Ever since Lucy Liu burst onto the Hollywood scene in the ’90s on Ally McBeal, the actor has enjoyed a long and fruitful career in the spotlight, with many formidable roles to boot; whether as Alex Munday in Charlie’s Angels, or O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill. Many of her big-screen performances have also come with memorable fashion looks, and her red carpet style has been just as captivating to watch, too. So, what better time than now for Liu to revisit her Life in Looks?
In a new Vogue video, Liu takes a trip down fashion memory lane and reminisces on some of her splashiest style choices throughout the years. Liu recalls one of her very first red carpet appearances in 1999, where she attended the Emmys in a glamorous gown made by Joseph A. Porro, the costume designer she was working with at the time on Shanghai Noon. “I invited my mother as my plus one,” says Liu. The following year, when she attended the Oscars, was the very first time she wore a designer label—a red, beaded one-shouldered Versace gown. “This dress [weighed] about 1,000 pounds,” says Liu. “When I got home, I had an indent on my shoulder from the weight of my dress.”
As Liu’s star began to rise, the actor only continued to level-up her red carpet wardrobe. Some of her favorites include the summery Ungaro dress she wore to her first Met Gala in 2004. “[Designer Giambattista Valli] had to sew me into this dress, and cut me out of it,” laughs Liu. More recently, at the 2024 Red One premiere in Berlin, Liu relates how utterly, entirely committed she was to her theatrical Zuhair Murad gown, complete with a three-dimensional flower at the bust. “We built my entire suitcase around this dress,” says Liu. “It was incredible.”
Of course, it would not be a Life in Looks video without having Liu reacquainted with some of her best big-screen outfits. In Charlie’s Angels, she remembers feeling empowered in the sexy leather skirt suit she wears as Alex. “It was very dominatrix-y, yet feminine and tough,” she says. She shares the pivotal part she played in costuming Kill Bill, having O-Ren Ishii wear the (now-iconic) white kimono, which was designed by Kumiko Ogawa. Turns out, she almost didn’t wear the traditional Japanese garment during the famous climactic fight scene. “When I read the script, I saw something very different—there was an elegance and femininity about her that I wanted to retain,” says Liu, who pushed for the outfit and made it happen. Great call.
Above, watch Lucy Liu as she revisits her Life in Looks.
Director: Gabrielle Reich
Director of Photography: Adam Leene
Editors: Michael Suyeda, Katie Wolford
Producer: Chase Lewis
Associate Producers: Lea Donenberg, Marisah Yazbek
Assistant Camera: Hannah Lee
Gaffer: Rodolfo Martinez
Audio: Gloria Marie
Production Assistants: Marquis Wooten, Comfort Abiodun, Hope Millner
Production Coordinator: Tanía Jones
Production Manager: Kristen Helmick
Line Producer: Natasha Soto-Albors
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
Post Production Coordinator: Holly Frew
Supervising Editor: Kameron Key
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Talent Manager: Phoebe Dishner
Executive Producer: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Digital Video: Romy van den Broeke
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
VP, Video Programming: Thespena Guatieri
Filmed on Location: Soho House Holloway
