Being born into fashion does not make the front row any easier. Valentina Paloma Pinault, the 19-year-old daughter of actress Salma Hayek and Kering chairman François-Henri Pinault, has admitted that fashion shows and public events can feel daunting. She made the comments to Tatler, whose December issue she fronts with England rugby player Henry Pollock. The pair also share the top spot in the magazine’s Little Black Book, its annual list of 200 of Britain’s most eligible young names. Vanity Fair Italia picked out her words as one of the fashion quotes of the week.
Awkward, quiet and honest
Pinault, who is studying at King’s College London, told Tatler that at a show you can feel unsure whether you are allowed to smile, or whether you should chat to the person in the next seat. Because of that, she often chooses to stay away, although she says she really enjoys the shows she does attend. She went to her first one at the age of eleven.
What helps most is family. She explained that sitting next to her half-sister, Mathilde Pinault, makes things much easier: Mathilde is the more sociable of the two and goes to these events far more often, while Valentina describes herself as someone who can turn shy and a little awkward. She also spoke warmly about her mother’s wardrobe, which she called the biggest collection of clothes you could imagine. At the 2023 Oscars she famously wore a 1997 Isaac Mizrahi dress that had belonged to Hayek.
For the cover, photographed in the grounds of Cliveden, she wears a shimmering gold Gucci dress with Gucci rings. If that golden look appeals, our rings and earrings are a good place to start, and a slim pendant necklace keeps evening glamour quietly understated.
Grace Coddington on the “fashion police”
Another voice in the same round-up belonged to Grace Coddington, the former creative director of American Vogue. Speaking to designer Bella Freud on the podcast Fashion Neurosis, she said that people who judge red-carpet outfits are often not qualified to do so, and that they tend to reward looks that are revealing or very tight while overlooking sophistication. Her own pet hates include cargo jeans covered in pockets, sandals worn with socks, and shirts unbuttoned to the waist with a heap of necklaces. She prefers clothes that are simple and discreet.
Taken together, the two interviews say something reassuring: style does not have to be loud, and feeling shy in a room full of cameras is entirely normal.
Sources: Vanity Fair Italia (25 October 2026); Tatler (23 October 2026); People via Yahoo News (23 October 2026); Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud (Grace Coddington episode). Featured image: AI-generated illustrative scene, not from the Tatler shoot.
