Halle Bailey made a strong entrance in a cherry red two-piece ensemble at Vanity Fair’s “A Night for Young Hollywood” bash ahead of the Oscars this weekend. Wearing a cropped jacket and a maxi pencil skirt from eveningwear label Mônot, the star of Disney’s forthcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid definitively proved that red-carpet fashion is all about the details.
Jon Kopaloff
Skin-baring styles are seeing a major resurgence right now, with sheer textiles and no-pants dressing competing to be the year’s biggest trends. And if New York Fashion Week is any indication, red is slated to be season’s hottest color.
As Bailey gears up for the most important moment of her career thus far, we can expect to see the 22-year-old rocking some seriously show-stopping looks. After rocketing to stardom via social media, Bailey and her sister Chloe were signed by Beyoncé’s record label, Parkwood Entertainment, in 2015 as the R&B duo Chloe x Halle. Now Halle is preparing to make her Hollywood debut as the beloved mermaid Ariel—a historic casting decision that will make her the first woman of color to play a previously white Disney princess. In a statement about Halle’s casting, Little Mermaid director Rob Marshall gushed, “After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance—plus a glorious singing voice—all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role.”
The blatantly racist hashtag #NotMyAriel initially trended on Twitter after the cast announcement was made, but Halle has continued to handle the backlash with grace. “I feel like I’m dreaming,” she subsequently told a reporter for Variety. ”And I’m just grateful. I don’t pay attention to the negativity; I just feel like this role is something bigger than me. And it’s going to be beautiful. I’m just so excited to be a part of it.”
