Emma Stone knows how to turn nostalgia into a fashion statement. Stepping out in New York City for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Oscar-winning actor delivered a look that instantly set fashion circles
buzzing. Dressed in a gleaming green silk blouse and matching slip skirt – an archival piece from Donna Karan’s Spring/Summer 1996 collection – the actor paid homage to one of Gwyneth Paltrow’s most enduring on-screen style moments.
Emma Stone in the iconic Donna Karan ss96 lime green set, styled by Petra Flannery pic.twitter.com/tYoZuMchg6
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The look, worn by Gwyneth as Estella in Alfonso Cuarón’s 1998 adaptation of Great Expectations, has long been cemented in pop culture memory. It’s the kind of cinematic fashion that transcends costume. It is modern, sensual, and endlessly moodboarded.
In Great Expectations, Gwyneth’s Estella was a vision of minimalist seduction, a modern reworking of Charles Dickens’ elusive heroine. Gone were the corseted gowns of the 19th century. It was replaced instead with sleek lines, satin textures, and a sophisticated palette that felt distinctly New York. Among them, the green Donna Karan two-piece stood out as a whisper of romance and a statement of power all at once.
Gwyneth herself has spoken about the look’s cult status. In a 2021 Vogue video, she reminisced, “All of my clothes in that movie were Donna Karan, pretty much. I remember that green collection. It was perfectly ’90s and perfectly Estella.” More than two decades later, the outfit remains one of her most pinned and referenced fashion moments.
Emma Stone’s Subtle Homage
EMMA STONE OH MY GOD pic.twitter.com/rjDPfc6deh
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Emma Stone, who’s currently promoting her new Yorgos Lanthimos film Bugonia, didn’t just reference the outfit. She resurrected it with reverence. The styling stayed true to the original: a delicately wrapped top secured with fabric, a bias-cut slip skirt that skimmed the body, and Manolo Blahnik Susa mules that echoed Gwyneth’s own emerald pair from the film.
Her auburn bob and barely-there makeup offered a fresh, contemporary twist. It was less cinematic drama, more quiet confidence. The result? A seamless blend of nostalgia and now.
This isn’t just a case of celebrity vintage dressing. It’s storytelling through fashion. By revisiting one of the 1990s’ most definitive looks, Stone reminded us why minimalism, when done right, never fades. The moment wasn’t about replication but reverence: a nod to a cinematic era where fashion was character, and character was style. In a sea of trends, Emma Stone chose timelessness, and it paid off beautifully.
