Ariana Madix Says Her Love Island Outfits Are Like ‘Children’ to Her: ‘Can’t Pick a Favorite’

One of the strongest relationships on this season of Love Island USA is between host Ariana Madix and her stylist Emily Men.

Madix, 39, has been heating up the island in a string of show-stopping, skin-baring looks whenever she enters the Villa to stir up drama.

During a Zoom call ahead of the finale, Madix tells PEOPLE exclusively that while she “can’t pick a favorite” outfit, there is one look that holds a special place in her heart — the sexy gold cutout Di Petsa dress she rocked for the show’s premiere episode, where she made her debut as this season’s host.

“It was so cool, fun, and absolutely beautiful,” the Vanderpump Rules star says of the design. “There are rose quartz crystals on it, and everything about it is just amazing.”

After announcing she’d be hosting the reality dating show in March, Madix aimed to curate a wardrobe filled with outfits she wouldn’t have a chance to wear elsewhere. She wanted her clothes to embody “sexy, fun and show-stopping” vibes.

So she turned to her longtime stylist Men for help, flooding her Instagram inbox with various online finds.

“Then Emily was like, ‘Let me just find even cooler things,'” Madix says. “So it was definitely a months-long process of Emily going out there and finding the best stuff.”

“Being able to work with Emily, she’s able to actually find these things that I’ve always loved and source them,” she adds. “If I’m left to my own devices, I’ll maybe second-guess to the point where it’s like, ‘Okay, well now the moment’s passed.'”

Leading up to the show, Men recalls having two to three full racks of clothes for Madix to try on at a time. In the end, she sent the host off with close to 30 outfits, including some they used as backups.

Before entering the Love Island Villa in Fiji, Madix also tried on all the outfits during fittings in Los Angeles to ensure she felt confident wearing them in the moment and to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions.

“Any feeling of empowerment comes from within,” she says

“Just working super hard in the gym and all of that kind of stuff, because if you’re not already feeling that within, you’re not going to feel it no matter what you put on,” she adds. “You could wear anything and not feel confident.”

Although Madix arrived at the Love Island stage with her suitcases packed to the brim, she says the decision of what to wear for each episode was based on how she felt at the time, and she knew she had stronger looks that she wanted to start and end with.

Among her most show-stopping fashion moments was the black, semi-sheer, plunging LaQuan Smith bodysuit moment which she paired with a ruffled vintage robe for the show’s Lingerie Party.

“Each one kind of has its own vibe,” Madix tells PEOPLE of the outfits. “It almost feels like you’re playing a different character with each one.”

“I’ve loved them all,” she adds. “They’re like children at this point.”

For Men seeing Madix wear the outfits on the show is the first time she’ll see the finished look — complete with makeup, hair and accessories.

“It’s super exciting because it’s a surprise to me too,” Men tells PEOPLE. “I will just sign back onto Instagram and I’ll see all the notifications and I’m like, ‘Oh, there must be a new look that they just released…so it’s exciting.”

But while all of Madix’s outfits have turned heads, there’s one in particular that captured the attention of Love Island viewers: the FWRD & Fannie Schiavoni neon chainmail mini dress she wore in Episode 601.

Right away, social media fans noticed how similar the dress looked to the striped Versace minidress Jennifer Garner wore when she starred as Jenna Rink in 13 Going on 30.

“I never got any of that until people were saying that. I thought it was super sexy,” she says. “When I tried that one on, it was one that didn’t need any alterations or anything.”

She adds, “The second I put it on, I was like, ‘Okay, this is a winner. It’s definitely coming to Fiji.'”