.jpeg "Lily Gladstone Is Using the Red Carpet to Spotlight Indigenous Designers")
Thanks to her breakout role in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Lily Gladstone is a major Oscars contender this year. And the Indigenous actor (and British Vogue cover star) has the A-list red carpet style to match her awards season buzz. Though she hasn’t had a traditional press tour for the film—in compliance with the SAG-AFTRA strikes—Gladstone has been intentional with her select appearances on the step and repeats this year. Whether at fashion month, or last night’s Time100 Next event in New York City, Gladstone has been using her moment in the spotlight to uplift and support the Indigenous designers within her community.
Working with stylist Jason Rembert, Gladstone started her thoughtful approach to red carpet attire back at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (before the SAG-AFTRA strike was put into effect). At the premiere of her Scorsese film, the star wore a floral Valentino gown punctuated with a pair of tiered dentalium earrings by Jamie Okuma—the first Indigenous designer to be inducted into the CFDA, hailing from the La Jolla Indian Reservation in southern California. Later that week, for the film’s official photo call, Gladstone wore a black caped Chanel ensemble, accessorized with a pair of beaded and dentalium earrings by Shelby LeeAnn Gorman. Her jewelry choices, including a copper Jennifer Younger necklace for the premiere after-party in Cannes, were a stylish nod to her own heritage.
Even in the absence of a full press tour, Gladstone has continuously worn pieces from Native artists. At Louis Vuitton’s spring 2024 show in Paris, for one, Gladstone wore an ensemble from the French house finished with a pair of dangly steel earrings by Woempe Designs. At Loewe, she chose golden El Techichi earrings resembling a calla lily. Just last night, at the Time100 Next event in New York, Gladstone wore a printed dress by the Indigenous label Burning Wagon Designs, finished with an Hermès coat and Jennifer Younger earrings.
Gladstone’s approach is commendable, since so few Indigenous designers are spotlighted on the red carpet. It also serves as a snapshot into what could have been on a Killers of the Flower Moon press tour. If the Oscars end up happening next year, pending strike negotiations, you can bet that Gladstone will deliver another spectacular Native fashion moment. And we simply can’t wait for it.
Below, more of Gladstone’s best red carpet looks.