Velvet may be the last fabric one would wear when dealing with the New York City’s wet summer heat. But velvet arm warmers? Unthinkable. Well, on a steamy Monday in the Big Apple, Vanessa Kirby made the case that some style moments are worth braving the heat for.
The British actress attended the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One premiere wearing a look from Schiaparelli’s spring/summer 2023 couture collection. Her champagne colored slip dress followed a fairly simple silhouette with a plunging neckline and column shape that finished just around her heels. Kirby went with no accessories for the look aside from an interesting (and rather 2000s-esque) choice on her arms.
Kirby’s velvet arm warmers extended from the wrist to just above the elbow. It seems that she had the original look altered, opting for a shortened version of the warmers. The black piece was relatively straightforward when viewed from the front. But when Kirby turned to showcase the back of her look, the red carpet-validity of her arm warmers finally came into focus.
Falling from the side of each warmer were layers of gathered velvet that cascaded into a dramatic u-shape. The shawl-like detail added some drama to the otherwise simple look but was probably a touch impractical (it presumably limits the wearer’s movement). But hey, anything for fashion, right?
There’s been a craze for opera gloves on the carpet recently, so Kirby’s adjacent choice makes sense. But we’ve rarely seen arm warmers—probably due to its, at times, cringey early aughts associations—on big stages. Kirby’s, though, were understated and elegant and dressed up her spaghetti strap slip.
Kirby’s Schiaparelli ensemble is the latest in a string of stellar looks we’ve seen her wear during the Mission: Impossible press tour. The actress dazzled in a sultry Dolce & Gabbana number in London and put her spin on another red carpet fad, sheer, while in Rome, Italy.
She wore a nude illusion Miu Miu dress fashioned in netted crystals that followed a similar slip-style to her recent Schiaparelli wear. Clearly, Kirby has found her red carpet signatures.
