Kristen Stewart is something of a red-carpet chameleon; she has the ability to pull off the most romantic dresses and give us a dose of old Hollywood glamour, but she's also got an undeniable edge that means she's equally at home in something with a more androgynous, punk-rock appeal. At the 2022 Academy Awards, the actress decided to eschew the expected red-carpet gown in favour of some super-short shorts.
Stewart, who had been nominated in the Best Actress category for her role in the Princess Diana biopic, Spencer - her first ever Oscar nomination - walked the red carpet in a full Chanel look, consisting of a custom-made black satin jacket and matching shorts, with a white chiffon shirt and black court shoes. She wore the shirt unbuttoned down to her navel, showing off a glittering Chanel Fine Jewellery statement necklace with onyx, spinel and diamonds.
"I really wanted to be the most honest that I possibly could and not feel that I was telling someone’s else story but finding my own," Stewart explained, of her decision to wear a shorts suit for the landmark evening. "It was obviously a little audacious to ask Virginie - who’s so busy doing beautiful shows all the time - to step out and spend time on working on something like this. But it was the one opportunity to be me."
Being nominated for an Oscar is a pinnacle moment in any actor's career, so Stewart said that the evening felt "so personal", because "it’s such a rare opportunity and it’s such a moment to be recognised in this way after so many years". It was therefore important that she found a look that really represented her authentic self.
"I didn’t want to feel placed in an outfit, I wanted to feel it’s second skin," she said. "I wanted to feel an elevated elegance, and the right way to do this was to lean in to 'less is more' and allow yourself to stand in your own skin rather than put an armour.
"So, I asked her for simple and obviously I got the most polished and inspired version of that. I feel I pushed her in a direction maybe she would not have immediately gone in, and she pushed me too. We found each other in this particular collaboration. It feels so modern and of the moment, but free. When you pick a dress from the runway, you feel like you need to do it justice. This feels the other way around."
The actress has been a Chanel ambassador for the best part of a decade now, and says that her partnership with the fashion house makes her feel "so taken care of and so visible" - something she likens to the way a director makes her feel.
"It’s really fun because I feel that defining myself is a huge opportunity. And so right now, choosing the clothes, Virginie designing something original, which never happens, it’s an unbelievable gift that she’s giving me," she said. "It’s such a wild moment for me and Chanel is totally on this journey."
As for that Oscar nomination? "I feel kind of hysterical," she said. "I can’t believe I get to be in these rooms, and with people I just have obviously admired my entire life... I presented at the Oscars once, and I looked at everyone, I literally almost swallowed my tongue. I feel completely inhabited and floating through, like this is not real. It’s been such a great run and the movie’s obviously gotten so much more exposure... I just didn’t expect it and the gift of that was really nice. It’s nice not to make marginal arts, it’s nice to have everyone go: 'This was cool.' I’ve never had that... I’m very proud of that."
Stewart's make-up look was also courtesy of Chanel Beauty - a look described by her make-up artist as "classic and authentically Kristen" - with a defined smoky eye and a nude lip, and her tousled hair swept to one side.
Of her chameleon-like ability to embrace different red-carpet aesthetics, Stewart says that she felt "free and safe" to promote the story of Spencer and the legacy of Princess Diana (who also "coincidentally, loved Chanel so much"), in different ways.
"We got to tell a story alongside the one that Pablo [Lorraín] was telling in an atmospheric way, [which] contributed to defining that story," she explained. "And then following the movie, supporting it, and celebrating the efforts have also been a total next step: I didn’t feel the same in Venice as I felt in Telluride or at the LA premiere.... You can track the feelings in the clothes and landing here in this special suit is completely different from how I showed in Venice, which was a departure for me: something ethereal. It felt true but more like a character, whereas this Oscars outfit feels stripped down."
The actress walked the Oscars red carpet with her screenwriter girlfriend, Dylan Meyer, who co-ordinated with her partner in black suiting and a white shirt.
In a classic Kristen Stewart move, once she had walked the red carpet the Oscar-nominee swapped her heels for a pair of classic black loafers and ankle socks.
Stewart later had an outfit change to attend one of the many Oscar after-parties, swapping into a sheer black lace dress - again by Chanel. The elegant design featured a low neckline, with a bow at the waist and metallic cuffs. She also swept her hair back into a chic updo.
See our edit of the 10 best fashion moments from the 2022 Oscars, here:
