Hilary Duff Shares a Candid Look Backstage at Her Lucky Me Tour
3 min readLizzie McGuire may have been an outfit repeater, but Hilary Duff certainly isn’t. The actress and singer, who famously played the beloved Disney Channel character in the early 2000s, transformed Madison Square Garden into a millennial wonderland of boas, glitter eyeshadow, and butterfly clips last night for the first of two sold-out stops on her Lucky Me Tour.
“To be honest, repeating outfits is very difficult for me,” she tells ELLE exclusively. Luckily, her long-awaited return to the stage gave her the perfect excuse to collaborate with Gianvito Rossi and celebrity stylist Neelo Noory on a lineup of bespoke looks, including metallic silver leather Hansen boots (very Isabella-coded, if you know, you know), a flower-adorned chainmail top, and a glow-in-the-dark star dress by Kelsey Randall.
“I love the chaos online that the star dress has created, inspiring people to make their own versions of it,” Duff says. “That dress has become an icon itself.”
Below, the star shares more about her tour wardrobe, from her custom footwear to the enduring appeal of a T-shirt and jeans, and what it’s like corralling her kids backstage. “I thrive in chaos,” she says.
Duff drinking an Aperol spritz.
How do you like to relax and get in the zone as you prepare for the show?
If time permits, I love a little game of mahjong. I usually have a cute sip of an Aperol spritz; I do my vocal warm-up and I’m usually sitting in the glam chair, scrolling, or trying not to scroll and reading a book or crocheting instead. There are a million things going on: my kids are usually around, and there’s a big checklist of to-dos before I hit the stage. It can be pretty intense, but I thrive in chaos.
How did you decide on the overall fashion direction for the tour?
It started with a mood board on Pinterest. I was really into dreamy pop femme colors that felt like they belonged inside an iridescent bubble. I wanted to represent a sad romantic feel with some edge, a slumber party, and a major fashion moment. My stylist Neelo, her amazing team, and I have collaborated and have had more fittings than anyone can remember. She’s had endless nights of no sleep reaching out to niche designers. And having Gianvito Rossi come to the table to provide custom footwear was a dream come true. I think we executed a world for me to exist within on stage that represents so many versions of who I was, am, and am becoming.
The footwear lineup.
Do you have a favorite outfit?
I am most comfortable in my T-shirt and jeans, but I feel like a total babe at the end of the show in my ultra-glam dress. I love the chaos online that the star dress has created, inspiring people to make their own versions of it. And that dress has become an icon itself.
If you could keep one look from the tour forever, what would it be?
To be honest, repeating outfits is very difficult for me. If I had to pick one for life, it would probably be a slip dress. I feel like I can be many versions of myself in that and pair it with flats, heels, boots, oversize sweaters…can’t go wrong.
See Hilary Duff Get Ready for the Lucky Me Tour
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.