Sigourney Weaver: y’all seeing this?. Lauded as the ‘Queen of Sci-fi’, the actress rose to prominence in 1979, when she starred as heroine Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott’s Alien. Along with starring in four (4!) Alien sequels, Sigourney has made a Hollywood name for herself with a prolific filmography that includes roles in blockbuster franchises like Ghostbusters and Avatar, and turns in cult dramas like Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm.
Sartorially, Sigourney’s 90s style is everything you might expect from Hollywood’s sci-fi queen. And perhaps a bit more! We’re talking illusion naked dresses, cyborg corsetry, Prada’s intellectual-chic and, of course, sequins galore. Here, we take a look at some of the actress’ most iconic outfits of all time.
On The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 1992
We’re obsessed with this mesh dress Sigourney wore during her late-night tour for Alien 3. Like most of her Alien franchise press looks (more on those later), this leaf-y, fishnetted number is sheer, vampy and a little bit wacky.
At the Gotham Independent Film Awards, 1997
In 1997, Sigourney pulled up to the Gotham Independent Film Awards in this quirky fur-trimmed duster. The look was, perhaps, a subtle nod to the gaudy fashions (namely, one tapestry coat) the actress wore in Ang Lee’s The Ice Age, which had premiered at Cannes earlier that year.
At the Tony Awards, 1996
Sartorially speaking, where else to ‘go big or go home’ than the Tony Awards? After being nominated for her 1985 turn in Broadway’s Hurlyburly, the actress became a staple on the award show’s red carpet. Here, in 1996, the Sigourney wears a sheer marabou-trimmed jacket and matching glitzy sandals.
At the Alien Resurrections premiere, 1997
This is the Alien look. From clingy nylon dresses to leopard-printed ‘going out’ tops, Sigourney’s Alien promo looks have always delivered. However, the most iconic of all arrived at the LA premiere of Alien Resurrections: a naked dress of sci-fi proportions.
At the CFDA awards, 1998
Sigourney’s a die-hard fan of red carpet sequins. Through the 80s and 90s, she wore them to the Tony Awards and to the Golden Globes, above the belt and below, the list goes on. Here, the actress wears a slinky sequinned slip dress — a late-90s staple — to the 1998 CFDA Awards.
At Cannes Film Festival, 1998
Over the years, we’ve appointed many a Queen of Cannes. In 2019, it was Elle Fanning; earlier this summer, Anne Hathaway. Back in 1998, however, the Cannes Film Festival belonged squarely to Sigourney Weaver. Throughout the week-long event, Sigourney wore a series of show-stopping looks. Of them all, this naked dress stands out — and stands the test of time. Today, it wouldn’t look out of place among the illusion mesh of Cadwallader’s Mugler or the princess flou of Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior.
At Cannes, 1998
Yes, Sigourney was a Prada girl. And a major one at that. From 1997 to 1998, the Italian label became the actress’ go-to for red carpet fare, including custom AW97looks to The Ice Storm premieres, a pair of SS98 looks to Cannes and the BAFTA Awards. Here, she upholds her rule over the festival with a very futuristic dress from Prada’s AW98 collection. A look befitting not only of the Queen of Cannes, but Hollywood’s Queen of Sci-Fi.
