Zooey Deschanel reveals the inspiration behind her Patou Oscars gown—'I love the femininity and strength'

The Oscars are the highlight of the awards season—and with it comes a masterclass in how to nail red-carpet dressing. Zooey Deschanel's Patou gown was one of the most striking on the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty red carpet. Here, she talks exclusively to Marie Claire UK about the inspiration behind the look, personal style and handbag essentials.

Zooey has a long-standing relationship with French fashion house Patou, which currently has Guillaume Henry at the helm as artistic director. But this is the first time the actor has worn a custom-made dress from the designer—and the result is completely stunning. The French-born designer, affectionately described as couture's Prince Charming, ensured Zooey was a vision in a chevron-adorned floor-length gown, drawing style inspiration from the classic halter silhouettes of the 1960s. 

So I'm here to talk about the dress. Can you talk us through your Vanity Fair look?

My stylist and I had been talking about ideas of what we liked and we loved the idea of paying homage to an archival Patou silhouette but having Guillaume [Henry] re-imagine it. I love a halter silhouette—it just suits me really well. When I'm working with Guillaume, it feels like he's designing clothes just for me. Every time I wear a Patou dress it fits me well, so I feel like we're connected in some way creatively. 

How did you feel wearing it?

The dress is so beautiful. When you're wearing a gown like that, you feel pretty but also like yourself. I felt like the best version of myself in it.

What was it like working with Guillaume? Was it a lengthy design process?

It has been quite a long process in terms of constructing the gown—I believe they started just after Couture Fashion Week in Paris in January. It's been truly worth it and so much love went into it—they have an amazing team at Patou.

Have you worked with the designer before?

Yes, but this is the first time I've had a custom-made dress. I've been to Patou shows and Guillaume and I are good friends now. We see eye to eye.

What drew you to his style?

I love the femininity and the strength of all of his pieces. Patou is very elegant but wearable. It also feels like it's harkening back to an era where clothes were constructed very elegantly.

How do you show your personal style on the red carpet? 

Classic means something different to everybody, but I often opt for vintage silhouettes, with clean lines and a classic sensibility. I love bright colours and lots of detail, but I'm not personally into wearing something that is unbelievably unwearable just for the sake of it. Fashion is wearable art and once you've pushed it past wearable it doesn't feel the same for me. I've always had a huge collection of vintage clothes that I was collecting when I was in high school going to vintage stores and flea markets and whenever I travelled I'd collect stuff.

Any trends that are standing out to you at the moment?

I'm not too much into the 'colour of the year'—if it's, say, a peach that looks terrible on me. It's kind of ridiculous, as something that looks horrible on you could look amazing on somebody else. Everybody's different and that's why personal style is so important.

Rather than think of 'trends' I like to think of style as threads that sew us all together. Sure, maybe we all like something at the same time, but they're ultimately universal. I'm not a fan when people try to create trends out of a certain colour or silhouette—not all things suit all people.

What are the three things in your handbag when you're going to a red carpet event?

I like to carry mints so that you make sure you always smell good. Also hand sanitiser, to stay clean. And lipstick for top-ups.

What's your go-to fragrance?

I'm a little sensitive and I wouldn't say I like synthetic fragrance, but I've recently started wearing a new one. It's called Memory of Kindness—it's tomato-based, which is my favourite scent. It's not masculine or feminine, just a nice smell.

Do you have a particular routine when you get ready before an event?

I always like to have my hair and make-up done and it's important to have reference points, so I always bring pictures. There's a lot of planning that goes into these things.

Can you talk me through your make-up look for the Vanity Fair Oscars party?

For the make-up, we were leaning into the 1960s dress style, think a Twiggy-esque look with operatic-type lashes on the lid with a soft eye shadow. Then a glossy lip and glowy skin.

Which is most difficult to get right—hair or make-up?

I think hair—it's so tricky to get right as it's structural. It's difficult to get your hair in proportion with your face. You know when everyone was wearing a middle parting with slicked-back hair for a while? It looked amazing on some people and it looked so bad on me. It doesn't create harmony with my face. Make-up is easier to do on the day. It can get tricky, but luckily I have great people.

And finally, which hair and beauty products are essentials for your getting-ready routine?

I love a face mask—I did one on Saturday overnight [before the Oscars] and then one on Sunday as well. I'm 44 and I take very good care of my skin. I think that's the difference between looking great at 44 and not. 

Hydration and sunscreen are key—I always wear sunscreen even if I'm not leaving the house and I usually have a giant hat in the car too but I could do my preaching on the gospel of sunscreen forever. Having good habits makes all the difference.

I also love those little under-eye gel masks when I'm having my make-up done. They're a great way of hydrating the under-eye area but also protect your eyes from eyeshadow and mascara while it's being applied.