19 Times Celebrities Wore Outfits Inspired By Their Culture On The Red Carpet: “What I Want Is To Be Unapologetically Myself”
1. At the 2021 Met Gala where the theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” Naomi Osaka stunned in a Louis Vuitton dress co-designed by her sister, Mari Osaka. The tennis star — who is Japanese and Haitian — wore an obi-style belt, print featuring koi fish, and bright colors reminiscent of the Caribbean.
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Mari told Vogue, “The design we ended up creating speaks to our biracial heritage and in that, I believe it really celebrates who we all are and how we all play a role in the American Dream. It’s a celebration of cultures, like America itself, a melting pot of so many special and unique elements.”
2. At the same Met Gala, Saweetie wore a custom Christian Cowan gown with a trailing cape that featured colors of the Black American Heritage flag on one side and colors of the Filipino flag on the other. “That’s what makes me an American girl,” she said.
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3. In 2019, Priyanka Chopra was honored at the Marrakech International Film Festival for her work in cinema. According to Vogue India, she wore an ivory Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla sari “doused in mukaish work” and hand-embroidered with “sequins in a geometric jaali leitmotif.”
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The designer said, “This sari is an ode to her brilliance and beauty. Although a sari is quintessentially and iconically Indian, its elegance is matched by its slinky, sensual blouse.”
4. At the 2022 Met Gala, Quannah Chasinghorse — a member of the Han Gwich’in and Oglala Lakota tribes — wore feathers in her hair and traditional jewelry by bead artist Lenise Omeasoo.
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During the event, Quannah spoke to Reuters about the importance of Indigenous representation in spaces where Native people have been excluded. She also explained the significance of her jewelry: “It has all earth elements that my people traditionally used back in the day. Porcupine quills, moose hide, beads, and dentalium shells, which are almost going extinct. So, for me to be able to be here and wear these on the red carpet is an honor.”
On Instagram, Lenise wrote, “When creating this piece, I was inspired by our Native communities. Each beaded tipi upon her necklace represents her communities’ love and support.”
5. Lupita Nyong’o attended the 2016 premiere of Queen of Katwe in a custom Carolina Herrera gown and matching headwrap. Her stylist, Micaela Erlanger, told PopSugar that Lupita’s Kenyan heritage influenced the look. “It was directly inspired by some fabric I’d brought home from Africa last July when I went to go visit Kenya with Lupita. The colors were fantastic, and the print was so beautiful.”
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“I also really loved the fact that we had the chance to work with some African designers. It is important to represent the talent there, and this was a wonderful platform to do so.”
6. At the 2022 Black Adam premiere, Drew Afualo and her boyfriend, Pili, repped Samoa from head to toe. As a Samoan woman myself, I’m still obsessed with her dress with a tapa corset. This cloth is made from bark and is deeply significant in Polynesian cultures. Pili wore an ula fala (the red necklace) and an ie faitaga, which is often worn by men to formal events.
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On Instagram, Drew wrote, “I had a custom dress made by a Samoan woman @nancyelizabethxo. My glam was done by a Samoan HMUA @adamlesimmons, AND I got to walk w my Samoan boyfriend @billythekidd_. WE OUT HERE BABY.”
7. This year, Ali Wong — who is Vietnamese and Chinese — attended the Time 100 Gala in an áo dài (traditional Vietnamese dress) and headpiece. On Instagram, designer Thai Nguyen thanked the actor “for this iconic moment representing the Vietnamese culture and the beauty of the áo dài.”
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8. At the 2021 premiere of Eternals, Kumail Nanjiani wore a Pakistani sherwani by the House of Umar Sayeed. He told The Hollywood Reporter, “I wanted to wear a sherwani because 1. They look awesome and 2. My costume in the film always reminded me of sherwanis.” The actor called his mom, who gave him the names of three designers in Pakistan.
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Once they decided on the House of Umar Sayeed, Kumail’s stylist, Jeanne Yang, sent over pictures of his superhero costume for inspiration. “I wanted the colors to be similar to my costume colors, and purple and gold are a beautiful combination. The paisley pattern is very traditional as well,” he said.
9. Last year, Ariana DeBose attended the BAFTAs and the Critics Choice Awards in one day. The Afro-Latina actor — who won for her performance in West Side Story at both awards shows — wanted to honor her character Anita’s and her own Latina roots. So she wore red carpet looks from Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta, two Latino designers. Ariana chose shades of yellow to pay homage to Anita’s costume.
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She told Harper’s Bazaar, “It’s so rare in your work life that you get to be your full self and have who you are be seen and embraced. So much of this season has gotten to be about celebrating different parts of my identity. That seems to be the whole theme of not only this weekend, but of my West Side Story journey and my fashion journey as well. So it was really lovely to get to pay homage to Latinx designers this weekend, as that’s a huge part of who I am. Also, let’s be honest, Hispanics rule.”
10. In 2016, Auli’i Cravalho performed a hula at the world premiere of Moana. The Native Hawaiian actor wore a hula skirt, lei po’o, and what seem to be dangling flower earrings.
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11. In 2018, Tiffany Haddish wore a traditional Eritrean dress to the Oscars. “My father is from Eritrea, and he passed away last year,” she told ABC. “He said one day I would end up here, and if I ever end up at the Oscars, to honor my people.”
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12. This year, Richa Moorjani captivated at the premiere of the final season of Never Have I Ever. According to Vogue India, she wore an Amit Aggarwal ensemble: a lehenga, hand-embroidered blouse, and structured palla with geometrical patterns.
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On Instagram, Richa wrote, “Incredibly humbled and honored to get to wear this stunning work of art by @amitaggarwalofficial who graciously invited me to his atelier in Delhi and instantly made me feel like part of the parivaar. Huge shout out to the whole team there that has made this precious moment possible and for giving me the opportunity to proudly represent the perfection that is Indian craftsmanship. ✨ The brand’s signature materials of polymer push the aesthetic of modern Indian handiwork and silhouetting, the lightness of the piece and its ethereal emerald colour.”
13. At the 2019 Oscars — where Mahershala Ali became the first Black actor and Muslim to win Best Supporting Actor two times — he wore a hat that went viral online. His stylist, Van Van Alonso, told The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s a play on a Jinnah cap. He had been sending me a lot of photos of hats, some African looks, some fez hats, and we decided to [do] something that was rounder on the top… We did a lot of research and found Gigi Burris. They were really excited to work with us, and it was a fun collaboration.”
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14. Ashley Callingbull — who is Plains Cree of the Enoch Cree Nation — wore a stunning dress to the 2022 Canadian Country Music Awards. Indigenous designer Pam Baker shared a picture of the model on Instagram, writing, “Beautiful @ashleycallingbull wearing my family pole.”
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15. At the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards, Yara Shahidi rocked her own jumpsuit from her Adidas collaboration that celebrates her Black and Iranian heritage. The actor told Harper’s Bazaar that her intention behind the clothing is to “honor the past in a way that also pays homage to the future.”
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“The one thing that I wanted people to take away was even though a lot of these details are specific to my own growing up and the things that impacted me, the entire campaign is about how we re-create our heritage. I’m constantly figuring out what it means to me to be Black and Iranian — it’s ever changing.”
16. At the 2021 Encounter premiere, Riz Ahmed wore a pink kurta by Prada. Though he was born and raised in London, he told the New York Times he was alienated at school due to his Pakistani heritage. Wearing a kurta at a movie event was an act of reclamation and an opportunity to subvert “Eurocentric and precolonial” constructs around masculinity.
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“These days, I’m becoming more and more interested in not having to leave part of myself at the door as I enter a room,” he said. “Wearing a kurta to a premiere signals to the world what kind of space that is now and what is acceptable in that space… If I’m really, really honest with you, what I want is to be unapologetically myself.”
17. While not confirmed, fans theorized that Camila Cabello’s look at the 2018 VMAs was a nod to her Cuban heritage, especially considering she was nominated twice for her song “Havana.” The blue and white of her Oscar de la Renta dress, combined with the red of her lipstick, make up the colors of the Cuban flag.
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18. At the 2022 Met Gala, Vanessa Hudgens wowed in a mesmerizing black dress. On Instagram, she wrote, “I was so obsessed with this dress (Still am) for so many reasons. A. It was designed by a friend @jeremyscott who knows the real me B. The silhouette is actually historically correct for the Gilded Age theme C. I got to be the glamorous witch that I am and D. The puff sleeve pays homage to my Filipino heritage.”
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19. And finally, Dinah Jane attended the 2022 API Excellence Celebration in traditional Tongan clothing designed by Afa Ah Loo. On Instagram, she wrote, “This is a custom top made out of Tongan Ngatu. Traditionally this material is made from the bark of Hiapo or Mulberry Tree. Our ancestors passed this method down and mostly women hand make the Ngatu. It’s been a prized TREASURE (Koloa) of our ancestors and still is to this very day. It’s given at prestigious events that celebrate milestones of life and the essence of our people.”
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“This necklace is a special piece we like to call, Heilala. Adorned with the significant color of Red representing my beautiful Tongan people… This was an emotional appearance for me. Because for the first time in the many years I’ve been in this industry, I was able to represent and embrace my culture and family on these Hollywood floors. Feels liberating to be authentically yourself.”
Any other celebs who’ve worn red carpet looks inspired by their heritage? LMK in the comments below!
