Salma Hayek’s Best Fashion Moments Are About More Than Sex Appeal

Salma Hayek’s sexiness isn’t a secret. The actress and producer, who turns 55 today, has spent the past three decades as one of the world’s foremost sex symbols, but that’s only part of her story. Hayek’s prolific career has seen her play a vampiric siren in From Dusk Till Dawn, Tale of Tale’s high fantasy monarch, and most recently, the psychic at the center of a murder plot in the highly-anticipated House of Gucci. 

Hayek’s interest in style was evident from the start. In the ’90s, Hayek played up her vampy side, embracing daring silhouettes and body-conscious fashions. At the beginning of her career, Hayek had to develop these inventive looks independently, as many luxury brands wouldn’t deign to dress her. “I had trouble getting clothes, and I couldn’t afford it on my own,” she told Vogue in 2020. “The other girls were getting people to lend them clothes, but nobody thought a Mexican was going to stick around, so why give me a dress. Things have changed a lot since then.” 

Designers got with the program as Hayek’s star rose thanks to breakthrough performances in Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn. By the time the 1997 Met Gala rolled around, she stole the show on the red carpet. With its extreme side slit that ended above the hip, the Atelier Versace look cemented her status as a style star. The piece framed her curves beautifully, but its monochromatic mix of black fabrics also provided a fresh twist on ’90s minimalism.

Often Hayek’s outfits are all about the details. Sometimes the focal point is woven into the fabric, like the peacock embroidery in the Alexander McQueen cocktail dress she chose for an exhibition preview of McQueen’s work in London. She frequently relies on unexpected final touches, whether it’s fresh flowers in her hair at the Golden Globes in 2015 or an Elizabeth Taylor-worthy Cartier Tiara like the one she wore for her first trip to the Oscars in 1997. She’s even used her clothes to shout out her pets—the likeness of her dog Diva made its way onto the sequined, tapestry-esque gown Joseph Altuzarra crafted for the 2018 Met Gala.

As Hayek’s husband is Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault, fashion is the family business and the stylish couple are fixtures in the front row during the European collections. Hayek has fun switching it up during fashion month, moving seamlessly from Alessandro Michele’s extreme embellishment at Gucci to wearing Demna Gvasalia’s Balenciaga edginess with hot pink heels and movie star shades. You never know what to expect from Hayek, but that’s what keeps things exciting.