This Week, Celebrities Reinterpreted the Classics

International film festivals have revived 2020’s red carpets and ushered in a new type of statement dressing. While traditional gowns still have their place, stars have been moving towards a sleeker look. Many of the finest fashions moments at Venice or Deauville have involved tailored trousers, jumpsuits, or offbeat dresses with editorial flair. At the premiere of Les Deux Alfred, French actress Noemie Merlant revived the bolero in a Louis Vuitton cropped jacket with whipstitch detailing. Originally paired with track pants and moon boots on Nicolas Ghesquière’s fall 2020 runway, the piece registered as sporty with an elegant edge. She swapped out the gym gear for black cigarette pants and stilettos, transforming the entire look.

Finding fresh ways to wear heritage labels was one of Deauville’s recurring themes. Fatima star Zita Hanrot’s gamine interpretation of Chanel was a joy to behold. The actor switched from one Virginie Viard designed piece to another during her time at the festival. Of all the fabulous outfits, the tweed crop top and matching pants she chose for the brand’s dinner in honor of the event’s 46th anniversary was a standout. A playful contrast between classic fabrication and youthful silhouette, it was a modern take on French girl chic.

The fashion moments continued in Venice, where Katherine Waterston arrived with a suitcase full of minimalist finery. Everything Waterston wore while promoting her latest film, The World to Come, was compelling, though the fringed Prada cocktail dress she chose for the film’s premiere was the coup de grace. Its clean lines and velvet panels offered a sophisticated skin reveal. Elsewhere, jury president Cate Blanchett ramped up her streak of recycled runway choices with an embroidered Giorgio Armani look she d debuted at the Cannes Film Festival back in 2015. Five years on and the embroidered black silk gown looked as glamorous as it did the first time around.

Miley Cyrus was far from the festival circuit, and yet the shimmering Cong Tri dress she wore to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon distilled the moment’s vibe. Clearly all-black pieces with intricate detailing and a hint of sparkle are trending, and yet Cyrus took things into vamp territory with side cutouts and a slit that ended at her hip bone. Delivering rock ’n’ roll sexiness and a preview of new album, Midnight Sun, Cyrus was at her best.