Tessa Thompson’s Latest Red Carpet Look Took Sculptural Sleeves to the Extreme

Tessa Thompson has never shied from a statement look, and her most recent have reaffirmed the fact that when it comes to her bold sartorial mastery, she has the range. Last week, the 38-year-old actor stepped out in cowboy boots and wide-leg jeans big enough to swim in. The laidback vibe couldn’t have been more different from that of the ensemble she wore to the Critics Choice Association’s annual Celebration of Black Cinema and Television in Los Angeles on Monday night. The strapless black Del Core dress she chose for the red carpet was so sculptural, it bordered on being a piece of art.

The label’s eponymous designer, Daniel Del Core, got quite a bit of red-carpet fashion experience during his seven-year tenure at Gucci. Since launching his namesake label during Milan Fashion Week this past February, he’s dialed the drama up a notch. It should come as no surprise that the Italian designer is a big sci-fi fan: If the fashion in The Matrix were a bit more avant-garde, Thompson would fit right in. She and her stylists Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald are clearly fans of the label. The duo also dressed Thompson in a red velvet Del Core dress atop a lace bodysuit that covered her full body, down to her fingertips, for a November appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

The evening marked a red carpet reunion for Thompson and her Passing costar Ruth Negga. While she and Thompson matched in leather trench coats earlier this fall, this time, Negga let Thompson steal the show. (While still standing out on her own with bleached eyebrows and a brightly patterned jumpsuit by Duro Olowu.)