Every fashion girl group chat can agree on one thing: Miyako Bellizzi is the supreme style icon. The San Francisco-born, NYC-based costume designer is not only legendary for the outfits she creates on film—she designed Adam Sandler’s Diamond District looks for Uncut Gems and is working on Timothée Chalamet’s moustache’d ping pong champ for Marty Supreme—but also for her natural sense of style.
A devotee to long-shorts (last summer I saw her wearing a pair of her own design), Miyako’s breezy, eclectic style has become the point of reference for everyone trying to pair a Supreme tee with a vintage JPG mini skirt or a pair of delicate heels with a slinky tank and boardshorts. So, when she texted that she was going to the Cannes Film Festival, I had to know how someone so known for their “off-duty” look goes glam.
Miyako, who was there to promote Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor’s The History of Sound, had two days of red carpet looks, a press conference, and some downtime on the croisière. Now back stateside and on set for another secret project, Miyako called me on her lunch hour to talk about dressing up for the red carpet.
Steff Yotka: What makes Cannes special?
Miyako Bellizzi: Cannes is always for the movies that you work on that are really special—super tiny projects, indies, things that feel so personal. This year I was there for three days. It’s super fast and furious.
I remember I saw you last year before Cannes. We were looking at vintage dresses on 1stDibs.
Yes! I think I ended up wearing a dress by Peter Do. I like to support friends or like young designers. If I’m not wearing vintage, I’m wearing something from a friend’s brand or a young designer’s brand. Last year I was there for War Pony, a film about two boys who lived on the reservation in Pine Ridge. The whole tribe came, which was sick. It was the first time the Sioux tribe walked the Cannes red carpet! It was so emotional.
This year, I went for a gay romance—it’s just so beautiful. I can’t wait for you to see it. Josh and Paul are so special in it. They’re the best. I wish that Josh was able to come for that premiere, only because I want people to see how the two of them are together. Their chemistry is unreal. It was so much fun working on that movie.
Your job is to design characters—how do you approach dressing yourself at an event like this?
I do prep like any job. I like to prepare back-ups. Maybe you’ll get invited to another premiere, so you need to bring an extra dress. Depending on what the film is about, I try to match the aesthetic of the movie, although this year I didn’t. Last year, I found this gold dress, and from the moment I saw it, I just knew I was going to wear it on the red carpet. It was wild. I usually don’t like to do that because I change my mind, but I had this feeling. I knew that I had that dress, so then I could find other things for the party and for the daytime. That’s when I started making a board of ideas.
Where did you find the gold dress?
It’s a vintage Plein Sud dress, which is one of my favorite designers. I have collected a lot of stuff, but I’ve never seen a gown they’ve made. I found it at a pop-up shop in the Marais during Fashion Week in June. You know how sometimes there are just vintage pop-ups during fashion week? I was walking around, killing time, and I thought, “Oh this little pop-up shop looks cute.” It kills me that I didn’t ask the boy who sold it for his Instagram. He had all these amazing red carpet dresses and I can’t find him now.
We will put a call out. If you are the man that sold Miyako this Plein Sud gold dress, please contact i-D magazine!
Honestly, it would be so cool if I found him.
We’ll make it happen. The red backless dress you wore this year has a similar goddess spirit to the gold. Was that intentional?
That’s the other thing: You walk the carpet and then you sit and watch a movie for two hours in a movie theater. I always want to have an easy vibe; something you can just throw on and not feel uncomfortable sitting in for hours. I actually found this Siedres dress while on a job. The dress had sold out by the time I went to buy it, but luckily the designer made me another one. I loved how the back was open. I wanted something where I could feel comfortable in my body.
You’ve got two really great black jacket-top looks. Tell me about the thought process behind those.
Let’s just talk about the one with the ceramic buttons. That’s Emily Dawn Long—I am obsessed with her. That top is so cool and it fits me so perfectly. I was thinking I could wear it for the premiere, but I wore it for the press conference because I was like this is just the coolest thing I’ve seen. It’s so beautiful. I just love that top.
The top with shorts is Judy Turner. Funnily enough I found that last summer at Fashion Week too. I was in Paris, and I went to the Judy Turner showroom to hang out with Julian [Paik, of Paik Studios] and that’s when I first tried on the set. The top is kind of plasticy—I wanted to wear it to a party. I went to the club in that outfit and it was just like dripping sweat. [Laughs.] I’m trying to clean it!
What was your off-duty vibe at Cannes?
I’m still doing my big shorts—which I’m wearing right now because I’m working—but I’m into a mini skirt with a t-shirt. I think I’ve perfected my beach look. I love wearing boxers, a swimsuit, and a men’s button down. Then throw on a heel or a little, girly shoe. I’m just feeling really easy, nothing complicated. Simplicity is best when you’re trying to be chic, especially in Europe. Chic and minimal: that’s kind of my vibe right now.
How were other people dressed at Cannes?
Cannes is one of the most interesting places for style I’ve ever been to. I try to take lots of pictures of people that go to these events for inspiration—it’s fascinating to me because it is so full on. The red carpet is intense, there are like a million photo shoots happening on the street and everyone is dressed up—it’s wild. I’ve never seen anything like it. People are in gowns on the sidewalk in the morning! One thing I really do love is seeing the men all dressed up in tuxedos walking around and going to the parties—every man from 6 p.m. onwards is in a tuxedo.