FASHION
Dara Allen Cements Hunter Schafer as a
Fashion Icon
By: Madison Antino Edited by: Alexa Fabi
Courtesy of Interview Magazine
Another day, another slay is the only way to describe Hunter Schafer's red-carpet styling. With her latest role as Tigris in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Schafer is dominating the red carpets of the first post-strike press tour with her newly appointed stylist, Dara Allen.
Hunter is no amateur in the fashion world. She first launched her career modeling high fashion in the late 2010s, becoming a Gen-Z icon for her role as Jules Vaugn in Euphoria. Schafer’s eclectic looks on and off screen were abundant on the Pinterest boards of teen girls everywhere in 2020.
Her first big screen role is Tigris Snow in the latest adaptation of The Hunger Games franchise. Her character works in the fictional world of Panem’s fashion industry and later becomes a stylist for the tributes of the Hunger Games. For the press tour, Schafer and stylist Dara Allen wanted to represent the exuberant style of the residents of the Capitol in the film while referencing the classical styles of Hollywood stars. Dara and Hunter had a conversation with Interview Magazine, Allen telling Schafer, “I love that you love the avant-garde, pushing the boundary fashion, but this glamourpuss shit is my natural comfort zone. And I like them together because it’s not too old-school vintage and boring, but it’s still legible to people, and they get it.”
While this is Allen’s first jaunt into the world of celebrity styling, she’s no stranger to the field either. Currently the fashion director of Interview Magazine, she has amassed experience in editorial styling. In an interview with Vogue, she said she and Hunter wanted to push the envelope with her red-carpet looks while playing with the creativity of Hunter’s character. “I approached this tour like it was a living, moving fashion story inspired by the films and her character.”
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Hunter’s eccentric, out-of-the-box style combined with Dara’s more classical glam style birthed some of the most fabulous red-carpet looks we have seen this year, even with Barbie’s press tour as competition. The tour kicked off in Berlin, with Schafer stepping out in a hand-painted Schiaparelli haute couture dress, with shard-like panels decorating her body. The look was complete with an unkempt, ‘messy girl aesthetic’ hairdo, which Allen remarked matched the “finger-pant” vibe of the dress. High expectations surrounded the high-profile red carpets after the SAG strike concluded, and the pair delivered.
The next premiere in London showcased Hunter in a custom crinkled gold Prada set inspired by the brand’s Spring/Summer 2009 collection, one of Allen’s favorite runway collections. Dara told Interview she drew up a design sketch to send to Prada, who responded they would have the look done in a week – and they did. The pair recalled this specific look was a more emotional moment of the tour, being for one of the more significant premieres. “This was my baby,” said Allen.
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She pulled an embellished, cut-out Alexander McQueen gown with jewel-encrusted fringe for the Los Angeles premiere. The premiere was notably Hunter’s first McQueen moment and one of the last Sarah Burton for McQueen designs to walk the carpet. Schafer noted the heavy dress left her with ‘love bites.’ Also in LA, Hunter wore a slicked-back Tory Burch look consisting of a white top with shoulder pads and studded leather pants. “Still giving Panem. It’s more game maker, I would say,” she said.
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Hunter was featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, appearing in an old Hollywood-esque peplum top and pants set from Balmain, complete with what Allen called “Grace Kelly hair.” The look followed more of Dara’s classic styling codes to pivot Hunter to movie star status. “Because it’s Hunter’s first big movie role and the next step she’s taking, for me, it was really important to push her towards the classic Hollywood modes,” she said.
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The New York premiere featured Hunter’s most iconic Effie Trinket-esque look from the entire tour. The pair pulled a bright pink Marni Spring/Summer 2024 mini dress, seen on the PFW runway just a few months ago. The sculptural dress comprised three-dimensional flower appliques held by wires and trompe l’oeil patches resembling floral stickers. They noted the garment was so fragile it had to be carried overseas to the premiere. Hunter said she tried not to get too close to her co-stars because they could get cut by the sharp metal pieces sticking out of her. Alas, she noted it was probably her favorite moment of the tour. “I was so happy in that goddamn contraption,” she said. “It was adorable.”
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The pair had fashion lovers across the internet gagged, proving Hunter Schafer as a fashion girl and Hollywood’s next big thing. Twitter users lovingly told the world, “I need Hunter Schafer to attend every red carpet ever,” and “Dara Allen is really doing the damn thing.” While Hunter is known for taking fashion risks, the dream team duo of her and Dara Allen pushed her from the edgy but girly Jules to a red-carpet glamazon. “Sorry for serving looks,” said Allen.
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