There isn't a personal style Academy Award handed out at the annual Academy Women's Luncheon hosted by Chanel each December. But as power lunch attendees (and Golden Globe nominees) Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande took their seats side-by-side at the event on Dec. 10, I thought they deserved a statuette for their clever, Chanel-ified twists on the method dressing trend.
Gomez and Grande have both spent the past several months promoting their immersive, awards-bait musicals projects: the Spanish-language epic Emilia Pérez for the former, the film adaptation of Broadway's Wicked for the latter. They've also worn outfits to channel their characters. With stylist Erin Walsh, Selena Gomez has adopted her crimelord widow persona's penchant for dramatic silhouettes and slinky LBDs. Grande, meanwhile, and stylist Mimi Cuttrell have gone full good witch with floaty tulle skirts and every shade of pink imaginable. Both stars have made their uniforms work for talk shows, step-and-repeats, premiere, and now, even an insider event where the dress code is head-to-toe Chanel.
Selena Gomez continued her all-black streak in a tweed jacket with a contrasting white collar and cuffs, paired to a black, side-buttoned skirt. She styled the set with a business-lunch long bob and white platform sandal heels—plus a pair of semi-sheer black tights.
Her seat-mate also tapped the universal winter accessory, classic black tights, for some extra contrast. Ariana Grande chose a mini dress with Glinda sparkle: a silvery tweed shift with a low V-neckline. Underneath, she added a pair of pumps with a secret pearl detail at the heel; she also carried a top-handle Chanel bag.
Dozens of other powerful women in film and TV filled the gathering at Los Angeles's Academy Museum, including Nobody Wants This star Kristen Bell in a very Joanne-coded cardigan and jeans.
In a room filled with double-C logos and dainty hair bows, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande's subtle method dressing still stood out. They made exclusive runway pieces feel entirely their own—and they made all-time-classic tights look extra-elevated.
The pair will likely be competing against each other for Best Supporting Actress trophies all season long, but they brought supportive energy into the room (and in their low-key coordinating looks).
Before the end of the event, Selena Gomez gave a keynote address acknowledging her long road to getting recognized for her work in film. "I know firsthand how isolating this industry can make you feel sometimes, so to the young women out there, I want you to know that you are heard and you are seen, and your perspective matters deeply. And if you ever feel lonely at any event, just come up to me," she said, per Vogue. In style and in substance, she wasn't alone.
