Ellen Pompeo’s been pretty visible the last couple of weeks promoting the new series Good American Family which premiered last week on Hulu. The show also stars Mark Duplass and Imogen Faith Reid and it’s the Natalia Grace story – if you’re not familiar, it’s pretty bleak. There’s a docuseries called The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and you can also read this piece in Forbes.
Back to Ellen on the press tour, because I feel like it’s been a while since she’s been on a press tour. This, of course, has a lot to do with how much time she’s spent on Grey’s Anatomy – pretty much two decades! – and now that she’s no longer a series regular, she has time for other projects, like this one, and promoting them. Which is where the wardrobe comes in. And it’s not like Ellen didn’t have style game, it was a lack of opportunity to play it.
Her styling, then, while she’s been on the circuit for Good American Family feels fresh. And it’s GOOD. I first clocked it a couple of weeks ago at the premiere in LA with this great one shoulder white dress.
Then it was onto New York where she stepped out in a wonderful black dress, gathered at the hip, and an interesting wrap detail around the shoulders.
Earlier this week she showed up in a keyhole fitted black dress in Paris, also excellent.
And my favourite fit so far – Ellen in London in a feather jacket with a black bow at the neck over a beautifully tailored pair of manila trousers. It’s Chewbacca but make it fashion, I love it.
So these looks, they were piling up, making a statement, and that’s usually the sign of a new stylist. But initially I had no idea who that might be. But then, earlier this week, Nicole Kidman attended a special screening of her new film Holland in Nashville. And, as usual, well, as USUAL. The gingham top is SO Holland, but it’s not too on-the-nose for theme dressing. Nicole being Nicole, she’s wearing the sh-t out of it.
So then I popped over to Jason Bolden’s IG to get the label credits and… right there at the top of the feed was Ellen Pompeo. Jason Bolden is styling Ellen Pompeo now. No wonder she looks amazing. And she is feeling herself – check the fourth and fifth slides of this carousel:
Why is this important? Said it before and I’ll say it again. Black stylists like Law Roach and Jason have articulated this before – they’re doing great work with Black talent but they shouldn’t be limited to Black talent. Jason Bolden has been working with Nicole Kidman for just over a year now but his roster has still been still predominantly Black until recently. He’s been working with Cara Delevingne. And now it’s Ellen Pompeo joining his list. With INSTANT results.
