Dominique Fishback is living in a fairy tale right now. “I’ve been feeling like Cinderella this whole time,” she tells ELLE.com. That’s thanks to the dream-like success of her latest film, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which dominated the box office opening weekend, and the shimmery shoes she’s currently wearing. They’re not glass slippers, but they’re crystal-covered Chanel boots—a modern upgrade.
“When we were in the Chanel office and I saw these shoes, these were the only ones that I wanted,” Fishback says. “It was meant to be. I also felt like Dorothy—I clicked them together and they sparkle in the light.” They’re comfortable, too. “They feel like slip-on socks.”
The lustrous footwear completed her fun and “youthful” ensemble for last night’s Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner, hosted by Chanel. The rest of her look consisted of a black, brown, and lilac tunic and shorts from the French house’s fall/winter 2023/2024 pre-collection. The hints of purple also nodded to Fishback’s princess theme—“that’s a royal color,” she says. And she accessorized like royalty in Chanel fine jewelry—Coco Crush rings in 18-karat yellow gold and diamonds, and a Coco Crush earring and ring in 18-karat yellow and white gold and diamonds—paired with a black quilted bag, naturally.
Her braided updo and ponytail were an apt substitute for a crown, with a ’90s-inspired look by her hairstylist Cynthia Alvarez. Because her Transformers film is set in the same decade, Fishback tapped into the nostalgia and paid homage to her idols from the era, like TLC and Aaliyah. She wanted to go “back to my youth in the early 2000s and ’90s when I used to wear my hair like this, and [bring] it back.”
Fishback was still fighting off some jet lag after returning from the European premiere of Transformers, and then presenting at the Tony Awards on Sunday, but her spirits were high heading into the dinner—she was looking forward to “seeing artists that I admire and celebrate.” Sure enough, the event honored 10 women artists who contributed original artwork to the Tribeca Festival’s award-winning filmmakers, part of Chanel’s ongoing partnership with the annual event. Other attendees included Sofia Coppola, Oscar Isaac, Iman, Katie Holmes, and many more.
As for her own film projects, Fishback looks back fondly at a special moment while filming Transformers in Peru. “We had a shaman bless the film for being on sacred land, ‘cause we were filming on Machu Picchu,” she says. “And a butterfly—which I’m so spiritually connected to—landed in the middle of the ceremony and stayed for 15 minutes. After the ceremony, I laid on the grass with the butterfly, eye to eye, and then I got it to walk on my finger…I will never forget that experience.”
The actress also started off the year strong with her starring role in Swarm, alongside Donald Glover and Janine Nabers. The provocative limited series sparked widespread conversation, including praise for Fishback’s performance as an obsessive fan and serial killer.
“People are asking me, ‘Am I happy?’ And really, for the first time, I can really say that I am,” Fishback says. “I’ve been doing a lot of self-work, especially at the beginning of the year, just wondering how I could wake up every day and just be happy in general. Not because anything is happening to me or for me, but just because I get to wake up. So I was operating from that place. So then, when Swarm happened and everybody was really excited and celebrating it, it just felt good. I felt at peace about it. And I feel peace now with Transformers and everything.”
Here’s how Fishback got ready for Chanel’s Tribeca Artists Dinner.
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