Keke Palmer has long been one to transform a red carpet into a runway—and at the 5th Annual Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards, she proved it once again. The actor, singer, and multi-hyphenate arrived in a scene-stealing Balmain creation that felt like a living piece of fashion art, adorned with a bold embroidered motif of a crimson lip and watchful eye. The dress itself was a lesson in drama: a sleek, jet–black silhouette punctuated by a thigh-high slit and traced in crystal beadwork that cascaded from shoulder to hip, down the legs, and pooled into a whisper of a train.
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The ensemble felt like more than a dress; it was a statement piece, a flirtation between bold design and timeless glamour. To complete the look, Palmer opted for a pair of crimson suede Balmain stilettos adorned with matching lip embellishments across the crisscross straps—a wink at the gown’s theme and an exclamation point for fashion aficionados everywhere.
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The moment arrives as part of an ongoing sartorial tour de force for Palmer and stylist Molly Dickson. Earlier this week, the multi-talented star embraced vintage allure with an archival Chanel set: a cropped leather shirt cinched with a signature chain belt, paired with a sleek pencil skirt featuring a corset-inspired waistline and a precisely placed slit. Together, these moments cement Palmer’s status as a modern style icon, merging heritage silhouettes with a bold, unmistakable voice of her own.