Naomi Watts, well-known for her versatility in the acting world, will play socialite and former Vogue fashion editor Babe Paley in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, the second installment of the anthology TV series Feud, created by Ryan Murphy.
Introduction to Feud: Capote vs. The Swans
It tells the true story of Truman Capote’s friendship with some of the most prominent women in New York City’s high society, which he eventually ruined by writing a fictionalized account exposing their private lives.
Naomi stars alongside Diane Lane as Slim Keith, Chloë Sevigny as C. Z. Guest, Calista Flockhart as Lee Radziwill, Demi Moore as Ann Woodward, Molly Ringwald as Joanne Carson, and Tom Hollander as Truman Capote.
Naomi Watts Leads The Glamour in Black Lace Givenchy Dress
On Tuesday night, the Feud: Capote vs. The Swans cast flocked to the Museum of Modern Art for their FX series’s New York City premiere.
Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, Naomi Watts, Tom Hollander, Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore, and Calista Flockhart at the New York premiere of their FX series, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, at the Museum of Modern Art on January 23, 2024 (Credit: Barbara Hine / Future Image / Cover Images)
Channeling her queen bee character, Babe Paley, Naomi Watts brought the glitz in a black guipure lace dress designed by Givenchy’s former artistic director Clare Waight Keller for the French luxury fashion house’s Spring 2019 collection. Keller also designed Meghan Markle’s silk boat-necked wedding gown for her 2018 marriage to Prince Harry.
A Nostalgic Touch: The Black Floral Lace Dress
Watts exuded dark glamour in the gorgeous black dress adorned with 3D flowers. It featured a see-through bodice with daring cutout panels, revealing a glimpse of her flat abs. The dress also included a bow-decorated waistband accentuating her slender figure before flowing into a floor-length skirt.
While the silhouette and cutouts brought a hint of modernity, the black floral lace gave the entire ensemble a nostalgic, romantic feel. The dress was paired with black velvet opera gloves, adding to the vintage vibe of the look.
Just like her Feud character, Babe Paley, Naomi Watts leads the glamour in a black floral lace gown from Givenchy’s Spring 2019 collection at the NYC premiere of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans on January 23, 2024 (Credit: Janet Mayer / INSTARimages)
At one point on the red carpet, Watts was pictured donning a black cape, which gave her romantic Old Hollywood look a regal touch.
She was accompanied by her husband Billy Crudup, whom she married in June 2023 after meeting on the set of the drama series Gypsy in 2017.
The Almost Famous actor opted for a classic red-carpet look, wearing a black tuxedo with a white shirt, a black bowtie, and a pair of oxfords.
Naomi Watts is accompanied by her husband Billy Crudup, whom she married in June 2023 (Credit: Janet Mayer / INSTARimages)
Accessorizing the Look: Jewels and the Swan Clutch
Naomi’s ensemble was put together by her longtime stylist, Jeanann Williams, who accessorized her with glimmering jewels by Tiffany & Co. Naomi fastened a large set of diamond earrings to her ears and adorned her gloved arms with the $330,000 “Stitches” Bracelet designed by Jean Schlumberger. It featured an intricately woven tapestry of diamonds set in platinum and 18k gold.
Naomi adorned her fingers with chunky rings, giving the glamorous look some extra sparkle. She carried her evening essentials in the Judith Leiber “Viveka” Swan clutch, an homage to her new TV series.
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A work of art, this tiny swan-shaped novelty clutch boasts a jewelry-inspired design featuring large teardrop pearls, mini pearl pave stones, and oversized crystals. The wings’ elegant lines demonstrate the exceptional craftsmanship of the Hungarian-American fashion designer.
The swan clutch, which has a push-lock closure and a removable classic elbow chain, sells for $ 5,195 at Farfetch.
Naomi Watts keeps her evening essentials in the crystal-encrusted Judith Leiber Viveka swan clutch and styles her look with Tiffany & Co. jewelry (Credit: Janet Mayer / INSTARimages)
Old Hollywood Glamour: Hair and Makeup
Mary Wiles crafted Naomi’s Old Hollywood glamour using Pat McGrath makeup products. She prepared Naomi’s skin with the Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Primer. Following this, Wiles applied the Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation in Light 2, complemented by a concealer of the same shade. To finalize the look, she used Light 1 setting powder on Naomi’s T-zone and under her eyes, ensuring a flawless finish.
Continuing with the makeup application, Wiles used the Skin Fetish Highlighter Balm Duo in Nude to contour Naomi’s cheekbones and temples, enhancing her facial structure. She then applied the Divine Blush Legendary Glow Colour Balm in Forbidden Fleur to the apples of Naomi’s cheeks, adding a radiant and natural-looking flush to her complexion.
To highlight her blue eyes, Wiles used the Intensifeyes Long Wear Primer on her lids into the socket “to keep eyes from smudging and creasing.” She then applied the PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil in extreme black along the lash line, the Mothership X Moonlight Seduction on her lids to add light, the Divine Rose Luxe Quad Eyeshadow in the shade Earthy Delight to define her socket, and two coats of the Dark Star Mascara on her top and bottom lashes.
The PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil in Blood Lust and the MatteTrance Lipstick in Elson completed Naomi Watts’ vintage glamour.
On the other hand, Renato Campora complemented the look by styling Watts’ blonde hair in a side-parted bob.
Naomi Watts completes her Old Hollywood glam with a side-parted bob, red lipstick, and mascara (Credit: Janet Mayer / INSTARimages)
Feud: Capote vs. The Swans: Unraveling the Rift Between Truman Capote and the New York Elite
Feud: Capote vs. The Swans will follow the critically acclaimed first season, Feud: Bette and Joan, chronicling the real-life rivalry between Hollywood stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.
The second season, set to premiere on January 31, is based on Laurence Leamer’s non-fiction book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era. It will center on the conflict between novelist Truman Capote and his inner circle of New York’s wealthy socialites he named The Swans.
This elite group, known for their extravagant lifestyle, connections, and opulent tastes, became associated with Truman’s unfinished roman à clef, Answered Prayers. Writing about their private lives in a barely disguised fictional style, Truman revealed their most private secrets. The socialites recognized themselves reflected in the thinly veiled characters of La Côte Basque 1965, the novel’s first installment published in the November 1965 issue of Esquire, causing a stir among the elite. He was excluded from high society and made a target of himself.
The official synopsis reads: “Enchanted and captivated by these doyennes, Capote ingratiated himself into their lives, befriending them and becoming their confidante, only to ultimately betray them by writing a thinly veiled fictionalization of their lives, exposing their most intimate secrets. When an excerpt from the book, Answered Prayers, Capote’s planned magnum opus, was published in Esquire, it effectively destroyed his relationship with his swans, banished him from the high society he so loved and sent him into a spiral of self-destruction from which he would ultimately never recover.”
Naomi Watts Is Queen Bee Babe Paley in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans
Naomi Watts will portray Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley, also known as “Babe,” in the FX series Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.
Babe, Capote’s closest confidante and most famous Swan, was a Vogue fashion editor during the 1940s. Following her second marriage to CBS founder William Samuel Paley in 1947, she quit her job and became a full-time socialite.
Her induction into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958 solidified her status as a style icon.
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