Emma Zhou
If you followed Sofia Richie Grainge a few years ago, you would know that she wasn’t afraid of bold and trendy looks. Think oversized Balenciaga hoodies, colorful Chanel Boy Bags, and a lot of bronzer and baking (IYKYK). It was very much the influencer style of the time—mixing luxury with that streetwear edge. Her looks were fun, youthful, and very in tune with her relationship with Scott Disick, who was a popular influencer at the time. The two were often spotted in coordinated outfits that screamed celebrity power couple, but the looks felt a little predictable, almost like she was blending in with the crowd of Instagram influencers.
I loved the neon pink velvet Chanel jumpsuit that she wore on a yacht trip with the Kardashians in 2019, but the choice of bag is interesting. The mismatched material and pattern feels as if she is just throwing arbitrary designer items on top of each other. Acting as a side character on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, as well as being known as a typical nepo baby (I mean, imagine if your dad was THE Lionel Richie), no one expected it when she caught the attention of millions on TikTok, sharing her new “quiet luxury” lifestyle days before her lavish wedding with the VERY lowkey music producer Elliot Grainge. Since then, she has done her rebrand flawlessly.
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Gone were the logos and oversized everything; in their place, we saw clean lines, soft tones, and a focus on impeccable tailoring. The transition was very gradual, and people happened to only start to notice it when she posted her GRWM during her wedding week in France. Even before her weddings, she started dressing more in brands that focused more on quality and silhouette rather than logos, such as The Row, Khaite and Loro Piana. The colors she chose to wear were also toned down to the neutral shades, with emphasis on different tones of white and lots of slick black. Even on days when Grainge chooses to add a pop of color into her outfits, she knows how to make it go together. Whether it is an analogous pop of magenta paired with the pastel blue on her dress (far left in the image) or a cream, straw-textured bag to fit the oceanic background and balance the harsh contrast of the black and white midi dress (middle), there is still definitely a lot of planning that goes into her outfits, but it now appears to be effortless in her Instagram photos.
PHOTO: Daily Mail
Sofia’s wedding was located in the South of France at an exclusive hotel. The aisle was wrapped in hues of white hydrangeas, spray roses and peonies. Most of her wedding looks were designed by Chanel, which Grainge described in an interview with Vogue, as “a dream of mine.” There were no giant ball gowns or over-top-details, but she drew inspiration from Chanel couture of the 1990s, walking down the aisle in a custom-made halter gown with a slicked-back low bun (her signature look now). She wore minimal jewelry to draw attention away from the intricate lacing on the wedding gown. Her makeup style also changed drastically, focusing more on the natural glow on her skin and enhancing her strong features rather than a heavy contour. Her wedding was the epitome of class and elegance. Sofia became the “It” girl that everyone else wanted to be and respected.
PHOTO: People Magazine
To Grainge, her rebrand is synchronous to her growing maturity as she ages, and she also accredits her current aesthetic to the years of experimenting. She told Bazaar: “I feel like anyone in their teenage years through to mid-20s goes through quite an evolution in beauty. You know, figuring out their lane and what they're comfortable with. I've tried everything from the heavy make-up looks to where I am today; experimenting is important when figuring out what makes you comfortable in your own skin.” Her rebrand had a touch of authenticity that many other influencers tend to lack when they attempt a rebrand. Surprisingly, Grainge doesn’t actually identify with the buzzword “quiet luxury”. It was rather a coincidence that her style clicked with the current trend. To Grainge, her current clothing choices are rather a reflection of her confidence and what she feels most powerful in. Grainge had a story to tell with her rebrand, from her marriage to her now entering a stage of motherhood and working as a creative director, her clothing choices are simply the visual markers of her newfound peaceful life.
PHOTO: German Larkin