On Monday, September 15, Dua Lipa hosted a live session of her Service95 book club and Spotify podcast at the New York Public Library. The author David Szalay was her guest; his novel Flesh, billed as an “unconventional rags-to-riches story,” was Dua’s pick of the month. Later, in a Q&A with Spotify Chief Public Affairs Officer Dustee Jenkins, the singer would joke that she finished the book in two sessions—only because a performance on her Radical Optimism world tour interrupted her reading marathon.
I’d wrongly assumed when I scored an invitation to the recording—a ticket to rival the Tory Burch show going on across the river at the same time—that Dua might translate the storied, academic setting into a librarian-chic cardigan or sweet babydoll dress. I should have known she would actually turn a new page in the category of book club outfits.
Dua Lipa’s look for her Service95 recording with Spotify reinvented the book club outfit.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The crowd listening in on Lipa’s discussion with Szalay came dressed in an assemblage of cashmere sweaters, fall boots, and denim in every wash. For my part, I’d chosen an Aritzia skirt suit—which translated from seats at Coach’s spring fashion show and office meetings to the podcast recording. Dua Lipa’s outfit was in a league of its own. She stepped onstage in a black, strapless column dress, with a thigh-high slit revealing a sheer polka-dot layer underneath. A pair of oversize gold hoop earrings brushed against her shoulders as she read passages from Flesh out loud, in a voice I’d pay to have narrate my audio books. Jewel-tone blue suede block heels, coordinating to the tips of her nails, were the only pop of color.
You may like
Dua Lipa interviewed author David Szalay at the New York Public Library in a live recording of her Service95 podcast.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Dua Lipa spent the next hour or so probing Szalay for insights into his writing techniques and the formal choices in his critically-acclaimed novel. She also revealed a book that’s inspired her craft as a songwriter (Patti Smith’s Just Kids) and reminisced on the childhood moments that sparked her love of reading (trips to the bookstore were a big part of it). In all that book-talk, there obviously wasn’t time for Dua to share the designer behind her curveball book club host outfit.
Between the structured neckline and the flash of polka-dot fabric, I suspect it’s Jacquemus. (Dua is close with the designer, having worn custom pieces for her 30th birthday celebrations earlier this summer.) Whoever’s behind it, I appreciate what it says with Dua wearing it: Women who love fashion can also love a serious read.
The singer wore a strapless dress with fishnet tights and blue suede heels.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Later that night, Dua Lipa was photographed again in an outfit that was easier to track down: a corseted gown from Schiaparelli’s Fall 2025 runway collection, with sinuous black fringe knotting around her bodice and trailing over her legs. There was a through-line with her fireside chat outfit—all-black styling and a cinched-in silhouette—alongside a nod to her tour outfits. When she takes the stage at Madison Square Garden for her ongoing tour, she’ll likely dress in similar silhouettes by the likes of Gucci, Chanel, and Schiaparelli.
Dua Lipa was photographed in New York City wearing Schiaparelli.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
I’ve reported on Dua Lipa’s fashion, onstage and off, for several years now. I admire her commitment to the dresses she feels most powerful in, even for a night at the library. Hot girls love high-brow literature, too. And, when you’re the main character, you can wear whatever you want.
