Hunter Schafer Gives Neon New Life

There’s an old joke that Miami Beach is where neon goes to die, but the outfit Hunter Schafer just wore is giving neon new life. In Miami to promote her role in Blade Runner 2099 at Wired World Fair, Schafer wore an edgy, upcycled, and unapologetically maximalist look from independent New York-based label NIHL.

The base of Schafer’s look—styled by her longtime collaborator, Dara Allen—was a sleeveless tennis-ball-green hoodie, the kind you might buy at a nearby tourist shop on South Beach. But Schafer’s was bedazzled in an arrangement of sequin concentric circles. Below, her cream and salmon-striped skirt was folded like origami at the waist, and shredded like a shipwreck at the knee. It also featured intricate bedazzling.

Designer Neil Grotzinger’s gender-fluid NIHL label specializes in reimagining existing pieces. According to Vogue, his spring 2027 collection, which included Schafer’s look, started with dresses from the 1950s and ’60s he’d thrifted across Europe during a summer trip. The pieces were cut up, rearranged, and finished in explosions of sequins and rhinestones. Schafer actually has a bit of history with the label—she also wore a memoriable NIHL piece onscreen during the second season of Euphoria.

Schafer has always been an adventurous dresser, but this outfit may be our clearest signal yet that the celebrity set is quickly tiring of quiet luxury. Designers are heading to the notions section to stock up on rhinestones, feathers, tassels, and other over-the-top accoutrements. Pattern clashing is decidedly back in fashion. Matthieu Blazy’s new interpretation of Chanel and Julian Klausner’s work at Dries Van Noten have been the most obvious examples, but even brands formerly known for stealth-wealth and minimalist looks have added extra flair to recent collections. Celebrities of all sorts (and their stylists) have taken note, but few have been as fearless to take it as far as Schafer—yet, anyway.

Blade Runner 2099, a limited-series sequel to one of science fiction’s most stylish franchises, is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on November 25. Schafer’s promo tour for the series is only just beginning. We can’t wait to see more (and more, and more, and hopefully just a little bit more).