The Directors Who Are Upping Their Fashion Game During the 2022 Awards Season

Since Hollywood’s inception, film directors as a general rule have had unremarkable style. It’s the stars who have made an impression on the red carpet, while directors by and large seemed content to dress in line with their classification in the Hollywood eco-system: behind-the-camera talent.

That began to go by the wayside as directors such as Spike Lee, Sofia Coppola, Spike Jonze and Wes Anderson became known for their personal style.

In 2020, THR reported on a number of directors who were making waves on the red carpet — including Taika Waititi, Greta Gerwig, Lulu Wang, Barry Jenkins and Bong Joon Ho — with some hiring stylists who normally dress actors.

This awards season, another group of directors — all of whom are considered potential best director nominees at the 2022 Oscars — are upping their fashion game on the red carpet. They include Till director Chinonye Chukwu (who spoke to THR about her style evolution this year), as well as Nope‘s Jordan Peele, She Said‘s Maria Schrader, Close‘s Lukas Dhont, Tár‘s Todd Field, Elvis‘ Baz Luhrmann and Bones and All‘s Luca Guadagnino.

“I think, most of the time, the style of storytellers becomes a bit more muted, with a little less flair,” stylist Jason Rembert, who dresses Chukwu, told THR regarding directors and their dressing. These seven talents, shown below, are a welcome exception, standing out for their style as much as their films’ stars do.

Jordan Peele

Nope director Jordan Peele, a fan of bright suits, wore blue Paul Smith with Rhude shoes at the Wendell & Wild premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Maria Schrader

She Said director Maria Schrader, who appeared at the Bavarian Film Awards in May, favors high-contrast black-and-white looks. In early October, she hit the red carpet at the New York Film Festival styled by Julia von Boehm (Nicole Kidman’s stylist), wearing a Chanel blouse, a Lanvin jacket, Margiela pants and Saskia Diez earcuffs.

Baz Luhrmann

Elvis director Baz Luhrmann (left), at the film’s Canada screening, paired his all-over black look with a Paspaley pearl necklace.

Chinonye Chukwu

Till director Chinonye Chukwu wore a green gown with a balloon skirt by Christopher John Rogers at Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation’s Pioneer Dinner in September. “I recently turned 37, and every year I feel more comfortable in my body,” Chukwu tells THR. “So I’ve been really intentional with wearing clothes that make me feel good. I want to celebrate my confidence and my pride in myself. I want to be a bit bold and wear statement pieces.”

Todd Field

In Venice, Tár director Todd Field wore a sharp suit by German haberdashery Egon Brandstetter (which also dressed Cate Blanchett in the film). For other outings promoting the film, such as the New York Film Festival, he’s worn hats from Baron Hats, who has made items for stars from Fred Astaire and Steve McQueen to Brad Pitt.

Luca Guadagnino

Bones and All director Luca Guadagnino (left), in Venice, sported a bespoke printed Loewe shirt with an upside-down image of Bernardo Bertolucci.

Lukas Dhont

In Cannes, Lukas Dhont, the director of Close, Belgium’s international feature submission for the Academy Awards, stood out in a red velvet tuxedo by Gucci.

This story first appeared in the Oct. 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.