All the Details on Nicole Kidman’s Louis Vuitton Gown at the Globes

In advance of the 78th annual Golden Globe Awards, fashion stylist and InStyle fashion director Julia von Boehm spoke exclusively to The magazine from her home in East Hampton, NY about the look worn by her client, Nicole Kidman. The actress was nominated as the best-supporting actress for her role in HBO’s The Undoing, marking the 15th time in her career that she has been recognized with a Golden Globe nomination.

Tapping into the awards show from her home in Sydney, Australia, Kidman donned an elegant black halter-neck Louis Vuitton gown, custom-made by Nicolas Ghesquière, women’s artistic director of the French luxury fashion house. The wool cady apron dress, with pleated silk georgette detailing on the skirt, is embellished with a metallic braid pattern. Her strappy gunmetal-hued leather sandals are also designed by Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton.

“I always like to mix in a little of Nicole’s own jewellery, as that feels more real during these times,” said von Boehm, who confirmed that Kidman decided to wear her personal jewellery tonight. Kidman’s jewellery included Cathy Waterman sword drop earrings crafted of 22-karat recycled gold and ethically sourced diamonds (which the brand confirmed Kidman purchased personally). She completed her look with an understated black ribbon, worn as a headband and tied in a pretty bow at the back of her head to frame her easygoing, wavy updo.

Exquisitely crafted in the Paris atelier of the French luxury fashion house, the gown required 25 hours to sketch and another 425 hours to embroider the beaded, sequined chainlink pattern. In total, the apron-style gown is decorated with approximately 8,000 beads and crystals, including golden glass beads, three sizes of crystals, and two sizes of silver glass beads.

“Obviously, it is a difficult time right now, and I think it’s super important to support the designers throughout this pandemic,” von Boehm told THR. “We have to keep working together — as a business, we are connected. I was thinking about who is in our ‘family’ in the fashion world, the people I know will have everything perfectly done, despite the pandemic. Nicolas and Nicole have always had strong ties. He is a friend of hers, and we have worked together in the past.  So Louis Vuitton was my go-to.  The history, tradition and authenticity felt reassuring.”

She continued, “I also think that people want to see a little bit of glam, somewhere at least! I think it’s nice that everybody is getting dressed up at this point, even though they are at home. Everything is so real all the time that people want that. They need that — to see something beautiful. I like the sophisticated, timeless style of the gown; and yes, of course, there’s a little bit of glitz. But it’s not as loud as I would maybe do in normal circumstances. Minimal, ‘90s-[inspired] fashion, in general, is a vision I have — rather than a green Gucci dress with hearts on the shoulders. For me, that’s going a little too far.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic altered the typical styling process for this awards show, von Boehm said that the virtual aspects of the process, ironically, almost felt more intimate.

After narrowing down the options from multiple sketches, von Boehm and Nicole landed on a single select. Then von Boehm interacted virtually with the atelier in Paris. “Normally, I would go there and look at the dress [in person], rather than following it through WhatsApp messages,” she said. “But, because I can’t do fittings, and we couldn’t get it wrong, there was even more interaction between the studio and me. They sent me videos and pictures throughout the whole process. Because I am so close to the house, the communication is seamless, even though it’s not in person. It was almost more involved because you have to think of every little detail beforehand. Timing-wise, it is also difficult to ship things [to Australia] during the pandemic. So it wasn’t easy!”

Von Boehm repeatedly used the word “humbling” while describing the experience of this awards season, referencing the paring down of both the aesthetic and the process. “It’s about finding the fine line between what looks gorgeous and makes people dream, but is also appropriate,” said von Boehm. “Instead of having four dresses made or something, it’s just one — and that’s it! We are all being a little more conscious about that. We have to be more selective with our choices, and we have to be more involved in the preparation to avoid unneeded work. We are all humbled.”