Selena Gomez's 'Emilia Pérez' Performance Comes With an Oscar-Worthy Saint Laurent Coat
According to Costume designer Virginie Montel, the statement piece is a sign of Gomez's character becoming more "independent."
Some people will walk away from their viewing of Emilia Pérez with one of its many musical numbers stuck in their heads. I left with a different fixation permanently playing on a loop: the image Selena Gomez in character as Jessi, standing in the Swiss snow in a gigantic Saint Laurent fur coat.
Jessi is not quite the main character of this story. That honorific goes to the titular Emilia Pérez, who secretly transitions to become a woman after leading a notorious Mexican drug cartel in the former identity of Juan “Manitas” Del Monte. But Jessi, who was married to Manitas, is a pivotal player in the operatic saga. Without getting too deep into spoilers of how their relationship unravels, her coat in that Swiss mountainside scene strikes an important tone. In all its strong-shouldered, extra-textured glory, it's a symbol of her character's own transformation in the Cannes Film Festival-favorite feature. It's also the rare cinematic universe garment that made me want to shop, just based on the look-at-me silhouette alone.
Virginie Montel, the film's costume designer, establishes early on that the best faux fur coats embody something aspirational for Jessi, when she is living in Manitas's encampment in Mexico. In those early scenes, she's "wearing a fake fur jacket that must be her idea of a country like Switzerland," Montel says.
Fast forward to when she actually lives there. The power of the garment changes. "When years later she leaves [Switzerland] to return to Mexico, we liked the idea that she still had the fake fur, to make a connection, but Jessi wears it differently. Her references have changed, her codes are different," Montel explains. "Her blonde hair and her new silhouette make her character into another person. She's more independent, she's in charge, in a certain way she's stronger."
Many of the pieces worn by Emilia Pérez's leading trio—Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Zoe Saldana—came from a partnership between Montel's wardrobe department and Saint Laurent. "The house of YSL opened its doors to us, including the collection and the archives since Anthony Vacarello," she explains.
From a fiery red suit Saldana wears for a gala number that expresses her character's rage, to the Catherine Deneuve- and Monica Belluci-inspired dresses defining Gascón's transformation into Emilia, every piece was chosen with an eye for stylization and storytelling. Colors and silhouettes are symbolic of their characters' arcs, but they also have a practical side. "Since much of the film takes place at night, we were looking for shiny elements," Montel explains. "For other sequences, we wanted color."
In some cases, even YSL's vast archives didn't have exactly what the team needed—so they went custom. For example, Montel notes, "the blouse worn by Jessi, which needed to sparkle and open easily." (To say exactly why she's opening her shirt would be too much of a spoiler for this post.)
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Jessi's over-the-top Saint Laurent outerwear, and especially her faux fur, enters an esteemed canon of fictional women who treat their coats like armor. As the titular character in Anora, Mikey Madison wears (and eventually discards) a mink coat representative of the wealth and status her character believes she'll assume through her marriage to a Russian oligarch's son. On The Penguin, Sofia Falcone's ascension to full-blown mafiosa comes with a "wild-looking" vintage fur coat. These are just a few 2024 examples of a time-honored tradition in costume design and film: When a woman wants to take up space and convey her power—real or imagined—without saying a word, she pulls on a fur coat.
Most of Selena Gomez's press tour to promote Emilia Pérez has left the YSL faux mink on the screen. But for one of her final Los Angeles events, she arrived in a leather coat lined with faux fur by the French designer Nour Hammour. The cut and color weren't anything like her character's, but the energy was the exact same: It's the outerwear of an independent woman. Style-wise, it deserves all the awards.
Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”
Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.
-
'Black Doves' Stars Keira Knightley as a Deadly Spy—Meet the Rest of the Stellar Cast in Her Underground Operation
Everyone is going to be talking about this new Netflix thriller series.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Zara Tindall Puts a Purple Velvet Spin on Holiday Suiting
Chic and cozy—what's not to like? Who says only men get to wear suits at Christmas?
By Alicia Lutes Published
-
Gigi Hadid's Scarf Is Ideal for This Too-Cold-to-Function December
She looked cozy and chic on a downtown errand run.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Gigi Hadid's Extra-Oversize Cloud Scarf Is the Perfect Accessory for When It's Too Cold to Function
She looked cozy and chic on a downtown errand run.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Katie Holmes Bundles Up in a $4,995 Take on the Shearling Coat Trend and $60 Velvet Pants
She's never looked cozier.
By Halie LeSavage Last updated
-
Sabrina Carpenter Toasts Her Christmas Special in Vintage Chanel Faux Furs and an Opulent Holiday Shoe Trend
She's dressed like the host with the most.
By Halie LeSavage Last updated
-
Kendall Jenner Kickstarts Cozy Girl Winter in Ugg Boots, Leggings, and The Row's $4,300 Tote Bag
The model finally pulled her cuddly essentials out of storage.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Jennifer Lopez's Skintight Crystal Gown at the IndieWire Awards Lights Up the Entire Room
I'm suddenly inspired for New Year's Eve.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Hailey Bieber Transforms Winter 2024's Cozy Chocolate Brown Trend Into a Workwear Staple
The entrepreneur tried a trending color in her latest 'fit check.
By Halie LeSavage Last updated
-
Blake Lively Channels Dorothy in Ruby Slippers and a Poppy-Covered Chanel Bag for a Star-Studded 'Wicked' Screening
The self-styled actor couldn't help but method-dress for a 'Wicked' screening.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Jennifer Lawrence Matches Her Globular Matte Black Earrings to Her Elegant Maternity Dress
The pregnant star's egg-shaped hoops were the perfect red carpet accessory.
By Hanna Lustig Published