DUBAI: Natalie Portman, who was one of eight artists “celebrated for their achievement in creative independence” at Thursday’s IndieWire Honors ceremony in Los Angeles, arrived sporting a daring wardrobe choice: A sharp black suit with a sheer cream blouse by French-Tunisian designer Hedi Slimane from his first collection as creative director for Celine.
How is a black suit daring? Well, other than flying in the face of the Hollywood convention of wearing glittery gowns to award shows, there is the whole issue of Slimane’s controversial collection for Celine.
Slimane, whose father is Tunisian, is known for his skinny suit silhouettes for Saint Laurent and Dior Homme. (The French designer is also known for ruffling the feathers of fashion conventionistas by meddling with the names of fashion houses: he dropped the “Yves” from Saint Laurent and the accented “e” from Celine.)
Carrying his signature look over to Celine, Slimane’s Spring 2019 collection for the label was met with a largely negative reception on the runway at September’s Paris Fashion Week. Some reviewers accused him of being a “one-trick pony,” while others lamented that he overrode the feminine legacy of its previous artistic director, the well-loved Phoebe Philo, with nary a trace of the brand’s DNA to be found.
So the fashion world has been watching and waiting for that all-important celebrity embrace. First up was Dakota Johnson, in a short sequinned red dress at the LA premiere of her movie “Suspiria” about a week ago. And now comes Portman’s endorsement.
Think what you want of Slimane’s Celine, Portman’s rock & roll tuxedo was a fitting choice. After all, she plays a pop star in “Vox Lux,” which has received positive reviews ahead of its general release next month.
“I’ve never worked with someone more prepared or daring,” Brady Corbet, her “Vox Lux” director, wrote for IndieWire ahead of the ceremony. “That commitment and daring is represented in the other equally significant aspects of her life, such as her outspoken political activism, as well as her own work as a filmmaker.”
As for her activism, in April this year Portman, who is an American-Israeli citizen, backed out of receiving the Genesis Prize in Israel, which was using deadly force against protesters on the Gaza border. “I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony,” she wrote on her Instagram account. “Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering from today’s atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values. Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality and abuse of power.”
Portman chose a more conventionally feminine look for her December cover shoot for “Vanity Fair,” appearing in a metallic gown by Dior.
Natalie Portman well-suited to Hedi Slimane’s Celine collection
Natalie Portman well-suited to Hedi Slimane’s Celine collection
