Meet the New Generation of Red Carpet Stars

Edward Barsamian
Updated

Meet the New Generation of Red Carpet Stars

Riverdale has emerged as a breeding ground for young Hollywood talent and no star on the CW teen drama is as fashion forward as Madelaine Petsch. As the duplicitous Cheryl Blossom, you never know what she will do next and the actress brings her character’s sense of excitement to her personal style. Who else would wear Giambattista Valli to the Teen Choice Awards or turn Comic-Con’s stage into a showcase for Prada’s latest? Petsch is ahead of the curve when it comes to red carpet risks and her repertoire of runway looks should only get more daring in 2019.
After capturing audiences as the refined Astrid Young Teo in the summer blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians, Chan returns to the big screen in the comic book epic Captain Marvel, alongside Academy Award winner Brie Larson. Expect Chan to swap out her superhero suit for frilly frocks from the likes of Simone Rocha and Valentino.
She held her own opposite Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman, and Helen Mirren in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and it appears the Los Angeles-born talent is equally adept on the red carpet. Whether in Miu Miu’s balletic separates or Rodarte’s romantic dresses, Foy quickly became one of the front row’s newest fixtures. She’ll no doubt get a head start on award season options at Chanel’s couture show in January.
Carson finished the year with two hits to her name: a feature on Alan Walker’s smash single “Different World” and “Rumors,” a joint effort with R3HAB. Carson has upped her fashion game accordingly in Carolina Herrera’s saccharine sweet dresses, Michael Kors suiting, and Giambattista Valli’s OTT evening wear. She’s set to return to the red carpet for the premieres of Descendants 3 and a spinoff to the hit series Pretty Little Liars called The Perfectionists.
It takes a special kind of newcomer to distinguish herself before her film even debuts, but Kiki Layne is exactly that kind of rising star. Currently garnering critical raves for her performance in Barry Jenkins’s If Beale Street Could Talk, Layne enlivened the red carpet by wearing unexpected pieces from fashion’s heaviest hitters. Alessandro Michele’s Gucci oeuvre is rarely touted for its sexiness, but the hot pink metallic mini-dress Layne chose for the Toronto International Film Festival in September had sizzle. Likewise the striped Calvin Klein Fall 2018 she selected for October’s Women in Hollywood event took Raf Simons’s austerity into sultry new territory. Imagine the impact Layne will have once her name is on everyone’s lips.
She starred in the Dakota Johnson-Jeff Bridges led Bad Times at the El Royale and earned her red carpet chops while promoting the project at the Rome Film Festival in October. You can expect to see more of Spaeny during awards season as she promotes the Ruth Bader Ginsburg flick On the Basis of Sex. Spaeny plays Ginsburg’s daughter Jane and turned heads at the film’s premieres and screenings in Miu Miu and Valentino. With an Alex Garland-created series on the horizon for 2019, Spaeny to likely to continue her winning red carpet streak.
As a model Kristine Froseth walked for Miuccia Prada and posed for Steven Meisel, but this year she distinguished herself in a whole new arena, acting in the Netflix hit Sierra Burgess is a Loser and landing the lead in the upcoming adaptation of John Green’s best-seller Looking for Alaska. Froseth made an impression off-camera, too, showing up at the Cannes Film Festival in May wearing a series of Chanel pieces. Fearlessly embracing print, transparency, and daring silhouettes, Froseth set the stage for many memorable festival appearances to come.
With a leading role in the upcoming live-action adaptation of Aladdin, Scott will put her talents as an actress and singer into the spotlight. While you can expect to see her pull out a few Disney princess-worthy looks in the run-up to the film’s opening night, Scott isn’t afraid to make unconventional fashion choices for the red carpet. After spending Fashion Week front row at Loewe, Valentino, Stella McCartney, and Altuzarra, Scott has honed her eye: brace yourself for a complete reimagining of what it means to dress like a Disney star.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before kickstarted a resurgence in teen romances, and actress Lana Condor was undoubtedly the film’s breakout star. A dynamic force on the screen, Condor is cultivating an alluring presence on the red carpet, too. At Teen Vogue’s Summit in November, she pulled out a pajama-style Anna Sui suit, a casual take on glamour, while the press tour saw her flaunt several flirty Philosophy de Lorenzo Serafini looks. With a To All the Boys sequel in the works, plus a plum role in Alita: Battle Angel, we’re certain to see even more of Condor in 2019.

Award season is fast approaching (the Golden Globes airs in a little over two weeks!) and with it a gaggle of new faces poised to shake things up in Hollywood. Though the Oscar nominations have yet to be announced, we’ve pulled together our own shortlist of up-and-coming talent, actresses who defy convention both on the big screen and the red carpet. Below, meet the 9 young stars most likely to top best-dressed roundups in 2019.

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