Why Kristen Stewart’s Oscars Look Was More Than Just a Fashion Statement

Over the course of her Spencer press tour this year, Kristen Stewart has brought her distinct sense of style to the many red carpets. Often in Chanel, her awards season looks have been rife with elegant gowns and bike shorts that Princess Diana herself would approve of—something the actor certainly thought of while putting together her ensembles with stylist Tara Swennen. “It’s been a daunting experience to take this character that coincidentally loved Chanel so much, just as I do,” Stewart says. “Chanel has such integrity and respect for art and for history, [and] they were the perfect partner to make sure that’s being done correctly. To make sure that it had the truth and commitment and honesty it needed.”

At the 94th annual Oscars last night, Stewart continued her relationship with Chanel, once again opting for an ensemble that channeled Princess Diana’s pared-back aesthetic. Only this time, Stewart also wanted to inject a little bit of herself into the final end result. She forwent a formal dress in favor of a more-modern shorts suit. “I really wanted to be the most honest that I possibly could, and not feel that I’m telling someone else’s story, but [instead] finding my own,” says Stewart. “It was the one opportunity to be me. I didn’t want to feel placed in an outfit—I wanted to feel an elevated elegance, and [like] it’s second skin. The right way to do this was to lean into ‘less is more,’ and allow yourself to stand in your own skin rather than put on an armor.”

Stewart’s risk-taking ensemble wasn’t without its polish. She wore a custom Chanel black satin jacket and matching shorts, paired with a white chiffon blouse—left unbuttoned in Stewart’s signature, disheveled-cool way—and simple black pumps. “I asked [Chanel designer Virginie Viard] for simple, and obviously I got the most polished and inspired version of that,” says Stewart. “I feel I pushed her in a direction [that] maybe she would not have immediately gone in, and she pushed me, too. When you pick a dress from the runway, you feel like you need to do it justice; This felt the other way around.”

To punctuate it, Stewart also wore elegant pieces from Chanel’s high jewelry collection, including a jaw-dropping 18-karat white gold necklace with onyx, spinel, and diamonds.“We wanted to create a finale look to this tour that felt authentically Kristen’s,” says Swennen. “It was a unique twist on a classical look that embodied her distinctive flair.”

For the beauty, hair stylist Adir Abergel and makeup artist Jillian Dempsey wanted Stewart’s natural beauty to shine through. Abergel used Virtue hair products and Dyson hair tools to get the grungy, wavy hair look. “I wanted to highlight the essence of Kristen with a relaxed, effortless style that had great structure,” says Abergel. “The look was  inspired by her natural texture, and the undone vibes of some of my favorite celebrity styles from the ’90s.” Dempsey, meanwhile, used Chanel makeup for a soft glam. “Tonight’s look was all about polished skin,” says Dempsey. “Clean and classic with a definite strength in the eyes—that is a signature Kristen Stewart look.” She finished it off with Chanel’s Rouge Allure L’Extrait lipstick in 812 for a pop of color. “I started in the center of the lips with the lipstick, then blended it out toward the edges to keep it modern with a natural finish,” she says. “Then, I used the Le Crayon Lèvres Longwear Lip Pencil, in nude brun, to. secure the lipstick and buffed it into the lip shade.”

Now that her Spencer tour, Stewart is likely looking forward to a little time away from the spotlight. But don’t go thinking her relationship with the French fashion house is over and done with. The actor says she looks forward to turning out many more memorable looks with Chanel—both on the big screen and red carpets carpets—in the years to come. “Chanel has been with me on every really meaningful step of my career,” says Stewart. “They were hugely cooperative with Olivier Assayas when we did Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper, as with Pablo Larrain on Spencer. I wonder how many movies we’re going to do in the future. . . Because I hope there will be a lot more.”

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