Lily Collins Proves Karl Lagerfeld’s 1997 Fendi Vision Was Decades Ahead in Sheer Perfection
In an era where fashion perpetually devours its own past, Tuesday evening delivered a masterclass in archival dressing as Lily Collins graced “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in a showstopping vintage Fendi ensemble that felt less like nostalgia and more like prophecy fulfilled. The “Emily in Paris” star, styled by the discerning Andrew Mukamal, emerged as a living testament to Karl Lagerfeld’s prescient genius, wearing a dress from the designer’s fall 1997 Fendi collection—a piece that has only grown more relevant with time.
The garment itself was pure Lagerfeld alchemy: sheer material punctuated by strategically positioned geometric shapes of black fabric that played with revelation and concealment in equal measure. The sleeveless silhouette featured a formfitting bodice that cinched dramatically at the waist before unfurling into a coquelicot-inspired skirt—a botanical reference that added unexpected poetry to the architectural severity. Black lines and shapes created bold contrast against the transparent elements, transforming the dress into a wearable study in positive and negative space.
Collins committed fully to the Lagerfeld aesthetic, pairing the dress with over-the-knee Fendi boots that channeled the designer’s signature edge. Her jewelry choices remained deliberately minimal—a single ring and delicate earrings providing subtle sparkle without competing with the dress’s graphic impact. The actress wore her brunette locks in a razor-sharp bob, the sleek precision echoing the geometric lines of her ensemble while her beauty look leaned into moody sophistication: porcelain skin, a barely-there pink lip, her trademark strong brows, and a sultry smokey eye rendered in deep ash tones with smudged black liner defining both lash lines.
Mukamal’s styling choice reflects fashion’s current obsession with late Nineties and early Aughts aesthetics—a cultural moment when designers like Lagerfeld were rewriting the rules of sensuality and power dressing. The trend has gained remarkable momentum, with Sabrina Carpenter recently wearing a 1994 Chantal Thomass creation on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” similarly embracing that era’s edgy, unapologetic sensuality.
Indeed, Collins’ ensemble speaks directly to the naked dressing phenomenon that dominated autumn/winter 2025 runways. Houses including Saint Laurent, Valentino, Blumarine, and Chloé have all championed the philosophy that strategic transparency represents the ultimate power move—a concept Lagerfeld understood decades earlier.
The evening’s most charming moment arrived when Victoria Beckham emerged from backstage, leaving Collins visibly starstruck. The two fashion icons—both sporting smokey eyes and sharp bobs—recreated throwback peace-sign poses while exchanging the kind of mutual admiration that transcends mere politeness. Beckham praised Collins’ bob as shinier and sharper than her own—extraordinary words from the woman who literally trademarked the “Posh Bob.” Collins, ever gracious, deflected: “Well, thank you, but no, I could never outshine.”
It was a perfect encapsulation of fashion’s cyclical nature: two women, separated by decades, united by impeccable taste and an understanding that true style is timeless.
