While the Amazon Original series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power takes viewers on a fantastical odyssey to Middle-earth, its breakout stars have been on an equally spellbinding sartorial journey on red carpets across the world.
Some of our favorites looks have been courtesy the styling dream team duo “Zadrian + Sarah,” Zadrian Smith and Sarah Edmiston who dressed three of the series’ leading cast members including, Benjamin Walker, who plays High King Gil-galad, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who portrays Queen Regent Míriel, and Sophia Nomvete, who stars as Princess Disa.
Before the premiere on Sept. 1, the cast embarked on an impressive 15-date press tour with stops in L.A., New York, Mexico, and London to name a few. And their stylists were right there by their side along the way. “We like to say, ‘Wherever our clients are, we can be.’ We truly do live up to that moniker,” Smith tells GRAZIA USA.
Smith met the series’ entire ensemble on a cover shoot, styling a whopping 13 people that day. “There were three that stood out,” Smith says of Walker, Addai-Robinson, and Nomvete. “There was just a connection, there was a very human connection.”
Taking on the mighty task of dressing three stars in the same press tour, Zadrian + Sarah were up for the challenge. “I think the industry has a way of thinking that a stylist can only style one person in a cast because there’s conflicts of interest,” says Smith. “We were quite lucky because Cynthia, Benjamin, and Sophia are all so very different.”
The series premiered on Amazon Prime on Sept. 2, and became the number one most-watched series in the U.S for the streamer, garnering 25 million viewers in its first day.
“We’ve been burning the midnight oil on both ends, across regions, across territories. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that this will live with us,” says Smith. “This is one of those things that career wise, 20, 30 years from now you’ll look back on this moment and be like, ‘Remember when we did Lord of the Rings with three cast members and knocked it out of the park?’”
The prequel adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien universe takes place before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which first hit screens in 2001 in Pete Jackson’s beloved film trilogy. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power begins in a time of peace, as the ensemble cast of characters travel through various realms of Middle-earth and face an unprecedented evil.
Back on planet Earth, the stars (with their styling duo’s help) put on quite a show on the carpet. We’re breaking down the best of Nomvete, Addai-Robinson, and Walker’s style, below.
Sophia Nomvete
“With Sophia, we just had fun — color, bows, volume,” says Smith. “I think that what we’ve done with Sophia really matches her personality.”
Custom Roksanda
At the London premiere, Nomvete opted for a voluminous and vibrant coral custom Roksanda gown with exaggerated shoulders. “For a designer to pull their team off of their fashion week collection to work on her custom gown is unheard of,” Smith gushed about the womenswear label.
Marina Rinaldi
Nomvete wore a graphic black and white printed maxi dress by Italian womenswear label Marina Rinaldi for the New York premiere. The actress praised the designer on Instagram. “Elegance, femininity, POWER,” she wrote. “@Marina.Rinaldi is completely knocking it out of the park with gorgeous pieces that accentuate curves in ALL the right ways!
Roksanda
Exuding joy in Mexico City, Nomvete sported a regal emerald green ruffled Roksanda dress with a crown of braids, paying homage to Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.
The Row
Nomvete channeled her princess prowess in an ethereal white asymmetrical gown from The Row at the Los Angeles premiere.
Cynthia Addai-Robinson
“Cynthia is my calm storm. She’s calm, she’s collected, but she’s a force,” says Smith of the actress who portrays Queen Regent Míriel. “She has this regality and sophistication about her that is so admirable,” Smith adds.
Maison Valentino
Cynthia Addai-Robinson brought the sunshine to London in a voluminous canary yellow Valentino gown with ruched sleeves.
Alexander McQueen
Addai-Robinson attended the New York premiere in a ruffled Alexander McQueen midi dress, embellished with silver hardware, with metallic Jimmy Choo sandals and silver rings.
Maison Rabih Kayrouz Haute Couture
Addai-Robinson brought out the regal style of her character Queen Regent Míriel in a silky cream, caped Haute Couture gown from Maison Rabih Kayrouz at the L.A. premiere.
Benjamin Walker
For Walker, the right clothes changed the way he sees himself on the carpet. “He said, ‘For the first time, these clothes have made me feel so confident that I can see and feel that I’m doing the press differently. You’ve made me better at my job,’” Smith recalled his client tell him. “For a menswear client to say that, that’s huge.” Honoring Walker’s Southern roots, Smith showcased “traditional tropes of what it means to be a Southern gentleman” through his style, adding brooches and other “small nuances.”
Ralph Lauren
As dapper as ever, Walker attended the show’s London premiere in a charcoal pinstripe suit from Ralph Lauren and a diamond floral Anabela Chan brooch.
Ozwald Boateng
For the New York City premiere, Walker wore an orange woven Kente double breasted jacket, matching waistcoat and classic cut trousers from Ozwald Boateng, plus a gold arrow pin on his lapel.
Dior
Walker suited up in a classic Dior set, sans tie, for the show’s Los Angeles premiere, with an elegant black embellished brooch.
