Dakota Fanning Skips Out on ‘American Pastoral’ in Favor of Valentino

Dakota Fanning’s jet set fall has finally brought her to Paris. The American Pastoral star premiered her film at the Toronto Film Festival alongside costars Ewan McGregor and Jennifer Connelly; but while Connelly and McGregor, who makes his directorial debut with the Phillip Roth adaptation, have continued on the festival circuit throughout Europe — stopping in San Sebastian, Zurich, and Rome — Fanning has instead opted for the fashion week circuit. She landed in Paris just in time for the landmark Valentino show, where designer Pierpaolo Piccioli made his solo debut after parting ways with longtime design partner Maria Grazia Chiuri in July. (Chiuri, for her part, made her own debut as creative director of Dior late last week.) Fanning joined up with Lily Collins outside the show before sitting amid Diane Kruger and Shailene Woodley front row at the show — all of them dressed in Valentino’s sweet, romantic designs. There was a lot of lace in the audience.

Who: Dakota Fanning.

When: Sunday, October 2.

Where: Valentino’s Spring 2017 show at the historic Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, where Rihanna also showed Puma x Fenty.

What: A black lace midi dress from Valentino’s Resort 2017 collection with high-waisted briefs and a black bra by Eres.

Why: After a super chic outing at the Toronto International Film Festival, Fanning is proving herself one to watch in the fashion sphere. She’s unafraid to make a statement — as seen in this bold and edgy Valentino and Eres ensemble. There’s a tension between the feather-light lace shift from Valentino’s Resort 2017 collection and the dark, retro-ish lingerie underneath. One heavy on the romance, the other heavy on the boudoir-chic. While fellow Valentino ladies like Fan Bingbing and Lily Collins opted for lighter, more tailored pieces, it’s Fanning’s slightly irreverent take on Valentino that stands out.

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