Ariana DeBose is no stranger to the red carpet, as a Tony nominee and musical theater alum, but until awards season kicked off this year, she couldn’t always imagine herself in gowns from the runway. “It’s really an interesting feeling for me because I never saw myself as a fashion girl,” she told Vanity Fair via email. “My whole life I have been a dancer, with a muscular and toned body. When I would see the runway looks, I never saw my body or myself in the clothes, especially Haute Couture.”
Last year, DeBose brought her considerable skill as a dancer and actress to the silver screen as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, and now, one SAG Award and Oscar nomination for best supporting actress later, she is ready to embrace runway drama in a major way. For the SAG red carpet on Sunday night, she stole the show in a sumptuous hot pink gown designed by Maison Valentino, worn with a suite of natural jewels from De Beers.
The gown captures the jewel-toned, resplendent style of Valentino’s creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli, and after her award-winning night, DeBose praised his skills. “Mr. Pierpaolo has a beautiful way of designing gowns for women like me, using fabrics that accentuate body types in the most fashionable way,” she said. “The moment I saw this look on the runway I immediately saw myself in it as a strong Latina woman with curves.”
DeBose also said she loved the Old Hollywood glamour of the look, which fits the mid-1950s setting of the musical. “The gown was the perfect representation of a modern day Marilyn Monroe, who I have always admired as a fashion icon,” she said. “The color—the striking hot pink against my skin tones—I was in love.”
She paired the eye-catching look with a statement diamond necklace and matching bracelet, which amped up the luxury without sacrificing her ideals. “When I saw the jewelry from De Beers, I knew they were the perfect pieces for this big night,” she said. “Sustainability is as important to me as the design of the jewelry, so wearing natural diamonds that are both beautiful and responsibly sourced is a dream scenario.”
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