"Django Unchained" star Kerry Washington made a conscious decision to become a fashionista after realising she could boost her Hollywood career by stepping out in the latest styles.
The 36-year-old actress said she was once clueless about clothes and couture, so she turned to the help of a stylist in order to look her best on the red carpet - and bag more film roles, reported Digital Spy.
"It started out as, like, Good-Student Kerry. Ok, I'm going to admit this: There were a couple of actresses whom I felt were having the upper hand career wise-because they knew how to work that red carpet.
"I was like, 'I'm missing a really important tool. If I am the Ceo of the Kerry Washington Corporation, my marketing department is really lax.' So I sort of developed a new character: Red-Carpet Kerry," Washington said.
"And I researched her like any other character. I actually called (actress) Tracee Ellis Ross, who's a good friend, and literally asked, 'How do you pronounce (French retailer) Hermes?' Red-Carpet Kerry needed to know," she added.
Washington's hard work paid off. She landed the top spot on Vanity Fair's International Best-Dressed List in July.
