Halle Berry Wears a Sculpture Instead of a Top on the Cover of 'Marie Claire'

halle berry wears a sculptural Balmain top on the cover of marie claire magazine — (Image credit: Yana Yatsuk)

You know a designer label has lasting power when a signature item starts making the rounds among Hollywood's style stars. Versace, for instance, hit it big with their stacked pumps in 2022. The following year, everyone was carrying Gucci's reimagined Horsebit chain bag. This year, an unexpected garment has taken hold—and "garment" is a loose word.

Celebrities are clamoring to get their hands on a sculpturesque Balmain design that's more artwork than fashion. The item is essentially a bouquet of ivory flowers, being clutched by two ghostly white hands. Though it's barely clothing at all, the industry's most stylish stars literally cannot stop wearing it.

The most recent instance of this, came from Halle Berry, who starred on Marie Claire's 2024 Changemakers Issue, photographed by Yana Yatsuk. The Never Let Go actor tapped into her new film's supernatural vibe, posing on the cover wearing Balmain's three-dimensional top and not much else.

Styled by Deborah Afshani, Berry wore a fitted black pencil skirt from LaQuan Smith (shop it here) and a crystal-encrusted Givenchy ear cuff. The jewels had a similarly supernatural quality, with a fluid, bubble shape and a futuristic platinum finish. The extravagant design costs a cool $1,090.

Givenchy Feline Crystal-Embellished Ear Cuffs

LaQuan Smith Midi Pencil Skirt

Months earlier, on March 15, the same top (if you could call it that) appeared on the form of another A-list star—this time, that of Sydney Sweeney. The actor attended the Los Angeles premiere of her religious horror film Immaculate, looking like an exhibit in the world's chicest art museum. Like Berry, the actor was also dressing for a ghostly part.

Sweeney's stylist, Molly Dickson, paired the design with black bottoms to further emphasize the "floating in air" illusion. She, too, wore a silver ear cuff and styled her hair in a greaser-style slick-back.

Sydney Sweeney attends the Beyond Fest premiere of Neon's &quot;Immaculate&quot; at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on March 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California in a sculptural balmain top — Sydney Sweeney previously wore the Balmain top on a red carpet.

With fashion month in full swing, I wouldn't be surprised if this elaborate creation made another celebrity appearance at Balmain's upcoming Sept. 25 show. Watch this space.

Kelsey (she/her) is a freelance fashion editor and writer. At Marie Claire, she provides witty celeb style commentary, unpacking the style choices of stars like Zoë Kravitz, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, and her fashion superhero, Rihanna. When she’s not tracking the personal style of Hollywood’s elite, Kelsey also covers designer collabs and industry news.

Before taking her talents to Marie Claire, Kelsey was the Senior Fashion Editor at Bustle, where she oversaw the site’s fashion coverage. Prior to Bustle, she came from a six-year stint at Seventeen. In her freelance era, Kelsey contributes to publications like InStyle, Cosmopolitan,and more. Follow @klstieg on Instagram for 'fit pics and travel recommendations.