How Barry Keoghan Found His Red Carpet Style

Spectating the Hollywood step and repeats over the past few months, you’ve likely taken notice of Greta Lee’s sculptural Loewe looks, and Lily Gladstone’s fabulous Indigenous-made jewelry. But in the realm of leading men, one actor in particular has cultivated a fresh approach to red-carpet dressing: Barry Keoghan, who captivated screens this year in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Remember his sleeveless Givenchy moment at December’s Academy Museum Gala? Peak personal style.

Working with stylist Ilaria Urbinati, who James Marsden and Zac Efron also have on speed dial, Keoghan is peppering timeless sophistication with a few bold looks. “Barry is just very playful and adventurous,” Urbinati tells Vogue, adding that his go-to labels this season have included Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Givenchy, Bode, and Ami Paris. “He takes to fashion well, and he really understands it and is knowledgeable about designers. But he is also light about it, in that he’s having fun with it. He takes it seriously but doesn’t overthink it.”

Since hitting the red carpet in that arm-bearing Givenchy vest back in December, actor has continued to deliver nuanced and irreverent fashion wins. At the Governor Awards earlier this month, he sported a black Stella McCartney suit with a frilly white dress shirt; At the Golden Globes, he opted for Louis Vuitton’s red wool evening jacket with matching checkered trousers and pearl jewelry accents. “The red Globes look stands out to me because it really made such a giant impact,” says Urbinati. “People just lost their shit. All that gorgeous jewelry was so punk on him. There is such a rebellious streak to him that I love leaning into, and this sort of Johnny Rotten-looking situation just made sense on him.”

During the fittings process, the duo often looks for designs that strike the right balance between classic and contemporary. And again, they have fun. “Our fittings feel more like playing dress up,” says Urbinati. “He doesn’t gravitate to classic looks, so it’s fun to think outside the box and play with different ideas of formal wear; rethink what that can be.” At the premiere of Masters of the Air earlier this month, Keoghan chose a sleeveless teal-mohair sweater vest by Burberry instead of your traditional suit jacket. “Not a lot of guys would wear a sleeveless mohair sweater to a big premiere, or a cropped vest for that matter,” says Urbinati. “He [brings] a certain playful flirtation to the clothes that I think audiences really respond to.”

Of course, it helps that heartthrobs style is currently having a moment. Fellow internet boyfriends such as Jacob Elordi, Timothée Chalamet, and Bad Bunny are all celebrating their good jeans via their outfits, and Keoghan is taking a similar approach. “I find him to be so unique and raw as a talent,” Urbinati says, “[so] my goal tends to be to put him in things that I think only he could pull off.” His willingness to take risks, she adds, is liberating. “Working with Barry allows for so much room to reach outside the box. I’m sure the directors and writers of his films feel the same.”

As we await to see what Keoghan wears for to the upcoming SAG Awards and Oscars, here’s a look at his best awards season looks thus far.