Meghan Markle's appearance Thursday at Variety magazine's Power of Women Gala in Los Angeles saw the duchess make a rare red carpet statement oozing "Hollywood polish and quiet luxury," a celebrity stylist said.
The gala celebrating the achievements of women in the entertainment industry, held at the city's Citizen News venue, was the duchess's first appearance at such an event since May, when she was an honoree at the Women of Vision Awards in New York City. That appearance ended in a highly publicized run-in with the paparazzi.
Meghan made a striking appearance at Thursday's gala, wearing a nude evening gown, designed by American womens wear brand Proenza Schouler, that perfectly accentuated her silhouette, according to celebrity stylist and royal fashion expert Miranda Holder.
"Meghan looked composed and elegant as she attended the gala last night," Holder told Newsweek. "She wore a simple Proenza Schouler column dress which puddled on the floor around her as she posed for photographs. The considerable length, simplicity of the design and striking one-shoulder neckline all worked beautifully together to elongate Meghan's petite frame and in particular her short torso, making for a very flattering look indeed."
Holder said Meghan "let the dress do all the talking" by styling her look with a "paired-back" slicked hairstyle, black heels and a handbag and gold jewelry.
"The look oozed Hollywood polish and quiet luxury," she said. "An aesthetic that the duchess has perfected down to a tee over the years, and without doubt her sartorial training as a brief working member of the British royal family has added to [it].
She continued: "Meghan eschewed her more familiar, starker white color choice for a warmer, softer and more sophisticated cream, known for its associations with humility, calm and elegance."
Meghan has spoken about her attitude toward style and said in her December 2022 Netflix docuseries that she developed a neutral color palette for her wardrobe while a member of the royal family to avoid clashing with its senior members.
"Most of the time that I was in the U.K., I rarely wore color," she said. "There was thought in that. To my understanding, you can't ever wear the same color as Her Majesty if there's a group event. But then you also should never be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family. So I was like, 'Well, what's a color that they'll probably never wear? Camel? Beige? White?'
"So I wore a lot of muted tones, but it also was so I could just blend in. Like, I'm not trying to stand out here," she said.
Her neutral wardrobe has been injected with pops of metallics and colors in the three years since she split from the monarchy with Prince Harry and moved to the U.S. But as demonstrated on Thursday, the duchess still has a fondness for beiges and nudes.
Meghan was not the only big name at the Power of Women Gala. Also present were industry heavyweights Oprah Winfrey and Diane Warren, as well as Margot Robbie, Dua Lipa and Emily Blunt.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
