Lucy Hale outdid herself this past Fashion Month, hopping from New York to Milan and then to Paris with nearly a dozen high-fashion looks in tow.
“It was crazy. I had never really done Fashion Week before in that way, but we went for it,” the Pretty Little Liars alum, 34, tells PEOPLE exclusively at a Longchamp event held at its New York City flagship store.
Hale admits that when it comes to assembling her looks for major events like a runway show, she and her glam team have a laid-back approach. “I’m not going to lie to you, there isn’t that much pre-planning. My stylist Molly Sims will have her top two looks from each brand or designer and we usually pick the first one we try. We always go with intuition.”
At the end of the day, her key to pulling off a high-impact outfit is to simply go with the flow. “If you overthink things too much, you lose a little bit of the fun and magic of it all. Sometimes an impromptu decision is the best one.”
Ahead, Hale breaks down nine of the ensembles she wore for the front row and beyond.
Dior
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Hale kicked off the New York festivities at the Dior and Jean-Michel Othoniel J’Adore event in a printed, ab-baring skirt set with “moody and feminine” makeup. “The silhouette [of the look] is amazing and I loved the dark lip,” she says.
Net-a-Porter
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Next stop: Net-a-Porter!
Hale made a statement in a tailored Gucci suit, which she says reflected her everyday style the most. She even got to take home the sleek designer item. “I feel like I’d rewear this for a wedding,” she says. “We love rewears.”
Max Mara
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Hale’s street style also took a glamorous turn. She says this Max Mara suit, which she wore for a New York City photo shoot, helped her channel her fierce alter ego, Lucia.
“I’ve got platforms with heels that a seven or eight inches, which gave the illusion that I was much taller, but this is just badass. I’m embracing my Italian boss babe,” she explains.
Carolina Herrera
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Hale embraced preppy Barbie style at Caroline Herrera, wearing nothing but a flirty pink plaid suit, which featured the “tiniest shorts of all time,” she kids.
Dolce & Gabbana
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For the Dolce & Gabbana afterparty in Milan, Hale went for all the glitz. “It’s giving disco ball. I love it,” she says. “I don’t usually go for sparkly, but I did this night. I love the little tiny bag.”
Balmain
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“I am obsessed with the structure of the clothes. Wearing this was a piece of art,” says Hale, who later admits wearing the gloved top came with its limitations. “I couldn’t use my phone for three, four hours, which made me a little panicky. I’ll always remember this because I couldn’t actually text.”
Givenchy
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Hale immediately fell in love with this gown for two reasons: “I love this yellow, it’s the sweetest, softest color, and the silhouette was lovely.”
Giambattista Valli
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This hot pink Barbiecore look was definitely outside of Hale’s comfort zone, which gravitates towards “quiet luxury” minimalism, she says.
“I don’t really wear a lot of colors, so I actually panicked in the car wearing this because it felt so loud,” she admits. “But, I think there’s something about being bold in your choices. You could have seen me from space in this.”
Elie Saab
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“You can never go wrong with black lace, and I loved the glam,” she says. “And you can’t really see, but there were these cool thigh-high boots with the body suit [underneath]. It was just super effortless.”