Anna Sawai Names Zendaya as Her Ultimate Red Carpet Inspiration
Anna Sawai is a historymaker. The New Zealand-born and Japan-raised actress and singer recently became the first Japanese actress to win a Primetime Emmy when she received the Outstanding Lead Actress nod for her work in
She's also a Cartier ambassador and, with stylist to the stars Karla Welch at her side, a minimalist red carpet maven. The 32-year-old turns out sleek and elevated ensembles whenever the situation calls for it, and her elegant takes on looks from Armani, Louis Vuitton and Dior have us paying attention.
Candice Lake
What's more, Sawai has also proved herself gracious in the face of social media adversity. Earlier this month, the internet was alight with discussion of her and Zendaya's gorgeous, but ultimately quite similar,
With a busy summer ahead of her (she's set to film A24's next hit
Enemies
opposite internet boyfriends Austin Butler and Jeremy Allen White), we sat down with the laid-back star as she got ready for
Cartier's En Équilibre launch in Stockholm.
Candice Lake
Can you talk me through what you're wearing this evening and what you're hoping to channel?
I'm wearing a very feminine dress by Giambattista Valli. I'm really excited to wear this, because I heard that Valli himself is going to be there at the event. The dress is black so you can really see the jewelry shine. I'm wearing diamonds with rubellites inspired by bows. Bows are obviously weapons, signifying strength, but also feel very feminine—I love the balance. My hair and makeup is very simple which helps me feel like I'm still very much myself and it's all about the jewelry. I always like to channel elegance and sophistication...and finding the balance between femininity and strength.
Anna Sawai by Candice Lake
What is it like working with Karla Welch for your red carpet looks and how do you marry your off-duty personal style?
Karla just really understands me. She has so many different clients and she dresses everyone very differently. I tend to wear things that are very simple in my day-to-day life. Like, right now, I'm just wearing a plain white tee with Cartier jewels. I wear Cartier jewelry every day—it makes me feel elevated and that I don't have to try hard with my outfits. Karla understands that I feel comfortable wearing things that are a little bit less loud.
There was a time when I was about to wear something that felt like it wasn't really fitting the event. Karla told me, 'whatever you feel comfortable with,' and we did find something that felt a little bit more fitting, and I felt good about it. So there's never been a time when I stepped onto the carpet or event and just felt out of place. I've been I feel very lucky to say that. Karla is very supportive with choosing things that I feel good in.
Candice Lake
What are your off-duty wardrobe staples?
I always travel with a white T-shirt. Karla actually gifted one to me and I loved it so much I bought a couple more. It's the Jackie Crewneck Tee from Michael Starr. It's 100 percent cotton and cropped. With plain T-shirts, I buy like two or three, because I know that I'm going to spill something. Wherever you are, whatever occasion it is, a white T-shirt, it's just something that you can always rely on. I like clean looks.
[As for] the jewels, I wear the
Candice Lake
Who are your personal style and red carpet heroes?
It's going to be funny talking about this now, because I think everyone's aware of what happened, but I love Zendaya's style so much. I think she's so stylish, so fun on [red] carpets. She always has this amazing theme—if she's promoting a movie, then she's wearing something that's related to that movie. I think she's so cool, but then in her day-to-day life, I feel like she was she's also just a simple gal, and I really just look up to her.
I read that
People like to make up stories like that because it's a little bit more interesting than people who are getting along.
Candice Lake
The thing is, she didn't even have to send me flowers, but she did because she just is that kind of person where she's trying to spread kindness, and I thought it was really cool. I wrote her a letter and sent her something back because I want to be like that.
I recently saw a video of Zendaya [discussing] when she first met Rihanna, and she was talking about how Rihanna didn't have to be so sweet, but she was, and she was very inspired by her. [Now] she's doing the same to people like me, and so I just want to make sure that I'm doing the same. It's about supporting each other and uplifting one another.
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In the countless games I've played like it, my constant input is needed to keep the world running. I need to water the flowers, to harvest the crops, and to bargain with merchants. Here, I feel more like the mayor of four towns that can run themselves so long as I'm willing to invest in the right infrastructure. If I build houses, I can court more capable workers. If I construct businesses, they'll make money for the town. If I lay down soil, my farmers will take care of the rest. My job becomes more that of a financier who is setting these towns' economy in motion. There is a sense that the world moves even when I'm not there, and that's a very rare feeling for a video game to truly nail. Of course, there's plenty of work for me to do even when I'm not creating functional towns. The action side of the story has me flying to floating islands and slashing my way through dungeons full of orcs and tanuki. 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I'm still deciding which of my companions to marry as I go through each one's surprisingly lengthy side-stories that are often more engaging than the primary quest. And above all else, I simply love waking up on a new day and seeing a giant list of yields pop up in the corner of my screen, showing me just how much work my villagers did while I was out adventuring. Guardians of Azuma requires a lot of patience from players and that's something that may keep the Rune Factory series firmly in its niche despite a more vibrant art style that makes it look as grand as a Fire Emblem game. Give it enough time for the wheels to start spinning, though, and you'll find that it's hard to get it off your mind. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma launches on June 5 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
