Nominated for her portrayal of the iconic queen of soul Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha, actress Cynthia Erivo showed up and showed out to the 2022 SAG Awards in tribute to the musical legend. Styled by Jason Bolden, the Harriet star stopped by for a chat with actress and red carpet commentator Laverne Cox, and opened up about her red-hot custom look that came courtesy of French fashion house Louis Vuitton.
Donning a red vinyl column dress with a sweetheart-style neckline designed by the inimitable Nicolas Ghesquière, the glamor was only further elevated by her faux fur cape with trim embellished with chains and crystals.
“I guess we were trying to find a modern throwback to some of the things Aretha would do,” Erivo said of the opulent ensemble. “You know, she was super daring with her fashion and her style. And it just felt like we wanted to have a call back to the things that she would wear.”
Adding, “There was a really great picture of her from the ’60s maybe, where she a great updo and she has a red outfit on, and it has feathers on the wrists. It’s just a reimagining of the things that we would see her in.”
Knowing exactly of the look Erivo was referencing, Cox appeared giddy over the sartorial reference. After a quick Google search, the red embellished gown with oversize feathery-trimmed sleeves Franklin wore on The Andy Williams Show in 1969 seems to be the one on Erivo’s mind.
Already an Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Award-winning performer, Erivo has an impressive array of credentials under her belt. Noting that another actress has received a SAG nomination for portraying the same legendary songstress, Cox pointed out that Erivo’s The Color Purple castmate Jennifer Hudson is also up for a Screen Actors Guild Award tonight.
Asking the question “If you could duet with her again on any Aretha Franklin song, which song would you choose?” After pondering for a moment, Erivo decided upon Ain’t No Way for their shared love and the tune’s balanced potential.
Also chatting about her forthcoming role in Wicked alongside Ariana Grande, Erivo described working together as “delightful” and building upon their relationship to properly portraying sisters.
