Lena Dunham Doesn't Mind Landing on a Worst Dressed List

Dress code: nonexistent

By Amanda Randone Sep 18, 2017 10:21 PMTags
ESC: Lena DunhamPaul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Lena Dunham does not care what you think about her outfit.

According to the Girls creator, what you wear should be like a costume: "We want to be strong and ready to go...think about what is going to make you feel the most confident and like yourself." And even if that means making fashion decisions that land her directly on a worst dressed list, Lena isn't phased by it. In fact, she thinks it's fun.

"I even like ending up on that ‘Good People, Bad Clothes' page or whatever it's called...that stuff gives me pleasure."

E! News caught up with Lena and Girls producer Jenni Konner at the 2nd anniversary party for their weekly newsletter, Lenny Letter, cohosted by Cole Haan. Lena's costume of choice included a green sculptural earring—made by her godfather, artist John Newman—a simple black dress and suede pumps from Cole Haan that made her feel like she could wake up dancing.

While admiring Lena's ear candy, Jenni said of its designer: "That's not on a top 10 list, but it's on our top 10 list."

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Lena Dunham's Red Carpet Style

And just as she was armed in her most Lena attire for her own party, the actress tackles the red carpet with the same approach, saying that clothing should be about "personal choice and personal voice." Adhering to a Hollywood standard of style or beauty defies that volition. Looking back at past red carpet appearances, the only time Lena hasn't felt her best was when she was trying to dress like someone else.

"There are a few pictures of me in, like, a weird shift dress and a blowout from early on where I'm like, ‘I'm not hosting a morning television show!' but I thought there was some [image] that you had to fit into," she said. "Now I understand that it doesn't matter."

She added that this sartorial conviction is something she and Jenni share—with the memory of a particular shoulder-pad-clad pantsuit as a standout style moment for her Girls cowriter (and real-life BFF).

"I loved the year when [Jenni wore her] own vintage Gucci suit to the Girls premiere," Lena said. "It wasn't about having something new; it was about feeling strong and powerful."

As for Lena's best outfits? Jenni said: "I honestly love this Co dress Lena wore just last night. It almost looked vintage; it was beautiful. It's by Stephanie Danan—she's a California designer, really smart. She's written for Lenny Letter, too, she's one of our contributors."

Kelly Taub/BFA/REX/Shutterstock

Jenni described their newsletter as a platform for the voices of "extraordinary women," including designers and presidential candidates. Topics range from what Lena calls the "minutia of pop culture" to bigger political issues and the mechanics of friendship. Fashion is not excluded from that narrative.

"We really like to support designers who are independent, who are inclusive, who are intelligent," Jenni explained. "We work with a lot of designers who are really brilliant humans and who have a thought process behind their voice and their work. That's really valuable to us."

And as they celebrated Lenny's 2nd birthday, Lena and Jenni were in fashionable company: Prabal Gurung, Cynthia Rowley, Christian Ciriano, Jenna Lyons, Hari Nef and Maria Cornejo were among the star-studded crowd, sipping "Lenny Libation" cocktails or getting a personalized poem done on the spot.

The dress code? Nonexistent.

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