At the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, Vanessa Hudgens leaned into her signature gothic aesthetic in a custom Vera Wang ensemble.
The look served as a formal extension of her personal style, characterized by dark palettes and dramatic silhouettes.
Her gown, crafted from black silk faille, featured a structured strapless bodice and a voluminous, hand-pleated balloon skirt. A high front slit was a central design element, specifically incorporated to highlight her choice of footwear while balancing the weight of a floor-sweeping train.
Vanessa Hudgens attends the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards on November 6, 2023, in a custom Vera Wang strapless black gown, styled with towering platform ankle-strap sandals that subtly amplify her petite frame while maintaining the look’s sleek, gothic drama (Credit: Barbara Hine / Future Image / Cover Images)
Vanessa exuded confidence as she posed on the red carpet, showcasing her perfectly toned legs and pedicured feet through the thigh-high cut. Her opera-length Italian black leather gloves added a regal element to the look.
With the help of stylist Jason Bolden, Hudgens boosted her petite height by slipping into a pair of open-toe black sandals with squared, thick platforms, slender ankle straps, and towering heels.
Bolden’s famous celebrity clients include Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Sabrina Carpenter, and Storm Reid.
Vanessa Hudgens styles her hair in a sleek bun to showcase her Chopard Precious Lace Vague Earrings (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
Danielle Priano styled Vanessa’s dark brown hair into a neat, tight bun to highlight her Chopard Precious Lace Vague earrings in ethical white gold, adding a touch of glitz to her otherwise monochromatic ensemble.
The Caliwater founder wore nude blush and lipstick, accentuating her eyes with feathery eyelashes, eyeliner, and subtle smoky makeup created by Tonya Brewer.
Later, Vanessa went up on stage to present Vera Wang with the CFDA Board of Directors’ Tribute.
Vanessa Hudgens presented legendary fashion designer Vera Wang with the CFDA Board of Directors’ Tribute at the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards (Credit: Barbara Hine / Future Image / Cover Images)
Wang then shared with her Instagram followers a series of photos with Hudgens, captioned, “Thank you @vanessahudgens for your kind and beautiful words and for presenting me with the CFDA Board of Directors’ Tribute. I can’t think of a better person to celebrate with. XXV”
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Vanessa Hudgens’ Funeral-Themed Bachelorette Party
Vanessa Hudgens got engaged to her baseball player boyfriend, Cole Tucker, in November 2022. And it seems that their wedding day is drawing near after Vanessa threw a bachelorette party for herself two weeks ago.
In typical Vanessa Hudgens style, the Journey 2 actress urged her girlfriends to don funeral attire to commemorate the death of her single life.
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While her friends, including Sarah Hyland, showed up in all-black ensembles, Hudgens went for a corpse bride look, wearing a white silk-and-lace slip dress with a plunging neckline, complete with sheer opera gloves, a veil embroidered with VH and CT initials, and a halo crown.
Vanessa later shared a few snaps from her bachelorette party, with the caption, “Love a theme night. Can you guess what it was?” Fans then accurately guessed the funeral theme as a farewell to her single status.
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When asked about her wedding plans, Hudgens told E! News that there were “so many things to decide on.”
“Definitely overwhelming. It is so much. So many things to decide on. And it’s hard for me because I love so many different styles,” she explained.
“I love spooky season, so there is a part of me that is very much Gothic. But then there’s also the other side of me that’s, like, super ethereal and fairy-like. So I’m having a hard time figuring out where I’m gonna land.”
The Power of Platform Sandals: Height, Balance, and Red-Carpet Impact
From Vanessa Hudgens’ towering black platforms to statement-making styles worn by Hollywood’s best dressed, platform sandals continue to redefine how celebrities approach height, proportion, and presence.
Whether styled with sweeping gowns or relaxed tailoring, these elevated silhouettes deliver both drama and stability—making them a go-to for moments that demand impact.
👠 Explore Platform Sandals That Define Celebrity Fashion Moments:
- 🖤 Heidi Klum’s Saint Laurent “Candy” platform sandals show how a towering sandal can instantly sharpen relaxed denim, turning an off-duty look into something more polished and high-impact.
- ✨ Jessica Alba’s Saint Laurent “Candy” bow sandals capture the glamour of platform heels at their most versatile, adding height and drama to a breezy, bohemian silhouette.
- 💫 Amanda Seyfried’s Stuart Weitzman “Discoplatform” sandals spotlight the appeal of a chunkier, more statement-making evening heel paired with elegant red-carpet dressing.
- 🌙 Selena Gomez’s Stuart Weitzman platform sandals at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party illustrate how block-heel platforms can add both height and confidence while still feeling sleek against a richly colored gown.
- 💎 Sydney Sweeney’s crystal-embellished Miu Miu platform sandals lean fully into sparkle and proportion, using glittering height to amplify the playful glamour of her coordinated Miu Miu set.