Addison Rae is feeling adventurous. “I don’t ever want to put myself in a box,” the TikTok star shared moments after attending the CFDA Awards. “I love trying new things and taking risks.” That daring spirit is evident in Rae’s latest outfit choices, which mark a shift from the Instagram-friendly minis and slips she wore when she first broke out in 2019. Making a splash this weekend at the LACMA Art and Film Gala in Los Angeles, she stood out from the sea of Gucci-clad guests by wearing vintage Jean Louis Scherrer couture. Days later at the CFDA Awards in New York City, Rae pulled a 180, arriving at Cipriani in gothic Gareth Pugh, complete with cape and cowl.
High drama pieces with insider cache, both were sourced from the Los Angeles vintage outpost Lily et Cie, and are the result of the collaboration between Rae and stylist Ryan Hastings. The man behind the esoteric awards season looks worn by Rooney Mara, Robert Pattinson, and Carey Mulligan, Hastings thinks outside the box when it comes to event dressing. Rae credits him with helping her dress with conviction. “The process has been perfect; I simply just trust his vision,” she says. “[Ryan] never shies away from asking me what I feel the most confident and comfortable in, and I think that’s why everything reads beautifully. I feel confident. And Ryan helps me get there effortlessly.”
Through Hastings, Rae was introduced to Lily et Cie’s fashion legend founder, Rita Watnick, whose collection of exceptional runway pieces from the past century has enriched the wardrobes of stars like Margot Robbie, Jennifer Aniston, Winona Ryder, and Kim Kardashian. Having provided Kardashian with Alexander McQueen’s iconic spring 2003 ‘Oyster’ dress for her trip to the Vanity Fair Oscars party in 2020, Watnick knows a thing or two about creating a viral moment. Still, Rae wasn’t on her radar until the 22 year old visited the Beverly Hills store. “Ryan and I had dressed a lot of people together so when he said he had a client who was headed to LACMA, I didn’t even ask who it was,” shared Watnick on the phone from Los Angeles “It was only after she left that I learned more about her background. Ultimately no matter who it is, what you want is to match the person and the dress in a way that allows them to be their best.”
Watnick was impressed by Rae’s love of fashion artistry, a quality she has in common with some of Lily et Cie’s longtime clients. “In a way, this reminded me of a long time ago when we dressed Kate [Moss], Winona [Ryder], and Naomi [Campbell] in vintage during the nineties,” she says. “They were very young at the time, and everyone wanted to dress them, but they were intent on charting this independent path where they could define [what] ‘well dressed’ meant for themselves. Fashion was a part of how they shaped their futures….I don’t know what our future is with Addison, but she’s been incredibly gracious, and this was a moment where [she] decided to go her own way.” (While this was the beginning of their collaboration, it’s not Rae’s first dip into the archives; At the September 2021 Met Gala, Rae wore a red gown from Tom Ford’s fall 2003 Gucci collection).
During her fitting, Rae immediately gravitated towards the moody, sequined Scherrer piece, complete with a plunging neckline. “It felt like it was made for my body, which is what defines couture,” she says. “We instantly knew it was the dress for LACMA. It’s so delicate and glamorous but still has this sexiness.” The addition of Art Deco jewels, one of which hung by her exposed navel, added to the gown’s appeal adding a jazz age touch to the ’90s finery. “The three necklaces are all hand-carved crystal made in Paris in 1925,” explains Rae. “When Rita and Ryan put them on with the dress, it transformed the look into something extraordinary.
With its deep neckline and bronze gemstones woven into transparent fabric, the vampy Scherrer felt attuned to current trends, but the Stéphane Rolland-designed piece from the brand’s fall 1998 show is years older than its wearer. For Rae, that is a plus. “I enjoy imagining the journey the pieces have had,” she says. “Wearing this masterpiece was an honor, and I’m grateful it ended up with me.”
The Pugh’s gothic charm was the counterpoint to the Scherrer’s outré glamour. “Gareth designs wearable pieces of art,” says Rae. “I felt like it was a great way to contrast the look I wore to LACMA.” A part of the designer’s fall 2012 collection, which explored themes of female power, the dress impressed everyone in the room. “I love that Addison chose to go with Gareth,” says Watnick. “That look is Charles James with a touch of Jacques Fath, yet it’s still futuristic.” Rae echoes the sentiment. “The dress should be in a museum,” she says.
Rae’s LACMA outfit and CFDA look were warmly received by her legions of Gen-Z followers. Watnick hopes this taste of couture will inspire them to hit the books. “It’s all new for them,” says Watnick. “They might ignore the names, but they’re very visual, appreciate beauty, and are eager to learn more. One of the reasons [people] end up in fashion is because they love what they see so much they start to read up on it.”
After back-to-back vintage moments, Rae is already brainstorming the next runway collection she’d like to revisit, and her current wish list is filled with master couturiers. “Balenciaga’s velvet and tulle “mermaid” dress from 1951 worn by Barbara Goalen,” she says, referencing the referencing black and white fishtail dress Irving Penn shot for Vogue. “[Or] something from Alexander McQueen’s archive. It’s truly fulfilling to carry on the legacy a fashion piece leaves behind.”