Kelsea Ballerini got “goosebumps” on her first trip to Venice for Armani’s Couture Show

Kelsea Ballerini “got goosebumps” on her very first trip to Venice, she says The Hollywood reporter.

The singer-songwriter visited the glamorous City of Canals with boyfriend Chase Stokes to attend designer Giorgio Armani’s ‘One Night Only’ event on Sept. 2, which will include a haute couture presentation and a party for around 500 guests .

“The pieces themselves were breathtaking. I really liked the continuous line of using the contrast of pretty pastels with black. There were so many looks that I thought, ‘I have to wear this one!’” she says of the runway show, which was highlighted by looks with diamond cuts and harlequin motifs.

“But the moment of the evening,” continues Ballerini, “was watching Mr. Armani himself walk the runway on his lap and be showered with praise and respect – goosebumps.”

A second presentation of the Spring 2023 couture Armani Privé show, which was shown in Paris last January, the event – ​​held at the city’s Arsenale complex – drew stars such as Sophia Loren, Sydney Sweeney, Maude Apatow, Lili Reinhart, Kerry Washington, Jessica Chastain, Sadie Sink, Benicio Del Toro, Jesse Williams, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez, Camila Mendes, Adria Arjona, Lukas Gage and The White LotusBeatrice Granno.

Ballerini wore a darkly shimmering, sculptural black vintage Armani Privé beaded dress with a train that she calls her “favorite look of the weekend,” describing it as “a strapless sparkling black dress with a strong, structured silhouette—as soon as my stylist Molly (Dickson) sent me a photo that I felt was a special dress for a special evening.

Ballerini – who will perform at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 12 – completed her look for the “One Night Only” event with Stuart Weitzman heels, Vera Belleza diamond earrings and CoverGirl makeup. (The singer of “Heartfirst” and “Love Me Like You Mean It” became a face of the beauty brand last year.)

“We wanted to complement the classic character of the dress with an updo to show off the details of the neckline, but add a little edge with a smudged smokey eye. I loved playing with the combination of glamour,” says Ballerini, who has worked with makeup artist Emma Day and hair stylist Ben Talbott.

During the trip to Venice, Ballerini also made time to enjoy the city, telling stories THR highlights included “enjoying the view from a water taxi, watching lovers cozy up in gondolas or frolicking across St. Mark’s Square.” The experience was beautifully overwhelming. In addition, the tagliatelle at Harry’s is a new core memory.”

“It was my first experience in Venice, and photos of a place really can’t do it justice,” she adds.

The Armani ‘One Night Only Event’ coincided with the 1980s^e the annual Venice International Film Festival, sponsored by Cartier and Armani Beauty, runs through September 9.