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eleanorduke
28th February 2024

Celebrity Style Guide #2: Zoë Kravitz

We explore the fashion staples of actress and model Zoë Kravitz, known for her elegant but effortless-looking outfits
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Celebrity Style Guide #2: Zoë Kravitz
Credit: Gage Skidmore @ Wikimedia Commons

Daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, Zoë Kravitz is more than a nepo baby – she’s a nepo queen. Rising to fame as a model and actress, starring in the Divergent series, High Fidelity, and The BatmanKravitz has also made a name for herself as a fashion icon with her strikingly unique style that blends elegance and comfort. Much like Suki Waterhouse, Kravitz perfectly toes the line between effortlessness and always looking put together, telling Vogue that “sexiness is not giving a fuck.”

The Little/Long Black Dress (LBD)

If there is one piece of clothing without which Zoë Kravitz’s wardrobe is incomplete, it would have to be a black dress – an LBD if you will. I’m not talking paper-thin Primark LBD from when you were 14 and drinking Smirnoff Ice (other cheap and sickeningly sweet alcoholic beverages are available) in the park; for Kravitz, an elevated, one-of-a-kind but still classic LBD seems to be a staple. Across Red Carpets, Kravitz has rocked every kind of black dress, from LBDs with cat-shaped cut-outs, to sheer dresses with unique textures like lace or sequins, and asymmetrical silhouettes that ensure her personality still stands out. Kravitz is proof that classic doesn’t have to be boring.

Silver everything

If your For You Page isn’t filled with so-called fashion gurus convincing you you’re a Soft Winter instead of a Cool Summer (starting to think I might just be an Insane Viewer), then I envy you massively. Whilst it seems to be driving most of us around the bend, Kravitz has clearly got her colour palette down, always pairing her looks with silver accessories, and sometimes making silver accessories her entire outfit (see her 2021 Met Gala look). Her Red Carpet outfits are often finished off with some audacious, blindingly-bejewelled, silver earrings, complementing her understated makeup and LBDs.

Credit: Mingle Media TV @ Wikimedia Commons

Smokey eye & glowy skin

This leads me nicely on to Kravitz’s makeup, which blends (no pun intended) a grungy eye look with glowy skin – to be fair, if I looked like Zoë Kravitz, I’d want as much of my natural beauty on show as possible. In her Vogue Beauty Secrets video (aka the videos we all pretend we’re filming when we get ready), Kravitz stressed the importance of tightlining her waterline, and smudging out her eyeliner for a cool, worn-in look; she somehow pulls it off without looking like she’s hungover and running on a less-than-desirable night of sleep.

Kravitz combines her smoky eye makeup with a long skincare routine that helps her achieve that gorgeous, glowing skin that epitomises her quintessentially cool-meets-effortless vibe. Even as a keen critic of the no-makeup-makeup look, I can’t deny that her glowy skin and grunge-esque eye combo always look stunning.

Credit: dvna studio @ Wikimedia Commons

Trench coats

Despite only standing at a mighty 5ft2, a classic Kravitz look is not complete without a long trench coat, fighting the fear-evoking fashion advice that ‘wearing long coats will make your legs look short’. From her oversized leather looks during The Batman promos, to papped in a classic beige trench with fiancé Channing Tatum during Paris Fashion Week, Kravitz proves the versatility of this wardrobe staple, often pairing her trenches with jeans and sneakers and elevating her looks across the seasons.

90s sunglasses

Kravitz is often seen in 90s-style sunglasses which accentuate her frankly ludicrous bone structure. All black, with thinner, Matrix-esque frames, her signature shades make her more casual looks feel intentional and put-together – even in a tank top and jeans.

Hair as an accessory

From a pixie cut to platinum blond micro-braids, Kravitz has been long-admired for her wide range of hairstyles that always match the vibe of her looks, acting as an accessory in their own right. Her signature boho-style micro-braids have become pretty much synonymous with her look; TikTok has gone mad for ‘Zoë Kravitz braids’ as they have come to be known.

Through her wide hair repertoire, Kravitz has shown how different hairstyles can truly complete a look, bringing out a different side of an outfit. Her long, goddess braids are so versatile; they perfectly complement her casual ‘just threw this on’ looks, but they also worked perfectly when pulled back into a bun for her 2021 Met Gala look, showing that the slicked-back look isn’t just for people with thin, straight hair and perfectly shaped (and non-receding) hairlines.

@voguefrance

Micro-frange, dreadlocks, coupe courte… Zoom sur les plus belles coupes de cheveux de #ZoeKravitz#beautylooks #hairstyles #voguefrance #beautytok

♬ son original – Vogue France

It’s impossible not to be obsessed with Zoë Kravitz’s wardrobe – I, for one, have her all over my Pinterest boards, and not just because I had a massive crush on her in Big Little Lies. Her versatile looks and effortless chicness undeniably make her a true fashion icon.

Take a look at the previous article in the ‘Celebrity Style Guide‘ series to see how to get singer and actress Suki Waterhouse’s effortlessly chic vintage meets indie-sleaze look.

Eleanor Duke

Eleanor Duke

Winner of The Mancunion ‘Best Newcomer’ Award 2024

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