In short, Gemma Chan has it all. The British actor and Louis Vuitton ambassador has not only carved out a name for herself on the silver screen, but she is also on every best-dressed list – lauded for her timelessly chic red carpet style.

We caught up with Chan fresh from the front row of Louis Vuitton’s Autumn/Winter ’24 show, to chat about her favourite runway looks, taking fashion risks and working with stylist Rebecca Corbin-Murray.

Please can you talk me through your outfit for today’s Louis Vuitton fashion show?

Gemma Chan: I’d say my look today is chic, a kind of Parisian elegance. It’s a long, two-layer, silk chiffon skirt, with a jacket and a clutch bag. The boots are amazing, with ruching on them. It feels like pared-back, quiet luxury.

What did you think of the show? What were your favourite looks?

GC: I thought the show was just incredible. I thought it was such a brilliant encapsulation of all of Nicolas’ time at Louis Vuitton and I could see elements from so many of his previous shows woven into these looks, which were reinvented takes on the classics. There were so many incredible looks. I love the diaphanous, long gowns with sequins, and then you’ve got a sweater on top – very much my vibe. And then also the short, structured dresses that had the trunk print. I thought it was a really clever tribute to the heritage of the brand.

What were your favourite accessories?

GC: I loved the bags that looked like vanity cases. They looked like, and they have a twist on them, the LV twist, but they look like a kind of vintage vanity case, if I’m describing them correctly.

Was it Rebecca Corbin-Murray [Chan’s stylist] who styled you tonight?

GC: She did. She’s in the car with me right now!
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Gemma Chan has only one style rule: never run in heels. “Especially if it’s raining!” she says, with a laugh. She’s talking to me from her hotel room in Paris, where she’s just attended the Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2024 show, and is recounting one of her most memorable fashion week moments, which involves a sprained ankle and multiple tequila shots (read on below for the full tale). “It was both the best night and the worst night.”

Aside from that, the actress doesn’t subscribe to any strict style mantras. “I think you can feel confident in almost anything,” she tells me. “I don’t feel that there are any hard and fast rules, to be honest. Just wear what you like.” She does, however, have a preference for comfort above all else – “it’s underrated” – and when it comes to beauty, her emphasis lies more in the ritual of self-care. “I have to say, my everyday style is quite low key, just because I have so many elaborate looks in my work,” she says. “It’s nice to nice to have time off and just have days where you’re just really comfortable: sweatpants, hair in a scrunchie, no make-up.”

Below, we go behind-the-scenes with the actress as she prepares to attend the Louis Vuitton show in Paris.

Talk us through your show look – what drew you to it?

“I was really drawn to this look; it’s quite bold. It’s a pleated dress that comes over the shoulders and has almost like a draped, cape situation going on. There’s a latex cream panel at the front and then the rest of it is green drapery. It’s hard to describe! It’s really unusual; I just knew that I really liked it. It’s not often you get to wear something like this and I think it’s appropriate for a fashion show to be quite bold.”
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The actor and advocate has much on her mind, and is channeling her energy into action.

Gemma Chan and I are walking down the idyllic leafy paths of Regent’s Park, one of her favourite spots in London, talking about how the pandemic strengthened our relationships with nature. ‘I think it’s probably something I took for granted before,’ she says.

She tells me about a family visit earlier that week to the BBC Earth Experience, an immersive exhibition narrated by David Attenborough. It seems to have made a deep impression on her, but it doesn’t take long for her tone to jump from wonder to concern as our conversation turns to the climate crisis. This summer has seen devastating heatwaves and wildfires in Europe and the US. It’s a lot, and Chan feels it. ‘I’m lying awake pretty much every night thinking about it,’ she says.

She reels off worrying statistics with sharp accuracy, including a 2017 study indicating that just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions. It’s just one of several facts she cites throughout our conversation – there’s much on her mind, so it comes as little surprise that her current read is Rafael Behr’s Politics: A Survivor’s Guide.

Nevertheless, she still has hope. Climate anxiety might be keeping her up at night, but she’s putting that energy into understanding the latest research and campaigns that can actually make a difference. ‘Changing the system, not perfecting our own lives, is the point,’ she says, quoting environmentalist Bill McKibben.

‘Changing the system’ aptly describes Chan’s work as both actor and advocate. Within the entertainment industry, she’s supported the Time’s Up initiative against sexual harrassment at work, and has shared her experiences of and has spoken about the lack of opportunities for East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) actors. Chan, 40, made her acting debut in 2006, after growing up in Bromley and studying law at Oxford University. Nearly two decades later, does she still feel there are challenges in speaking up? ‘It’s still inherently risky, I think, to bite the hand that feeds you. And there’s still a lot of bad behaviour in the industry. It’s very difficult to change that culture.’
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“There are still so many barriers to entry into the film industry.”

Six: This is the number of female directors debuting films in Competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival — and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, a record high. But it’s less impressive when you compare it to the 13 other films debuting in Competition, all of which are directed by men, and indicative of how far the film industry has to go in creating opportunities for people of color and women.

To help close this gap, L’Oréal Paris announced the return of its Lights on Women Award program to help highlight female filmmakers — and with it, enlisting Gemma Chan for help. “I’m so proud to support the Lights on Women Award,” the actor tells InStyle over Zoom. “It’s all about increasing opportunity and increasing visibility for female filmmakers.”

For a third time, this year’s Lights on Women Award is honoring a rising female filmmaker in the Short Films competition — not only to shine the spotlight on an up-and-coming director, but also to highlight the lack of opportunity available to women in film.

Chan, who’s served as a L’Oréal Paris ambassador for three years and counting, has long been an advocate for women’s rights. Below, she talks to InStyle about what more can be done to create opportunities for women in the industry, her go-to beauty routine at Cannes, and the one beauty trend she wishes would come back.

InStyle: The Lights on Women Award is a great step forward in creating equal opportunity for women in the film industry. What else can be down to highlight female creators in this space?

Gemma Chan: We still need to address some of the structural and systemic issues within the industry. Including more women and more people of color in decision-making positions is crucial. It’s also about creating the pipeline of talent that comes through. Sadly, there are still so many barriers to entry into the film industry, particularly if you’re from a background that’s not wealthy.

Across the board, it’s harder and harder for people to access and to be able to support themselves — particularly at the beginning of your career when you are not going to be earning very much. So that’s a real concern of mine. I think a lot more can still be done there.

With all that in mind, what advice do you have for anyone trying to break into the film industry?
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