Cynthia Erivo Trades Her Louboutins for Vintage Valli in This Show-Stopping McQueen Look
In the theater of late-night television, where stars must captivate audiences within mere minutes, Cynthia Erivo understands the assignment with crystalline clarity. The Tony and Grammy-winning powerhouse graced “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” Thursday evening, delivering a masterclass in sartorial storytelling that left fashion insiders breathless and reaching for their phones to dissect every meticulously chosen detail.
Erivo’s appearance—ostensibly to promote her deeply personal new album “I Forgive You”—became an unexpected fashion moment that perfectly encapsulated her evolution from Broadway darling to bonafide style icon. The British actress, who has consistently proven herself a red carpet risk-taker with an innate understanding of proportion and drama, arrived in a look that was equal parts architectural precision and rebellious femininity.
The foundation of this knockout ensemble was a sharply tailored Alexander McQueen suit that seemed to channel the house’s DNA for dramatic silhouettes and subversive tailoring. The single-breasted blazer, with its exaggerated pointed shoulders and strategically placed padding, created a commanding presence that spoke to McQueen’s legacy of empowering women through clothes that armor and enhance. The red satin grosgrain accents—a detail that whispered rather than shouted—provided the perfect pop of color against the suit’s otherwise monochromatic palette.
What elevated this look from merely excellent to absolutely extraordinary were Erivo’s choice of footwear: towering black satin platforms from Giambattista Valli’s Fall 2017 couture collection. These weren’t your garden-variety platform heels. The architectural marvels featured a pointed toe that dramatically jutted over the platform’s edge, creating a visual tension that fashion cognoscenti live for. The Mary Jane-adjacent buckled strap across the instep added an unexpected sweetness to what could have been an intimidatingly severe silhouette.
For those tracking Erivo’s footwear evolution, this represented a fascinating departure from her usual Christian Louboutin allegiance. While she’s been vocal about her passion for sky-high heels—a love affair that has become part of her signature aesthetic—the switch to Giambattista Valli demonstrated her growing confidence in mixing and matching luxury houses to create something entirely her own.
The styling choices extended to the smallest details, proving that Erivo and her team understand fashion’s cardinal rule: it’s the finishing touches that separate the memorable from the forgettable. Her gradient red manicure wasn’t merely a beauty choice but a calculated echo of the jacket’s scarlet accents, creating a cohesive narrative that spoke to her attention to detail.
This appearance comes at a pivotal moment in Erivo’s career trajectory. While she graced Colbert’s stage to perform “Best For Me” from her upcoming album, the specter of “Wicked” continues to burnish her star power. The film adaptation’s success—including two Academy Awards, with Paul Tazewell taking home the Oscar for Best Costume Design—has positioned Erivo not just as a performer but as a fashion force to be reckoned with.
In choosing this particular ensemble for her late-night appearance, Erivo joins the ranks of celebrities like Taylor Swift who understand that platform heels aren’t just footwear—they’re statements of intent. In a world where every public appearance is scrutinized and dissected, Erivo’s McQueen-and-Valli moment proves she’s not just keeping pace with fashion’s elite; she’s setting the standard for how modern stars should dress for maximum impact.
