Angelina Jolie’s namesake fashion house made its red carpet debut at the 2024 Oscars on Sunday, March 10.
Writer and journalist Suleika Jaouad, who is married to Grammy winner Jon Batiste, graced the red carpet at the Dolby Theater in a bespoke Atelier Jolie gown. The smokey taupe floor-length design was made with silky pleated fabric cut into a waist-cinching dress that fell elegantly on Jaouad’s figure. The piece was equipped with an attached cape finished with wave-like sleeves. The most standout aspect of the custom creation was a painting of Batiste on the skirt inspired by the couple’s documentary, American Symphony.
The film follows Batiste, 37, as he sets out to compose a symphony amid news that Jaouad’s cancer has returned. Jaouad, 35, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2011. After going into remission, she was diagnosed again in 2021. The pair, who met as teenagers at music camp, tied the knot in February 2022 at their home in Brooklyn — just before Jaouad underwent a bone-marrow transplant. “She’s doing so much better after her transplant,” Batiste said during a September 2023 appearance on Sherri.
Jaouad praised Jolie’s design, taking to Instagram on Monday, March 11, to share photos from her fittings, one of which showed Jolie, 48, giving the dress some last minute touches.
“The most joyous and surreal night at the Oscars,” Jaouad began. “My gown was designed by the one and only Angelina Jolie, complete with an American Symphony-inspired painting on silk by the brilliant artist Chaz Guest. I typically dread getting dressed for this kind of thing. After being in treatment for the last two years, I have a real love-hate relationship with clothes. But Angelina made me feel so beautiful and so seen that my eyes kept welling up during our fitting.”
She added, “To have the story of American Symphony emblazoned on the literal fabric of my gown feels like a map of where we’ve been and how far we’ve come. It’s an embodiment of the love and the creative forces that have seen us through.”
Atelier Jolie echoed similar sentiments, thanking Jaouad for “trusting and allowing us to be creative with you.”
“Like all projects within the atelier, the goal is to make clothing personal, and to be bold and creative together,” Atelier Jolie wrote via Instagram alongside images of Jaouad.
Jolie announced the launch of her company in May 2023, sharing via Instagram, “I’m starting something new today.” The actress explained at the time that Atelier Jolie is a “collective where everyone can create.”
She revealed that the project was inspired by her “appreciation and deep respect for the many tailors and makers I’ve worked with over the years.” The label also honors Jolie’s passion for sustainability, as she explained that Atelier Jolie will “make use of high-quality vintage material and headstock fabric already available.”
