Sabrina Carpenter loves a good fashion reference. After hitting the red carpet over the weekend in archival Ralph Lauren previously worn by Penelope Cruz, the Short N’ Sweet star just leveled up her referential style game with an homage to another famous blonde: Claudia Schiffer.
For an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Carpenter tapped into her penchant for 1990s vintage. She wore a two-toned dress from the French designer Chantal Thomass’s fall 1994 show, which Schiffer just so happened to debut on the runway back in the day. The archival design centered on a criss-cross neckline with pleats that transitioned into a ruffled micro-mini skirt. The dress’s side had the appearance of a tuxedo jacket, with fitted jacket sleeves and buttons lining the midsection.
Thomass launched her eponymous line in 1975, but gained most of her notoriety in the late ’80s and ’90s. The designer was part of a new wave of French fashion—including Thierry Mugler, Sonia Rykel, Claude Montana, and Kenzo Takada—that revolutionized the runway.
In addition to Schiffer, all the top models of the era—Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Karen Mulder, and Nadja Auermann—were staples of Thomass’s runway. She also dressed the likes of Carla Bruni and Brigitte Bardot in her lingerie-as-outerwear pieces.
This isn’t Carpenter’s first time wearing Chantal Thomas, however. In September, the singer slipped into a lace LBD from the designer’s spring 1995 collection to appear on Zane Lowe’s Apple Music podcast. And in 2024, Carpenter wore a red corset and underwear on the cover of Time Magazine. The set was designed by Thomas for the 1997 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, where it was worn by Naomi Campbell.
Carpenter also has a track-record of referencing Schiffer’s famous model style. For a 2024 performance, she wore a custom Versace chainmail dress inspired by a look Schiffer wore during the Italian brand’s 2018 show.
Carpenter may be a “Busy Woman,” but she always has time for fashion history.
