Cynthia Erivo has been method dressing for the role of Elphaba in the highly anticipated Wicked movie for weeks. That said, her best look yet was actually designed for her hosting gig at the 2024 CFDA Awards. On Monday, Oct. 28, the British actor graced the event's white carpet in a custom black velvet mermaid gown with a dramatic sorcerer's hood. Dreamt up by designer Zac Posen, the dress was a pitch-perfect blend of Elphaba's soft goth aesthetics and Erivo's own sense of style, which tends to favor voluminous, sculptural silhouettes.
Erivo and stylist Jason Bolden accessorized the gown with burgundy eyeliner in a nod to the wine-red color trend, plus a yellow gold collar necklace featuring a jade green claw and a curled serpentine tail. The choker, which was designed for Tiffany & Co. by Elsa Peretti, retails for a whopping $21,000.
Her best accessories, though, were her long green, red, and black stiletto nails covered in flames, serpents, and gems. Created by nail artist Rose Hackle, Erivo originally debuted the set at the Academy Museum Gala on Oct. 19. Since then, it appears a couple of crosses were added to her ring fingers for dramatic effect. Although it's hard to say for sure without confirmation from Hackle herself, I'd wager several of these nail shades came from the Wicked x OPI nail collection. Erivo became a global ambassador for the brand about a month before the collection's drop, so it's safe to say most of the polishes you'll see her wearing for the foreseeable future are OPI.
Although she's not American, it was still an apt choice to have the Tony, Emmy, and Grammy award-winning singer host the 2024 CFDA Awards.
“As a born and bred Londoner, I can safely say that the U.K. has its own sense of style, but when I moved to New York almost 10 years ago, I was welcomed into the open arms of the New York fashion industry,” Erivo explained in a press release ahead of the event. “I was blown away by its ingenuity and its flair, and I felt right at home. Style in America has clearly influenced me in the years that would follow my arrival and style in New York has held me in the warmest of embraces."
Indeed, whether it's a fantastical hooded number or the high note in "Defying Gravity," there seems to be nothing Erivo can't pull off.
