Celebrity Stylist Karla Welch on Dressing Olivia Wilde in Bold Outfits: 'She Always Looks Bangin'' (Exclusive)

Olivia Wilde knows her way around a gown.

The Don't Worry Darling actress and director has rocked an endless variety of glamorous looks on red carpets over the years, and for the last 17 specifically, those have been the work of celebrity stylist Karla Welch. The fashion pro, who also runs The Period Company to help eliminate period poverty, has been by Wilde's side since her early days in Hollywood, watching Wilde grow into the heavy hitter that she is in the industry today and witnessing her style evolution first-hand.

"We have such a trust, and that's why we're successful," Welch tells PEOPLE of her working relationship with the actress. "That's the ultimate goal for me with any of my clients, is that they trust me."

Welch says that she and Wilde, 39, are close enough now that there's little back-and-forth on deciding what to wear for events. But to get the vibe for each event just right, they still have a touch-base. Welch describes Wilde as having a "bohemian spirit" — and the pro knows no matter what she will always kill it in a body-hugging, revealing or sheer dress like what she wore for the Vanity Fair Oscar Party this year (below).

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For the event, Wilde wore a black and white Gabriella Hearst gown that featured an exposed bra. Welch initially saw the dress when it showed and "marked it" knowing that it would be a top choice for her client.

Welch tells PEOPLE that when Wilde walked into her studio to make a decision on what to wear to the iconic awards season bash, it was a melding of the minds.

"That was the one dress we tried on, and she was like, 'Okay, that's what you want me to wear. I love it,'" Welch says. "It's when you get to a point with someone where you know you nailed it."

The Gabriella Hearst dress is one of many sexy looks Wilde has worn recently. Also on the list are the plunging Saint Laurent look she wore for Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, a white cutout Stella McCartney dress last fall and a sheer nipple-baring gown for the People's Choice Awards.

"She always looks bangin,'" Welch gushes about her client, adding that it's been interesting watching her go from "ingénue actress to full-on amazing director."

"She's obviously very sexy," says Welch, who also works with stars like Tracee Ellis Ross and Sarah Paulson. "But she's also a smart, powerful woman, which is fun to play off of."