THE NINA RICCI LEATHER GOWN JORJA SMITH WORE TO THE ELLE STYLE AWARDS

Jorja Smith stepped onto the red carpet at the ELLE London Style Awards in a rare piece of archival fashion: the Nina Ricci 2008 Brown Lambskin Leather Backless Evening Gown, sourced from Into Archive. Selected in collaboration with her stylist, the gown brings a distinctive vintage perspective to modern eveningwear, combining rich brown leather with a dramatic backless silhouette.

The look is a reminder of what makes archival fashion so compelling. Beyond the label, it is the material, construction, and sense of history that give a garment its character. In Jorja’s case, a Nina Ricci piece from 2008 becomes part of a contemporary red carpet moment, proving that the right vintage design can feel just as relevant today.

Jorja Smith’s archival Nina Ricci moment

The Nina Ricci 2008 Brown Lambskin Leather Backless Evening Gown is defined by its luxurious leather construction and striking open-back design. Crafted from supple brown lambskin, the gown brings an unexpected material into the world of evening dressing, where silk, satin, and velvet have traditionally dominated.

The rich brown tone adds warmth to the silhouette, while the backless construction introduces a sense of understated drama. Rather than relying on excessive embellishment, the gown makes its impact through the interplay of texture, shape, and skin.

Sourced from Into Archive, the piece was selected in collaboration with Jorja Smith’s stylist for the ELLE London Style Awards. The styling moment connects a rare Nina Ricci design from the late 2000s with contemporary red carpet fashion, giving an archival garment a new setting and perspective.

A closer look at the Nina Ricci 2008 gown

Leather eveningwear has a long history of challenging traditional ideas of formal dressing. Its structure and tactile finish can transform a familiar gown silhouette into something more unexpected, balancing elegance with a distinctly modern edge.

The Nina Ricci gown’s brown lambskin construction is central to its appeal. Unlike a conventional black leather dress, the warm color creates a softer, more nuanced interpretation of the material. Combined with the backless design, it creates a look that feels both refined and unconventional.

Pieces like this are part of what makes collecting archival fashion so rewarding. The details that once defined a particular fashion era can be reinterpreted through contemporary styling, revealing new possibilities in garments that might otherwise remain within vintage collections.

From the archive to the ELLE London Style Awards

The return of archival designer fashion to the red carpet reflects a wider interest in garments with distinct histories and identities. Stylists are increasingly turning to vintage and runway-era pieces to create looks that feel more personal and less tied to current seasonal collections.

Jorja Smith’s Nina Ricci gown captures that approach. Its leather construction and open-back silhouette offer a different perspective on formalwear, while its 2008 origins give the look a direct connection to fashion history.

At Into Archive, we work with stylists, artists, and fashion teams to source rare designer pieces for red carpet appearances, editorial projects, and creative productions. Our role is to connect distinctive garments from the past with the people shaping fashion today.