Riley Keough Explains How Her Performance at Chanel’s Paris Fashion Week Show Came Together

riley keough applying makeup
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Keough says she was drawn to the event not only out of her loyalty to Chanel, but also thanks to the runway show’s setting this fall: For the first time since 2021, Chanel returned to the Grand Palais, which had been previously closed for renovations. “It was the first time back, and it just felt like such a beautiful place,” Keough says.

riley keough applying makeup
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In terms of makeup, Keough says the house let her “do my own version” of what the models sported on the runway. She selected a bold winged eyeliner and bronzed blush to pair with her shimmering black jumpsuit and matching cape.

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riley keough's chanel shoes
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“I think the older I get, the more I appreciate it, actually,” Keough says of the artistry and production that goes into runway collections.

riley keough lounging on a couch
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As the granddaughter of Elvis Presley and daughter of Lisa Marie Presley, Keough comes from a long line of music and fashion royalty. She says she’s been attending fashion weeks for “maybe like 20 years” now, and “I just fall in love with it more and more each year.”

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riley keough getting dressed
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For the performance, Chanel outfitted Keough in a black buttoned jumpsuit, “which fit me really perfectly already,” and paired it with a sheer cape that’d catch the breeze as the singer swayed over the guests.

riley keough walking holding a microphone
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Although Keough’s show took place on a swing rather than a trapeze, “so it was a little bit different” from Paradis’ advertisement, she nevertheless wanted to keep the references clear—so she and Chanel selected an all-black look to mimic Paradis’ own.

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riley keough walking with a cape dragging behind her
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She says that there were “a couple versions” of the cape itself, which was adjusted throughout rehearsals to “figure out what would be a good length on the swing.”

riley keough walking during the chanel performance
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Before her appearance as singer Daisy Jones in the Prime Video series Daisy Jones and the Six last year, Keough did not consider herself a singer in any professional capacity. Even now, she sees singing as a “fun” activity rather than a serious career prospect. She took the same approach to the Chanel performance: “It was something that was meant to be joyful and fun. I felt inspired by this sort of, like, French nonchalance.”

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riley keough singing on a swing
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“I’m not, like, an incredibly good trained singer,” Keough continues, “but I think that if I get the opportunity [to sing], I’ll take it. It’s not a career thing at this stage of my life.”

riley keough on a swing
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One memorable full-circle scene from the show? As Keough sang above the crowd, she looked down and locked eyes with Paradis sitting in the audience. “I looked down and saw Vanessa, and it was such a special moment because she was kind of the only person who I made real eye contact with,” Keough says.

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riley keough singing on a swing while a group of models pose beneath her
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Asked if it was at all frightening to hang above the group of models, Keough replied, “Once I was up there, it was okay. Clipping myself on, I got a little nervous because I wanted to do it in time. Other than that, it was honestly just very fun.”

riley keough smiling as she walks off the platform
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riley keough singing on a swing as models walk beneath her
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“I think that doing creative work is cathartic for artists,” Keough says. “It’s cathartic to make; it’s cathartic to watch it. Hopefully, anyway!”

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Lauren Puckett-Pope is a staff culture writer at ELLE, where she primarily covers film, television and books. She was previously an associate editor at ELLE. 

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