Is Leah Kateb The Best-Dressed Person on Reality TV?

Elle

5 days ago

Love Island USA has been on air since the summer of 2019, but until recently, it frequently felt like the less popular sibling of the original U.K. franchise—that is, until Season 6 rolled around. Whether it was because fans felt the U.K. edition was entering its 'flop era,' or that more and more Americans were becoming curious about what those sexy singles were up to in Fiji, or both, when Leah Kateb hit the island armed with a wardrobe of vintage Roberto Cavalli and runway-fresh Bottega Veneta, something noticeably shifted. (In the words of Love Island U.K. legend Olivia Attwood, 'I'm sat.')
Take Kateb's personal style, eye for archive fashion and quippy one-liners, add her infectious chemistry with cast mates Serena Page and JaNa Craig (the three have since been dubbed 'the PPG' girls, in the vein of the Powerpuff Girls), and audiences were enraptured, skyrocketing the season to its highest American viewership yet. (Season 7 has had a similar bump, though it's undoubtedly thanks to the groundwork that was laid by Kateb and company.)
Since the season finale, Kateb's and the 'PPG's' careers have taken on a life of their own. Sponsorships, appearances, and brand deals began pouring in. While the former contestants are certainly capitalizing on the sudden limelight, they feel less like reality TV stars-turned-influencers and more like newly minted celebrities in their own right. (Even certified stars were hooked—Kerry Washington was a vocal supporter of 'PPG' on Instagram Reels.) For Kateb, it was immediately clear a new strategy was going to be needed, including using a stylist for the constant slew of VIP appearances.
'I never really paid attention to the U.S. seasons. I hated when they brought it over to America because it just wasn't as salacious or dramatic,' Kateb's now stylist, Timothy Luke Garcia tells ELLE. However, after seeing fans gush over Season 6 on X, formerly known as Twitter, Garcia decided to tune in and was immediately struck by Kateb's taste. Up until this year, Garcia could point to a number of more traditional celebrities on his client roster, including performers like Ice Spice, Kehlani, and Kali Uchis. For Kateb, who had never used a stylist before exiting the villa, and Garcia, who has never worked with an 'influencer' before, their collaboration is a series of firsts in a wholly unprecedented level of reality TV-induced fame.
From observing Season 6, one thing about Kateb was abundantly clear: she had an incredibly refined eye when it came to vintage fashion, and this obsession only continued once she started attending brand events. Garcia caught wind she was sourcing looks from Voulez Vous Vintage in Los Angeles, so he decided to leave a message with the store's team that if she was ever looking for a stylist, he'd be more than happy to get in touch.
Thankfully, she did, although Garcia jokes that their first time working together during New York Fashion Week got off to a mutually awkward start due to the volume of the pull and an intense time crunch. However, the two stayed in touch and began DMing each other vintage listings and mood board pictures. Eventually Coachella came around and Kateb asked Garcia to work with her again. 'I put her in a Dolce look with Dior cowgirl boots and it just kind of went viral. People were [saying] 'Coachella fits are back,'' he says. After that, the pair began collaborating full-time.
For many celebrities, archive fashion pulls have taken over red carpet dressing, and as the space has become oversaturated, it can often feel like forced participation. But Kateb has been buying—yes, buying, not borrowing—pieces for her vintage library since long before her sponsored appearances—if anything, her rising star is even more of an excuse to continue it (sometimes to the chagrin of her family when they see the price tags, Garcia adds jokingly). 'A lot of people are looking at her, and I don't want anyone to ever just be able to go and literally grab the same look we just wore,' he says, noting that he's also confident in pushing her to take stylistic risks.
The two now collaboratively scour the landscape for archive designer finds, often turning to their favorite stores Opulent Addict and Nordic Poetry. Sometimes individual parts from full looks need to be hunted down and joined back together, like lost puzzle pieces scattered across the globe. This was the case with Kateb's recent fall 2002 Yves Saint Laurent blouse and capris, which she wore for an appearance on Watch What Happens Live and a spring 2004 butterfly Valentino ensemble, which the two found right down to the belt. If they have to have an assistant run to the airport to ship a suitcase from Naples, Florida to L.A. same day, they'll do it.
'I don't want to say [archive fashion] was a strategy. I think it became a strategy once we realized we were getting everyone's attention,' explains Garcia. And it's certainly working. Kateb is now Garcia's most frequent client due to her sheer number of commitments—from her own Chipotle bowl to a Van Leeuwen ice cream collaboration, for which she sported a printed Acne Studios chiffon dress. As for upcoming looks, Garcia says while sharing photos of recent purchases—including archive Jean Paul Gaultier and Versace—'She has so much coming up that I can't wait for you to see.'