, is that the kid had an absolutely stellar summer of style. He nailed, no, defined one key trend: sleaze. It’s half-Miami drug lord, half-psychedelic skate bro, defined by an open Hawaiian shirt, a (not very impressive) moustache, and a kind of aura of (expensive) dishevelment. Think: a beer in hand, a backwards baseball cap on head, the fly on his trousers not quite pulled up, and, to make up for all of the above, a yacht in the garage. Do yachts go in garages? Not important. (Emma Hope Allwood)

3. CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS

It’s not that Hélöise Letissier, aka Christine and the Queens, hasn’t always been stylish. Instead, it’s that 2018 saw her metamorphosis into Chris, a new, shorter-haired persona that, although feminine and sensual, appropriates the trappings of masculinity to an extremely tantalising effect. In the video for “La marcheuse” she transforms into a bullfighter with a busted cheekbone (hot), while “5 Dollars” sees Chris dress in leather harnesses before putting on a full suit and tie (so knee-weakeningly hot that watching it at my desk honestly feels like it shouldn’t be allowed). With a lovebite seemingly always on her neck and a hoop earring decorating a single lobe, Chris is the truly thrilling result of an artist playing openly and alluringly with the liminal spaces of her identity, exploring the performativity of gender and the stylistic signifiers of sexuality: all while letting us watch. It’s powerful, it’s provocative, it’s very fucking queer, and honestly, it’s probably one of the best things to happen to 2018. (Emma Hope Allwood)

2. CARDI B

2018 has been Cardi B’s year – look no further than her recent five Grammy nominations (here’s hoping she snatches them all up). Outside of music, Cardi has been busy making a name for herself on the fashion scene. This year alone, she turned up on the FROW at Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs, and Jeremy Scott – wearing lewks straight off the runway from each designer respectively. Never afraid to take a risk, she’s as comfortable in a structured 3D-printed Balenciaga coat dress, as she is in a Jeremy Scott’s kitschy scribble-print SS19 Moschino collection. And let’s not even get into that iconic lavender feathered Christian Cowan look. It’s easy to see why she’s got a shoe-up (no, not that one) on everyone else. (Dominic Cadogan)

1. JEFF GOLDBLUM

Jeff Goldblum has been one of 2018’s sole redeeming qualities. The actor, who apparently owns more Prada shirts than any other human, and who even debuted a couple of never-before-seen designs on his Instagram, has become a definitive style icon. Whether doing press for Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs or going on tour as a jazz musician, the internet’s daddy has double Isabel Marant zebra print; some silky, silky Calvin Klein by Raf Simons; a psychedelic Tom Ford Tux; and even managed to make the ubiquitous Gucci belt buckle look not-so-basic. Oh, and he also launched his own merch line this year. All hail. (Emma Hope Allwood)