Look of the Week: Ayo Edebiri's swan silhouette reimagines the bustle

CNN — I often base my impression of a celebrity on one of two major variables: how much I would want to actually be their friend and yap over martinis and French fries or how much I would want to raid their closet. The Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor Ayo Edebiri passes both tests.

For her latest public outing, a screening of her upcoming film "Clarissa" at the London Film Festival, the actor wore a sophisticated number from Chanel, courtesy of the brand's creative director Matthieu Blazy. Featuring a sleek black column skirt and minimalist stilettos, the look, while pared-back, was far from boring thanks to a creamy sleeveless top with a voluminous feather-like hem.

Edebiri's dangling earrings also provided a welcome pop of color, with their wine-hue complementing her berry lipstick. Her flowing braids were twisted into an elegant cascading updo with two skinny strands framing her face.

Even while dripping in haute couture, Edebiri somehow never appears stuffy or unapproachable — quite the opposite. While yes, she's a newly appointed brand ambassador for Chanel, so it is quite literally her job to look good in whatever she's given to wear, she, along with her longtime stylist Danielle Goldberg, always manage to make the label's creations appear breezy, youthful and relaxed.

The look was originally part of Chanel's Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2026 collection, which leaned heavily into fairytales and woodland magic. (The avian motifs appeared again at Blazy's show earlier this month at Paris Fashion Week, where gargantuan bird sculptures floated over showgoers heads.) It's only when looking at Edebiri's outfit from the side however, that the swan-esque silhouette reveals itself, almost presenting as a modern-day bustle.

Edebiri's look brings to mind musician Bjork's quite literal interpretation of a swan dress at the 2001 Academy Awards; an outfit cemented in pop culture history as one of the red carpet's most referenced, albeit campy, moments. Twenty-five years on, Edebiri's own swan style is sleek and elegant, but still playful. (And we know Edebiri is a Bjork fan!)

Fittingly, birds are also a recurring motif in Virginia's Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway," which serves as the source material for Edebiri's new movie, "Clarissa." In the 1925 novel, the appearance of fledglings symbolizes freedom, confinement and even spiritual rebirth, themes that follow lead characters Clarissa and Sally (whom Edebiri portrays) as the story unfolds.

"Clarissa" is one of the year's most stylish cinematic offerings thanks to the lush landscape of its reimagined setting in Nigeria, as well as the thoughtful costuming curated by Eniola Dawodu. (The rest of the film's cast deserve their fashion flowers as well, with India Amarteifio and Sophie Okonedo wearing the likes of Prada, Luar, and Georges Hobeika during the movie's festival appearances.) It's safe to assume that Edebiri and her co-stars will sartorially honor the film's artistry on many red carpets to come.