Ariana Grande may be playing a good witch in an upcoming movie, but Sarah Paulson was playing one on the red carpet last night. At least her shoes were. The actress attended the WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards wearing some statement powder white pumps that certainly deserved attention.
Paulson’s avant-garde kicks came straight from Marc Jacobs’s fall 2024 collection that he unveiled at the New York Public Library earlier this summer. Their pointed front resembled a witch’s boots, a wooden Dutch clog, or perhaps the horn of a rhinoceros depending on your point of view. Whatever they were, they certainly weren’t boring. Which isn’t to say the rest of her outfit didn’t deserve attention. She also wore a voluminous eyelet dress, also by Jacobs, and a demure black handbag.
After posing for photographers on the red carpet, Paulson later presented Jacobs with the “Fashion Innovator” award at the gala which was attended by the likes of Linda Evangelista, Charli XCX, and Emily Ratajkowski. While Paulson is known for her quirky red carpet style, surely Jacobs (and her stylist Karla Welch) encouraged her to make such a footwear statement.
It’s no secret that Jacobs loves himself a statement shoe. The designer’s viral “Kiki” boots have become a go-to for celebrities—Nicky Hilton happened to wear a pair at last night’s gala—and especially pop stars like Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo.
Paulson’s refined, but equally as offbeat, shoes feel like an elevated “Ladies Who Lunch” twist on the Kiki silhouette. Her pair also featured a sizable platform like the Kiki, but focused on structure rather than grunge lace-up detailings.
Although Paulson kept Jacobs’s runway styling choices largely intact, there were a few key differences that set her look apart. For starters, she opted for her signature natural, dewy makeup instead of the doll-inspired false lashes that Jacobs’s models were wearing on the runway.
And, judging by videos of the actress on the red carpet, Paulson’s shoes not only pass the aesthetic test: they appear pretty manageable to walk in, too.
