It doesn't matter if Keke Palmer is dropping by a podcast, hosting the Met Gala red carpet, or working the TV talk show circuit to promote her newest movie. (Right now, it's the buddy comedy One of Them Days.) She's as charismatic offscreen as she is in the roles she plays—and the central reference for her latest press tour outfits says she knows it.
Dressing for back-to-back-to-back interviews in the likes of Stella McCartney, Chloé, and vintage Dolce & Gabbana, Palmer wanted to channel a beloved style icon her way. "Keke actually sent me a bunch of references and sent me a mood board when I first started working with her," stylist Zoe Costello tells me hours after a 4:30 A.M. fitting for another of Palmer's TV spots. "She had some amazing references of Princess Diana."
Sure, a lot of people pay homage to Lady Di with recreations of her '90s suits and that infamous "revenge dress." But Costello, who's worked with Palmer alongside creative director Sergio Hudson for over a year, has leaned more into her energy: capturing Palmer's indefinable magnetism with a mix of off-the-runway and vintage pieces that let her personality shine. Even the Diana-approved bag she wore for a recent appearance, the Lady Dior, came in a modernized east-west silhouette.
The pair's styling origin story couldn't have happened in Lady Di's heyday. They got acquainted after Palmer slid into Costello's Instagram DM's to compliment her editorial work. Eventually, it turned into a full-blown partnership, with Costello first dressing Palmer for appearances related to her music, and later, her movies.
Across both facets of her career, "She liked that I understood her vision at the start, and I can elaborate on it," Costello says. "I want to make sure it's not monotonous and there's something interesting in each look that's different whilst keeping it cohesive."
Costello describes Palmer's style as "open to it all": "She's so fun to dress and she just loves exploring different brands." (Vivienne Westwood is a recent, new-to-her favorite.)
For her turn in One of Them Days, where Palmer and SZA play two roommates desperate to make rent in 24 hours, press tour styling could incorporate serious fashion houses—just with pieces that didn't take themselves too seriously. "The movie's so fun and it's a comedy, so I wanted to bring a little bit of of that into the looks," Costello says. A Galliano-era Dior jacket lined in turquoise faux fur or a key-shaped Schiaparelli dress show are inherently playful; so is the dash to change between three back-to-back looks between interviews, and the upbeat smile Palmer pairs with each one.
Before we hang up, I ask Costello what's changed the most since Palmer first reached out on Instagram all those months ago. The stylist says her client's all-out love of fashion hasn't wavered; meanwhile, the audience who looks forward to seeing it is growing. "I think that the only thing now is it's just getting harder with her schedule with fittings—because she's so busy." Today's people's princess has a lot of subjects to see.
