Chloë Sevigny has built a reputation as one of fashion’s most distinctive icons, but she says the answer to her style is far less complicated than people assume. The actor told Elle that her most effective outfit choices come from instinct, not a formula.
“It feels innate,” she said. “I love finding something that makes me feel good. It feels like having some sort of armor on that makes me ready to face the world.”
The early obsession that shaped her look
Sevigny’s relationship with fashion started young. On Harper’s Bazaar’s “The Good Buy” podcast in May 2026, she recalled buying her first designer splurge at 18: a pair of Maison Margiela tabis.
“In the early ’90s, I became obsessed with Margiela,” she said. “I turned 18, and I wanted my first pair of tabis, and that was like my first high-fashion, big purchase.”
Her parents split the cost with her, and she bought the shoes at IF in Soho, which she described as a defining moment. That purchase helped set the tone for a career built around unconventional taste and a willingness to lean into what felt personal.
| Fashion Milestone | Details |
|---|---|
| First designer purchase | Maison Margiela tabis at age 18 |
| Store | IF in Soho |
| Style influence | Early ’90s fascination with Margiela |
Why her style still feels different
Even as her fashion résumé grew, Sevigny kept leaning into looks that felt edgy, avant-garde, and a little offbeat. She has designed collections for Opening Ceremony, F**king Awesome, and Everpress Merch, and has served as a brand ambassador for Proenza Schouler and 7 For All Mankind.
Still, she does not describe herself as polished. “I’m pretty wacky,” she told Elle, adding that when people praise her taste, she sometimes wonders, “Do I?”
That self-description fits the aesthetic that made her stand out in the first place. In the ’90s, she became known as an It-Girl with effortlessly cool street style, appearing on magazine covers and in music videos before making her film debut in 1995.
The indie sleaze era she still misses
Sevigny also said she feels a strong connection to the messy, hedonistic energy of Indie Sleaze, a style associated with a looser and less polished approach to dressing. She told Elle that the era felt softer and more relatable than the highly curated looks that dominate now.
She remembered the low-rise skinny jeans, pumps, and fuzzy coats she wore during that period, describing it as carefree and grungy. For her, the appeal was never perfection, but the feeling that an outfit could carry attitude without looking overworked.
That same instinct has kept her fashion identity consistent across decades. The look may have evolved, but the core idea has stayed the same: wear what feels right, and let that confidence do the rest.