Victoria Beckham and Keira Knightley are proof – in Paris, black is always the new black
No sooner had the Oscars red carpet been rolled up than the Hollywood elite were once again boarding private jets to fly across the Atlantic for the next round of style moments at Paris Fashion Week. Proceedings kicked off with Le Grand Dîner du Louvre – a fundraiser that looks set to become the French answer to New York's Met Gala, coinciding with the museum's new exhibition, Louvre Couture: Art and Fashion – Statement Pieces.
It's an invitation which called for some serious style, one that was met by the vast majority of guests with the French woman's favourite fall-back: black.
There was nothing boring about these gowns, however, from Keira Knightley's intricately embroidered, strapless peplum gown by Chanel (complete with a matching black clutch and heels) to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's full-on sequinned, corseted number by Balenciaga, to Victoria Beckham 's slinky gown of her own design.
Tellingly, anyone who was actually French was also flying the flag for monochrome. Justine Triet, the film director best known for Anatomy of a Fall, wore her black satin, barrel-legged suit with nothing more than a slash of red lipstick – if any outfit were a byword for Gallic cool, it would be this. Caroline de Maigret, the French model, also went for a black trouser suit, although hers boasted a subtle, silvery shimmer which perfectly complemented the hardware on her Chanel bag. And Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu – practically the nation's patron saint of midlife style – turned up not just in a black gown, but with black opera gloves, heels, sunglasses and a clutch to match.
'I have always been impressed by the elegance of French women and how effortless they look,' says Tumisola Ladega-Hewitt, the founder of clothing brand Ladéga, which practically majors in monochrome. 'Black is such a refined shade. It's a timeless, classic colour: quiet, yet bold. As far as I'm concerned, an all-black silhouette is incredibly understated, yet powerful and artistic. It's a versatile, sophisticated and a fail-safe option for any time of year.'
Not for nothing did the most famous of French designers, Coco Chanel, once say: 'I imposed black; it's still going strong today, for black wipes out everything else around.' Credited with inventing the little black dress in 1926, Chanel democratised the idea of an easy-to-wear, elegant basic – as Vogue called it that same year, 'a uniform for people of taste'. Since then, black has been integral to the language of the brand, which regularly casts everything from its classic skirt suits to its most dramatic gowns in monochrome hues. Now, all-black outfits are synonymous with French style leaders, from Carine Roitfeld and Emmanuelle Alt, to Ines de la Fressange and the late Françoise Hardy.
Many shy away from black in the fear that it can be draining, especially on anyone over the age of 25. However, pairing different textures within the same outfit will guard against this: just look to Michelle Yeoh, the actress, who teamed her high-shine black dress with a sumptuous fur shrug. Or follow the lead of model Eva Herzigová, who embraced the almost-black strategy, in a midnight-hued chiffon dress with a matching, glittery cape.
It's significant, too, that no one who wore black at the Louvre dinner chose anything other than matching accessories – the beauty of this colour is that it looks best when it's kept consciously, even starkly, simple.
Colour is fabulous and joy-bringing, but this was not the message from the Paris fashion elite last night. It was a reminder that, for this tranche of the industry at least, black is always the new black.
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Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
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Speaking to The Sunday Times Style magazine, she said she was now single, adding, 'I'm learning a lot about myself, spending more time with my friends. And I'm loving it.' Sydney Sweeney looks incredible as she makes FOUR outfit changes in one day to promote new movie Echo Valley 15 Amid her break-up, she posed with a hot air balloon and told fans, 'Only up from here' Credit: Instagram/sydney_sweeney 15 She walked the carpet alone at the Met Gala in May Credit: Getty 15 She's also been posting some sexy shots on Instagram in the wake of her split Credit: Instagram/sydney_sweeney And one thing she's seemingly learnt about herself is that she's a highly valuable commodity, who can command big figures from companies begging her to promote them. Indeed, over the past few months - and coinciding with her break-up - Sydney has aligned herself with more brands than ever, fronting their ad campaigns and posting branded content to her social media. Big brand deals Some of her recent brand partnerships include the likes of MiuMiu, HEYDUDE shoes, Armani makeup, Samsung, Laneige, Kérastase, Ford and Dickies. Meanwhile, her recent - very tongue in cheek - campaign for Dr Squatch, which saw her release a range of soap made out of her own bathwater, proves the fact that she knows her sexy image sells. Joking that the idea was born from 'dirty little boys' who 'wouldn't stop asking' for her used bathwater, Sydney cheekily posed for the men's soap company in a bathtub. Would she have done so willingly if she were still engaged? Possibly. But she couldn't fully represent that attainable fantasy to her mostly male market with a ring on her finger. She owns herself and she owns the way she looks Brand and culture expert Nick Ede 'When she was still in her relationship, it didn't really feel like she was being so overtly sexual with her social posts, and she wasn't doing as many brand collaborations,' says Nick. 'But now that she's single again, and she's not getting married, it feels like she's come out of that spell. Now, she's out there, and she's owning it. 'I think that's what's great about her - she owns herself and she owns the way she looks. 'She's a bit like Sabrina Carpenter - they both own their sexuality and it's up to them what they push and what they don't push.' Of course, this isn't the first time that Sydney has leaned into her desirability to earn the big bucks. In 2023, she starred in the romcom Anyone But You - but it was the press tour to promote the movie that had fans running to the cinemas, as they couldn't get enough of Sydney's 'are they - aren't they' chemistry with co-star Glen Powell. The pair have both been open about how they harnessed the rumours surrounding their relationship to feed fans' frenzy, and ultimately guarantee box office success. To that end, they happily flirted for the cameras and cosied up together on red carpets - despite the fact that Sydney was still coupled up with Jonathan at the time. Clearly, the actress isn't afraid to ham it up for the cameras - and also blur the lines between film and reality. As Nick tells us, she's 'not pretentious nor prissy' when it comes to press and publicity, and she enthusiastically embraces her image as a pin-up. 15 Starring in an ad campaign for Miu Miu Credit: Instagram/sydney_sweeney 15 She's also promoted Kérastase alongside fellow pin-up Emily Ratajkowski Credit: Instagram/sydney_sweeney 15 Leaning into the romance rumours with Anyone But You co-star Glen Powell Credit: The Mega Agency She even fashioned a T-shirt last year that read: 'Sorry for having great t**s and correct opinions' across her chest - in response to some complaints about her sexualised image. What's important to note is that - while bombshells of the past like Marilyn Monroe were beholden to others, including film studios and directors - Sydney is fully in control of her image. On camera, she hasn't shied away from her sexy looks in the past - especially with envelope pushing roles in Euphoria and the erotic thriller The Voyeurs. But, given that - up until recently - she was engaged in real life, it was confined to make believe. Now, her sexy image seems more real than ever, and brands are clearly buying into the narrative… which is, ultimately, Sydney's bottom line. Money minded As the actress herself has explained, she's driven to make a lot of money, which comes from her parents' financial struggles during childhood. When she was 16, her parents, Lisa and Steven, had to sell their home in Washington, forcing the family (she has one younger brother, Trent) to live in one bedroom together in a Holiday Inn hotel for eight and a half months. Three years later, her parents filed for bankruptcy. Since then, she's been determined to make a better life - both for herself and her parents - and has grafted hard to up her earning potential. 15 Posing with her parents, Lisa and Steven, and brother Trent at the latter's graduation Credit: Instagram/trent_sweeneyy 15 She and Trent had to share a bedroom with their parents after they were forced to sell the family home Credit: Instagram Clearly, her efforts have paid off. While Sydney earned $2m to star in Anyone But You, she's since upped her film fee to around $7.5m - earning her a reported net worth today of approximately $40m. And she spends it well, admitting she's 'obsessed with Zillow' (America's version of Rightmove), and has invested in a highly lucrative property portfolio that includes homes in Bel Air, Los Angeles, Florida Keys, and several more properties in the Pacific Northwest. She also has a vintage car collection - which she last added to with a $68,500 Fiat Jolly. Meanwhile, the savvy star has also cemented herself behind the camera in Hollywood, producing Anyone But You and her recent film Immaculate. She's also producing her two upcoming movies - The Housemaid, and an untitled biopic about the boxer Christy Martin. However, as she herself has previously said, the acting and producing gigs only go so far - especially in today's economy. 'They don't pay actors like they used to,' she said in 2022. 'And with streamers, you no longer get residuals'. On brand That's where the brand deals come in. According to Nick, Sydney's massive following - which eclipses most actresses working today - guarantees her a sizeable income from sponsored content. That means that, the way things are going, she could easily double her fortune in no time. 'She could absolutely double it - I think she could be making hundreds of thousands per post,' he explains. 'She's wearing clothes from the likes of Miu Miu and jewellery from De Beers - ultra fabulous stuff. 'And she recently did a deal with Samsung Galaxy - deals like that can bring in six figures, definitely. 15 Yet another ad campaign - this time for Armani Beauty Credit: Instagram/@armanibeauty/@sydney_sweeney 15 Posing for Samsung Galaxy - in a deal that could be worth six figures Credit: Instagram 'With 25m followers, she's up there with the Kardashians. Sydney's really captured the zeitgeist.' As for where she goes from here, the sky's the limit for the star - who's somehow achieved the impossible: straddling the worlds of old Hollywood and new-age social media. Some stars in the past have tried and failed to be both commercial and respected in acting circles, but Sydney's somehow struck that balance. If she were a mediocre actress, she couldn't have done this Nick Ede According to Nick, her brand comes down to some excellent strategising and talent management. 'If she were a mediocre actress, she couldn't have done this,' he says. 'Look at Megan Fox, who kind of ruined her career because her sexuality came before her acting. 'Sydney's different - she's got really great range, and also has that respect of Hollywood, which allows her to do these brand deals. 'She's very clever - and the team behind her must be really clever as well. Everyone understands what she's doing. 'She's peppering the deals with movies and she's not over-saturating in either arena - that means we'll keep buying into her.' As for where she goes from here, it seems the sky's the limit for Hollywood's ultimate It Girl. She'll soon be starring as boxer Christy - in a film that's already being pegged for Oscar success. Meanwhile, in the meantime, she's proving she's got enough self-awareness - and cheekiness - to cash in on her sex appeal. It seems that, as long as people are happy to buy soap made of her bathwater, she'll continue to sell it. And - in the process - Sydney's cleaning up very nicely indeed. 15 She adopted a dog, Sully, following her relationship split Credit: Instagram/sydney_sweeney 15 Sydney first sexed up her image starring as Cassie in Euphoria Credit: Alamy
