Celebrating women is a common theme in Rosario Dawson’s life, especially when it comes to fashion. Whether she’s fresh off the Vanity Fair Oscars party red carpet, on the set of her new HBO Max series DMZ, or just relaxing at home, how she uses her wardrobe to elevate other women is always on her mind. While looking stylish for the sake of making a statement or being named “best dressed” is one thing, the actor appreciates wearing designer brands that not only spark joy but honor what it means to be an empowered woman.
And when it comes to the female figures that inspire her, the actor looks no further than home.
“My great grandmother was a seamstress for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, so my mom used to have all her bell bottoms and crop tops made by my great grandmother,” Dawson told Vanity Fair at the Kate Spade fall 2022 presentation. “[My mom] would blend in with the curtains and in the pillows in the house because [my great grandmother] would use the same material. And my mom used to be like, ‘My God so embarrassing’ but that’s now the inspiration for this collection. The wallpaper, the materials of the couches — it feels very nostalgic, very beautiful, very playful and I think, especially as we’re in the 2020 trilogy it seems, that we kind of need that right now.”
By Darian DiCianno/BFA.com.
A longtime lover of Kate Spade, Dawson, who co-stars with Benjamin Bratt in the Ava DuVernay-directed DMZ, attended the presentation along with fellow actors Katie Holmes and Emma Roberts. The interactive fashion event, meant to capture the essence of an at-home soirée, was held inside a multi-level SoHo townhouse, with the brightly-colored, geometric, and floral patterned collection sprinkled throughout the venue.
Asked why Dawson has been a loyal supporter of Kate Spade over the years, the star said the brand’s ideals align with her own values.
“Kate Spade has been really great about speaking about women’s empowerment, speaking to mental health issues…so it’s a brand that has a lot of appreciation and understanding for the women that they are dressing and the whole totality of her,” she explained. “Whether she’s staying at home or feeling good and vibrant and out and about, [Kate Spade] is still sparking that joy and seeing her for her full self which I love.”
By Darian DiCianno/BFA.com.
