This is The Close-Up, where the biggest names in entertainment explain the story behind their latest personal style statement.
Kaitlyn Dever has two apt words to describe her first Venice Film Festival red carpet: "a whirlwind." The Last of Us star touched down in the Floating City barely twenty four hours before heading into hair and makeup for the August 30 premiere of Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, which she'd attend in a chicly minimal, head-to-toe Armani look.
Shortly after we'd chat about her usual prep routine (coffee, a cold shower, and "a lot of deep breaths") and her general approach to step-and-repeat style ("effortlessness is important to me"), she'd take one of the festival's iconic wood-paneled boats to the main event. Somewhere in between, she'd manage to catch up with some "old friends" on the circuit; Julia Roberts is one who stands out.
"It definitely doesn't feel like any other carpet," Dever tells me of her "dream come true" trip to the festival. "This is sort of a standalone experience. I've always been looking forward to coming here."
The setting is unlike any she's experienced so far, but the look Dever chose is close to home. She feels the most like herself on the red carpet when she's comfortable—with the garments and beauty stack she's wearing, and with her family support system around her. Her sister, Jane Dever, started styling Kaitlyn for The Last of Us season 2 press in looks by Magda Butrym and Anna October. This weekend, she joined her sister for a joint Armani moment in Venice. Their shared inspiration for each of Kaitlyn's appearances, she says, is their mother, Kathy, who passed away from breast cancer last year.
Selecting a timeless black plunge Armani dress paired to platform heels, "I'm kind of channeling my mom in many ways and keeping my family in mind," Dever says.
"I'm using my mom as inspiration and what she would have liked," she explains. "I feel like I always have her voice in my head whenever I'm thinking about these looks, and I think she would have loved the look that I'm wearing tonight."
The Dever sisters' latest tribute was as much about Kaitlyn's makeup as her gown. "I think that because the dress is so simple, I wanted the makeup to really be the standout of the look," Kaitlyn explains.
Her "first thought" was a bold red lip, an all-time classic that could complement the understated elegance of any black dress. She landed on Armani Beauty's Lip Power Long-Lasting Matte in 400. Then, to enhance the "glow" she wanted for the final look, Dever turned to the beauty base she's used for every look since she started working: Armani Beauty's Luminous Silk Foundation. "I don't know if many people know this, but it is literally the go-to foundation when I'm shooting," she says. "It's always on my skin, whenever I'm in film or TV."
I feel like I always have her voice in my head whenever I'm thinking about these looks, and I think she would have loved the look that I'm wearing tonight.
Above all, Dever says, "I wanted it to feel effortless." Her up-do with a middle-part had a "lived-in texture" and the diamonds and emeralds in her drop earrings brought an extra hint of color.
She knows her biggest inspiration would approve of the complete package. "My mom was a big fan of Armani as well, so it feels right," Dever says.
By the next morning, Dever would catch another flight back to Los Angeles and start prep for the 2025 Emmys. At television's biggest award show, she's nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her bone-chilling turn as Abby on The Last of Us.
It won't be her first time walking that red carpet when it rolls out on September 14. With her sister as her stylist and her mom's example as her style guide, it will feel just as meaningful as her Venice debut. Keeping it in the family (and in Armani) has allowed Dever to bring her full self to the step-and-repeat. Her family, she says, "really understands me like no one else."
Photographer Cibelle Levi | Stylist Jane Dever Makeup Artist Valeria Ferreira | Hair Stylist Renato Campora
