Sabrina Carpenter has spent the better part of the past year shimmering under stadium lights in sequins and sparkle, but her latest public appearance offered a softer, almost serene reset.
Days after wrapping the final dates of her Short N’ Sweet tour, the pop star stepped onto the red carpet in Los Angeles wearing something that felt plucked from a time capsule rather than a trunk of tour glam.
© JC OliveraAt Variety’s Hitmakers event on Friday, Carpenter arrived in a patchwork gown pulled straight from Ralph Lauren’s spring 2003 collection. The early aughts piece looked like it had been rescued from an Americana attic in the most romantic way possible.
Pieced together from strips of gingham, plaid, and sun-faded florals, the dress skimmed her waist before floating out into a gently flared skirt. Back in 2003, the design walked the New York Fashion Week runway.
© Michael BucknerSoon after, Penélope Cruz wore the very same look to a Beverly Hills charity event, giving it its first brush with red carpet history. This weekend, Carpenter let the dress do the work.
Known for her blonde curls and glossy stage makeup, she went nearly bare faced, opting for tousled waves and warm, natural skin. Blush swept lightly across her cheeks completed a look that felt almost intentionally undone.
© WWDIt was a surprising detour for a performer whose onstage costumes, from sequined bodysuits to glittering micro minis, defined the ethos of her recent tour.
Vintage dressing is hardly new territory for Carpenter, though she usually gravitates toward looks that lean more theatrical than homespun. She and her stylist, Jared Ellner, have become something of a duo of fashion detectives, digging through decades of runway archives to unearth rare pieces from designers who shaped entire eras.
© WWDTheir past finds have included everything from jewel toned Bob Mackie to early 2000s sparkle heavy staples. At the VMAs in September, Carpenter wore three different Mackie designs from the seventies that pulled her into the lineage of Cher level showmanship.
Of course, the Ralph Lauren revival is not Carpenter’s only archival fashion moment of the year. Her Rolling Stone cover story, released Thursday, was practically a love letter to the Victoria’s Secret archive.
© Axelle/Bauer-GriffinFor the feature, she modeled several runway pieces from the brand’s 1999 and 2010 fashion shows. Styled once again by Ellner, the looks were unmistakably nostalgic.
One was a sky blue gingham lingerie set with puffy sleeves and a dramatic train. It originally appeared in the 2010 show and still manages to feel dreamlike more than a decade later.
© Axelle/Bauer-GriffinAnother ensemble, first worn in the 1999 show, featured an off the shoulder lace top paired with a sheer maxi skirt. Ellner explained the duo’s approach in an interview with PAPER in December.
“I adore pulling archival fashion, but I do my best to use it when it’s truly the perfect garment for the client and event,” he said. “I think now a lot of times people wear archive just for the sake of wearing archive whether or not it’s the best option for the occasion. For me, regardless of whether it’s archive or contemporary clothing, it’s always most important to use the look that best fits the project at hand.”
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupThe strategy is clearly working. Carpenter has become one of pop’s most compelling archival revivalists, turning forgotten runway pieces into viral fashion moments.
Last year, she recreated a look originally worn by Naomi Campbell for the cover of TIME. The 1997 red bodysuit, which Campbell debuted with knee-high socks, was updated with sheer black tights for Carpenter.
