Halle Berry Designed the Sexiest Black Dress — and It's Actually Workout Clothes

As far as celebrity role models go, Halle Berry is one of the best and, quite honestly, has never steered us wrong. We've turned to her for tips on how to tone our legs, as well as outfit ideas for showing 'em off (the actress doesn't shy away from a no-pants look). Now, it seems, she's combining those two areas of expertise through a new collaboration with fitness brand Sweaty Betty. So, if you're looking for stuff that's able to withstand tough workouts, but can also pass as a sexy date night look, you're in luck.

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"As an actress, mother and entrepreneur, I wanted to create a collection for my busy lifestyle," she tells InStyle via email. "I can throw on these pieces, wear them all day, and still look put together."

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Of course, Berry didn't do it all on her own. Her fashion stylist, Lindsay Flores, who is responsible for some of Berry's most iconic looks, worked alongside her, and the two created a collection that was functional, cute, and extremely versatile.

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"Halle has been a fan of Sweaty Betty for a couple years," Flores tells us. "As Style Director for rē·spin and Halle's stylist, partnering with Sweaty Betty is authentic to what Halle loves to wear and to everything we stand for at rē·spin. It was just a perfect fit."

The connection also makes sense since both women are big advocates for women's empowerment, which is one of Sweaty Betty's core values.

"That's very much aligned with what I'm doing with my platform, rē•spin: helping people to find the confidence to shift their approaches to health and wellness," says Berry, and Flores echos that statement. "Halle and I have always empowered each other by supporting one another in all of our personal and professional ventures and being each other's biggest fans. We genuinely root for each other, and that's a very beautiful part of our friendship."

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Ahead, Flores reveals how the collection — which is now available to shop on sweatybetty.com, re·spin.com, and at Nordstrom — came to be, along with her tips for styling these pieces in a fun, sexy way that Berry would no doubt approve of.

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What was it like working on this over Zoom?

"Designing a collection with a partner in another country and time zone was interesting! We weren't able to have traditional design meetings and sample fittings in person with an array of fit models, so Halle and I were the fit models. Sweaty Betty would ship samples to us, and we would go through each piece and make notes and edits over Zoom and send back to them in London. The first time we saw the final details in person was at the campaign shoot. It was risky for sure, but thankfully, it worked."

What were some items or details that were important to include?

"We wanted everything to be functional, fitted, and look fierce. The designs are inspired by Halle's martial arts training, so the style and technology we used are in line with that type of movement."

Did you secretly wear anything before the launch? If so, what?

"I've been living in the Parka and the sweat suit with the modal tanks; that's been my daily uniform."

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What are your tricks for working these pieces into your everyday wardrobe?

"The coat literally works with any street look I have. I just wore the black and white Sofia rash guard with thumbholes to a meeting with my favorite black slouchy jeans, black velvet tuxedo blazer, and Vans."

I see Halle wore the jacket open in the shoot. If we're itching to get out of the comfy rut, how can we style these items in a sexy way?

"To kick the sex appeal up a notch, you can always wear one of the sports bras under the coat to show some skin, or do the little black dress with a super sexy back to it. I feel like the black cropped raw edge hoodie over a sexy sports bra with a great pair of jeans, and a heeled boot would be a good vibe."

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Halle has been posting some sexy fashion photos. Has her style changed at all over the years?

"Halle's style vibe through the years has always been about her wearing the clothes, not the clothes wearing her. That's our motto whenever in fittings and playing with fashion. I love that people respond to our fun fashion moments; Halle has always been a true lover and enthusiast of fashion and always will be."

What's the secret to taking the best fashion photo?

"The secret to taking the best fashion photos is a subject who completely owns their look with confidence and great lighting."