Top 5 of the best looks by Charlotte Gainsbourg On the occasion of the actress' birthday, here is a non-exhaustive ranking of her best outfits

While just a few days ago we were honoring the memory of Jane Birkin, who passed away on July 16, 2023, today we celebrate a somewhat less somber anniversary: that of her daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who turns 54 today. A style icon just like her mother, a symbol of French elegance worldwide and a great actress, she continues to shine in 2025, notably in Étoile, the new series by Amy Sherman-Palladino available on Amazon Prime. In honor of this icon who, despite the years, seems to only grow younger, here is a best-of of her top looks, from red carpets and beyond.

1. The all-denim look

Worn with class both on red carpets and on concert stages, Charlotte Gainsbourg manages to elevate denim to a new level of elegance. Often worn as a matching set consisting of pants and a shirt, denim on Charlotte Gainsbourg breaks away from its original workwear category to become an evening outfit. This was especially true during the 74th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in 2021, where she wore a Saint Laurent set by Anthony Vaccarello, again at Cannes in 2024, and on the stage of the Victoires de la Musique in 2018.

2. Leather from head to toe

More generally, it’s fair to say that Charlotte Gainsbourg is a big fan of full looks. When they’re not denim, they’re leather: matching jacket and skirt, rock-style dresses, mini shorts — leather is omnipresent in her wardrobe. She notably wore it at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, the Venice Festival in August 2014, again in September of the same year on the same red carpet, the following year in a total Louis Vuitton look from the SS15 collection at the premiere of the film 3 Hearts in New York, and more recently at the Cannes Festival in 2019, the Saint Laurent show in Paris for FW24, and again at the César Awards the same year.

3. Embracing transparency

Whether it comes in the form of lace or opaque fabric, Charlotte Gainsbourg has made transparency her signature, without ever slipping into vulgarity. The most striking example is the short black lace Saint Laurent dress worn on the red carpet of the 2024 Cannes Festival, alongside Anthony Vaccarello. But transparency on Charlotte Gainsbourg is nothing new: back in the 90s, she already wore an opaque black puff-sleeved dress on the Cannes red carpet. She’s since appeared in various transparent looks, notably in a total Louis Vuitton look from the SS15 collection at the premiere of the Louis Vuitton Series 2 exhibit in Hollywood, at the Saint Laurent SS23 show in Paris in September 2022, and at the Met Gala in 2019.

4. Tailored suit ensembles

Another one of her red carpet staples is simply the suit. With a boldly androgynous style, Charlotte Gainsbourg often opts for the classic that always works. Whether in Hedi Slimane-style skinnies or in a looser version always paired with a sharply tailored jacket, her collection of two-piece suits is impressive. She notably wore it in 2017 at the premiere of Promise at Dawn, at the premiere of The Passengers of the Night at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2022, in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, and again at the 74th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in July 2021, accompanied by her late mother.

5. The classic Birkin look with jeans and a shirt

Last but not least: the jeans/t-shirt/white shirt combo is one of the star’s timeless classics that always works in any situation. No need for embellishments or excess when class is innate. Even if she wears this last look more in real life than on red carpets, it remains an essential in Charlotte Gainsbourg’s wardrobe — and perhaps even the favorite of all.