Ayo Edebiri Marked Her First Venice Film Festival By Going Full Hollywood Glamour

For most A-list movie stars, having any movie premiere at the Venice Film Festival would be enough excitement. But for Ayo Edebiri, she can really cash in on the thrills this week. Not only is it her first time attending the lauded, star-studded event, but she’s also marking the occasion by being a part of one of the buzziest and most-anticipated films of the whole festival.

Today, the star attended the official premiere for her new, Luca Guadagnino-directed film, After the Hunt, co-starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Chloë Sevigny. (Just a small, unknown cast—no pressure.)

“It’s pretty surreal,” Edebiri tells Vogue. “Venice is a truly beautiful city with such deep history, and the film festival is such a massive part of that, of course. To know that I’ve now gotten to be a part of that, even a little bit, with a project that I love so much and am so grateful to have been a part of, is really moving and humbling.”

Given this is such a momentous milestone for the star and a true narrative arc for her career, she knew she needed an exceptional red carpet look for the film debut. For the more formal premiere this evening, Edebiri and her go-to stylist Danielle Goldberg worked with Chanel to conjure up a striking gown that embodied true, Old Hollywood glamour—and not in a stuffy or tired way, but rather, articulating the energy of the most promising and in-demand new stars. “We went through archival images of Chanel couture shows, and this gown really felt like a moment we have been wanting to have,” says Goldberg.

Wearing Chanel.

Photo: Getty Images