Joey King on Styling His Younger Self, Sabrina Carpenter, and Max Mara’s “Subtle Sex Appeal”

“Jet lag, baby” – that’s what they call it King Joey describes her state of mind during her whirlwind trip to Italy for Milan Fashion Week. Sleep deprivation aside, she’s keeping morale high: “When you’re that tired, there’s an almost joyful atmosphere that’s quite fun,” King says Vanity fair.

The 25-year-old actor is used to running on fumes. After playing a Holocaust survivor in the Hulu limited series based on a true story We were lucky, was the star of a Netflix romantic comedy Family matter along Nicole Kidman AND Zac Efron. Her latest film for the streaming platform is the long-awaited adaptation of a YA novel. Ugly—a book that King read at age 11, pitched to Netflix at age 17 as an executive producer and shot at age 22. “It’s been a crazy year. I’m so grateful and happy,” she says. “I’m really open and willing to be surprised, and I always want to surprise my audience.”

Fresh off the premiere of her latest major project, King was in town for the Max Mary spring/summer 2025 fashion show, where she’ll sit front row for the first time Fashion Editor in Chief Anne Wintour. “She’s so cool and really funny, honestly,” King says. “She’s a lot more laid back than people might think, and I really admire her. I love that you can really feel when you’re sitting with her how much she loves and appreciates fashion and how much she’s into it.”

On the other side of Kinga sits her husband, a screenwriter and director. Steven Piet, whom she met while playing Gypsy Rose Blanchard on Hulu Act. “Oh, he’s a fashionista,” she says. “This is the first show we’ve been able to be together… He’s really into fashion, and I love that about him. I really love when a man cares about his appearance.” King will be the first to admit that the couple, who wed in September 2023, dress similarly. “We often end up matching each other by accident,” she says. “We dress separately and then we go out and we’re like, ‘Oh, and we match,’ which is cute.”

Despite her upbeat nature, King decided to channel “a little bit of a edgy vibe” with her long-sleeved, collared dress for the Max Mara show, which features ruching at the bodice and a cutout at the waist, offering “a very subtle sexiness,” says King. “That look really stood out because I felt like she had a youthful youthfulness to her, even though she still had more covered up parts of her body. The cutout and the way the buttons were arranged were fun.” Plus, the floor-length hemline meant “I could cross my legs comfortably,” she adds. “I love being fashionable but comfortable at the same time.” Ultimately, the look felt a bit like King herself: “She doesn’t take herself too seriously, but it’s so elevated and stunning.”