Dove Cameron Gets Ready For the CFDA Awards

On Monday night, at the CDFA Awards in New York, Dove Cameron arrived with an ever-fashionable crew. The dynamic trio of Dove, Camila Mendes, and Jeremy O. Harris were all dressed by Coach, wearing looks designed by Creative Director Stuart Vevers. Dove’s outfit exuded vampiric charms, consisting of a floor-length black leather dress with a back slit, chunky black platforms, and a quilted Coach bag. (Also black leather, of course.) With stacked Otiumberg earrings and jewelry to complete the look, her entire CFDA moment channeled gothic glamour.

Since ditching her girl-next-door blonde hair to for dark brunette tones at the end of 2021, Dove has been all over “siren” style makeup mood boards on TikTok. Her dark smokey eyes and straight brows for the CFDA Awards will be no exception. Hairstylist Jacob Rozenberg also pulled her hair back into a glossy, sculptural high pony for the evening, leaving out two face-framing strands to suit the soft goth style.

Below — ahead of the release of her upcoming single Sand on Friday and album Alchemical: Vol 1 on December 1st — Dove took NYLON behind the scenes as she prepared for the 2023 CDFA Awards.

Describe your typical getting ready process.

My typical getting ready process is starting with a lot of music and caffeine to get myself in the headspace of going out. I'm really introverted, so I have to really hype myself up. I also order coffee for everybody. I know all my team members’ coffee orders, and I make sure that everybody has everything they need. I'm the hostess with the mostest. I treat every getting ready process like it's a little party that we're all getting ready for. I also do my skin care and make sure that I've had liters of water, and that's basically it.

Describe your look for the evening. What was the inspiration and what vibe are you going for?

My look for the evening was with my incredible friends and family at Coach. We went for this sort of pared-back, sleek, ’90s, monochromatic, effortless look that tends to be one of our go-tos. It was aided by this beautiful, simple, classic black leather look that Coach is known for. It was really one of my favorite looks.

What music do you listen to when getting ready? What did you listen to tonight?

I usually play a lot of rock music and high-energy dance music. Lots of Led Zeppelin. I listen to lots of hyperpop, like ShyGirl. I listen to things that just make me feel like I want to jump around and thrash. Tonight I was listening to all kinds of things like Scissor Sisters and I Monster.

What are your three go-to spots in New York, and why?

Definitely Insomnia Cookies. I am a total Insomnia Cookies addict. Then H&H Bagel. I take bagels very seriously, and there's just something about H&H that I will never stray from. It's not everybody's favorite. I can't explain why it's my favorite, but it's definitely my favorite. Other places I love are Joanna Vargas and Tracy Martin, for skincare, and I love the Met, and Acne Studios for shopping.

What is your room service order at the end of the night?

I live in New York, so my room service order is usually Postmates. I typically go for something really healthy and sort of heavy and hearty, like a bowl with quinoa, sweet potato, and salmon. I definitely am a healthy eater, but I can eat a lot. I will make a big order then I immediately switch into my pajamas.

Photos by Alyssa Greenberg.