Some stars might shy away from wearing the color red during a red carpet appearance in fear of blending in with the walkway below them. But not Ho-yeon Jung who just slipped into a blazing, red-hot gown for the Venice Film Festival premiere of Disclaimer.
Jung touched down on the step and repeat today in a custom outfit from Louis Vuitton’s womenswear designer Nicolas Ghesquière. Upon close inspection, the actress’s dress was designed with what seems like thousands of micro-sized sequins. The detail brought a classic sheen to her look that extended to the train at the back. Aside from spaghetti straps and some dramatic draping up top, the remainder of Jung’s dress was fairly simple—really, with a color this headline-grabbing, why not let it do the heavy lifting? She styled the piece with black sandal heels, diamond cocktail rings, and dramatic chandelier earrings. For the perfect beauty tie-in, Jung rocked her dyed red hair in tousled bombshell waves.
Jung, a model-turned-actress who shot to fame for her role in Squid Game, joined a star-studded cast on Thursday for the premiere of director Alfonso Cuarón’s new limited series. It will be Jung’s first TV appearance since her turn in the 2021 Netflix show.
After flying solo, Jung posed for photos with her Disclaimer co-star Cate Blanchett. The Australian actress continued her love affair with back cleavage, dressing up a plunging Armani Privé jumpsuit with ladylike pearls.
Jung will play a woman named Kim in Disclaimer which, per an official synopsis, “follows Catherine Ravenscroft, a television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the transgressions of long-respected institutions.” The series stars Blanchett, Jung, Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Louis Partridge, and Lesley Manville.Email
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Venice Film Festival 2024: See all the Best Red Carpet FashionCate Blanchett Pulls Out Her Favorite Red Carpet Trick in Venice
FASHION
Created by Wfor Christian Louboutin
Going West With Rain Spencer
The actress takes on Christian Louboutin’s Giddy Up collection.
Written by Brynn Wallner
Photographs by Lea Winkler
Aug. 28, 2024
Rain Spencer knew she wanted to be an actress when she was just five years old. “I started doing plays at that age, singing my little heart out,” she recalls from the makeup chair where she’s multitasking this interview and undergoing full glam (hair, face, and mani). “I loved acting so much that my five-year-old self was like, this is it. This is what we’re going to do.” The driven, natural attitude she conjures is very ‘Giddy Up!,’ echoing the name and spirit of Christian Louboutin’s fall 2024 collection, which she’s about to be decked in. Spencer even remembers telling her mom that she “needed an agent,” letting everyone know that, from the start, she was ready to ride.
But first, she needed to go West. Born in Germany, Spencer was a baby when she moved to North Carolina (where she first caught the acting bug) and where she happens to find herself again this summer, shooting the sequel to a popular streaming series. Maybe this is how she’s able to channel her inner child’s voice so clearly, but the reality is that Spencer works hard to stay connected to the different versions of herself.
“I love my younger self. I have to,” Spencer says with a kind of laid-back conviction that stems only from the true experience of — sticking with the theme — falling off the horse and getting back on. When she and her mom eventually moved to Los Angeles, Spencer quickly landed her first role at age ten and fulfilled her dream of signing with an agent. “I’m really grateful for that because it’s not everybody’s story. It was all aligning for little me. But then I auditioned for, like, ten more years without getting anything,” she laughs, candidly opening up about the very typical, yet seldom talked about, struggles of being a young actor. But this was what she wanted to do and — physically, emotionally, spiritually — she’d gone West. She took a leap of faith and had no regard for those who doubted her.
With a few major roles and a notable acting award under her belt, Spencer is very intentional about maintaining this sense of self. To keep her cool, she has meditated daily for the past six years and actively nurtures the inner child that keeps popping up in conversation. “What I’ve come to learn is that, when my brain can logically understand a situation, but my emotional body can’t, the younger me is confused and doesn’t understand what’s going on. So, if I’m hurt, instead of being a jerk to myself, it’s important to love the child in me and take care of her. Does she need to take a walk? Does she want ice cream? What do we need?”
At only 24, Spencer has developed a gentle emotional intelligence that many spend years in therapy trying to cultivate. Acting, too, has proven to serve as a portal to this younger spirit. “I like to play dress-up!” she says, expressing an appreciation for the many style moments her career has brought. “When I put on an outfit for a character that I’m playing, that’s when I intuitively start to feel confidence in that character and what she’s trying to cover up (or not cover up) about herself.”
Off-duty, Spencer describes her style as more “cartoon character,” meaning she pretty much wears the same thing every day to conserve energy for her work. But she does have some “fashion girly” in her and has recently been watching reruns of Y2K-era competition shows (“In fashion, one day you’re in and the next day you’re out. Auf wiedersehen!”) Growing up with a single mom, Spencer didn’t enjoy the spoils and excess of the luxurious, stereotypical LA life we see on screen, which has led to a genuine appreciation for the designer pieces she gets to wear on red carpets and photo shoots. Of course, the Christian Louboutin red bottoms are iconic, but the craftsmanship and detail that goes into each stitch and adornment on these boots and bags feels extra special.
Regardless of whether she’s wearing a vintage find or brand-new, jewel-studded western boots, it’s all about what’s going on inside. “In high school, I could be wearing something thrifted, but I’d feel like a million dollars. And now, when I’m wearing these Louboutins, I feel the same way. It comes down to what you bring to the look.” You wear the clothes, the clothes don’t wear you, and this should be the case no matter who you are or how many people perceive you.
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Wardrobe Stylist: Ian Bradley; Makeup Artist: Tiffany Patton; Hair Stylist: Akihisa Yamaguchi; Creative Director: Diana Weisman; Senior Fashion Director: Jenna Wexler; Senior Fashion Editor: Kate Marin; Talent Booking: Mikaela Baruch; Producer: Marilee Hodge.