By Wonderwall.com Editors
8:29am PDT, Apr 10, 2017
Since she made her acting debut in 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," Emma Watson has successfully transitioned from darling child star to fierce fashionista. The actress has become not only a force on screen but also away from Hollywood as a Brown University grad, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and philanthropist. And she's done it all while looking enviably stylish! To mark Emma's 27th birthday on April 15, 2017, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the former child star's transformation from adolescent starlet to stylish power player…
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We fell in love with Emma Watson when she appeared as Hermione Granger in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in 2001. In her first professional role, she donned the Hogwarts uniform and quickly proved she was a dynamite young actress.
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During the premiere of the fourth Harry Potter film, 2005's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," Emma Watson glammed it up in this pretty blue dress and — in typical pre-teen fashion — fancy black flats. It was around this time that she started to become one to watch on the style scene.
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Emma Watson looked chic but age-appropriate in all black during the Chanel Paris-Londres presentation in London on Dec. 6, 2007. That same year, the Telegraph reported that the 17-year-old was "rich enough to retire" after raking in a $10 million fortune in Harry Potter earnings. "Let's be honest: I have enough money never to have to work again, but I would never want that," she told Parade magazine.
By 2010, Emma Watson had entered full-blown fashionista territory! She rocked a white Burberry dress during the 2010 Met Gala in New York City.
Emma Watson's street style became just as revered as her red carpet fashion. In New York City in 2010, the actress arrived at the Ed Sullivan theater for an appearance on the "Late Show" in a preppy-chic ensemble: a baggy gray sweater over a plaid button-down with black skinny jeans and flats. Her studded purse and short sassy 'do added just the right amount of edge to her look.
How appropriate! A 20-year-old Emma Watson showed some skin in a pretty pink Hakaan dress while picking up the Style Icon Award during the 2011 ELLE Style Awards in London on Valentine's Day.
Emma Watson really started to think outside the fashion box after she turned 21. For example, she stunned in a ruffled chartreuse Marchesa minidress during a 2011 MTV Movie Awards afterparty in Los Angeles.
Emma Watson chose a high-fashion Bottega Veneta gown for the New York City premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2" in mid-2011. Her smoky eye was perfection!
"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" gave people another glimpse of Emma Watson's talent thanks to her compelling portrayal of a sexy, blunt teen in the 2012 film. It was her first major role since the Harry Potter franchise concluded — and she killed it! During the film's Hollywood premiere, she turned heads in a lovely layered Armani gown.
All grown up! Emma Watson flaunted her fit physique in a black midriff-baring Prabal Gurung dress during the 2013 Met Gala in New York City.
Appearing as herself in "This Is the End" let Emma Watson flex — and show off — her comedic chops. During the film's premiere in Los Angeles on June 3, 2013, she donned a chic tailored look: a Roland Mouret bustier, Phillip Lim pants, Salvatore Ferragamo shoes and Karma El Khalil earrings.
Emma Watson's role in "The Bling Ring" also displayed her versatility as an actress. The former child star went all-out in a short Chanel dress and Giuseppe Zanotti shoes during the film's Los Angeles premiere on June 4, 2013.
Emma Watson really started playing with couture around the time she donned a sassy Balenciaga two-piece look during the 2013 GQ Awards in London.
Emma Watson stole the spotlight in a divisive (completely) backless Dior Couture dress — which she wore with blue Roger Vivier shoes, Repossi and Anita Ko rings and Dior earrings — during the 2014 Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills.
And then came the Oscars! During the 2014 Academy Awards in Hollywood, Emma Watson rocked an understated yet enviable look: a Vera Wang metallic top and black skirt with Jimmy Choo shoes and an Anya Hindmarch clutch.
Emma Watson clearly transitions from glam to androgynous styles with ease. She wore a perfectly tailored suit during an appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman" in New York City on March 25, 2014.
Seriously, 2014 was a year of amazing looks for Emma Watson. She looked white-hot in a simple yet stunning Ralph Lauren Collection dress during the London premiere of "Noah" on March 31 that year.
Emma Watson studied at Brown University and Oxford's Worcester College while continuing to work on film sets from 2011 to 2014. She graduated from Brown in style — just look at those adorable white ankle-strap pumps under her robe! — and with a bachelor's degree in English lit on May 25, 2014. Smart is sexy, no?
If you're lucky enough to get invited to one of the hottest runway shows during Paris Fashion Week, you'd better be able to dress the part! Emma Watson wore a unique asymmetrical black-and-white Dior Haute Couture confection during the design house's PFW presentation on July 7, 2014. Tres chic!
Comfy and chic was the name of Emma Watson's game during the Giambattista Valli presentation as part of Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in 2014. She jazzed up her all-black ensemble with a bold red lip.
Emma Watson rocked a punk-inspired look — a black lace crop top and long black skirt with a black leather jacket and red accent pumps — during the Valentino presentation as part of Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week on July 9, 2014.
In September 2014, Emma Watson became a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. She donned a modest but magnificent Dior Resort 2015 heather-gray silk coat-dress accented with a Dior metal belt while launching their HeForShe campaign in New York City on Sept. 20, 2014. The actress-activist advocates for gender equality through the organization. Now THAT is hot!
Emma Watson took home the British Style Award during the 2014 British Fashion Awards in London. She wore an award-worthy Misha Nonoo jumpsuit with wide legs, pockets and a plunging neckline while picking up her award.
Time magazine named Emma Watson one of the 100 most influential people of 2015 thanks to her work in the fight for gender equality. She donned Dior — a black top with asymmetrical gray pants — during the Time 100 Gala in New York City on April 21 that year.
In early 2016, Emma Watson announced she was starting a feminist book club, which she eventually named "Our Shared Shelf." Though we've never been to one of Emma's book club get-togethers, we imagine she'd show up looking kind of like she did when she stepped out in late 2015 for the premiere of "True Cost" in London: fabulous yet casual in all-black with a camel overcoat.
Ever the activist, Emma Watson chose a look that was part of the Green Carpet Challenge during the 2016 Met Gala in New York City. Her custom Calvin Klein Collection ensemble — an asymmetrical off-the-shoulder bustier top and black satin trousers with an intricate detachable train — was made from Newlife fabric, which is sourced from used plastic bottles spun into yarn. According to Just Jared, "Every element of the look has been considered from an ethical and aesthetic perspective — including the lining crafted from organic silk and cotton, and even down to the zippers, which are made from recycled plastic."
Though Emma Watson has focused primarily on acting and humanitarian work in recent years, she's clearly still in tune with the fashion world. She donned a perfectly on-trend Dior dress straight off the runway during the Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards in London on Oct. 31, 2016.
Emma Watson practices what she preaches. In the fall of 2016, the star made headlines for an unconventional movement — leaving books around London's underground. She took to Instagram to show herself hiding copies of "Mom & Me & Mom" by Maya Angelou around London tube stations as part of the Books on the Underground community project, a movement in which individuals leave their favorite books on public transit for others to uncover and enjoy. That book in particular was also the most recent pick for Emma's book club, Our Shared Shelf. A few weeks later, she showed off her ability to transition from regular girl on the tube to fashionista in this little black dress by the Australian designer Kitx at The Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit presented by Chanel in New York City in November 2016.
No princess dresses for Belle! Emma Watson opted for a strapless, form-fitting Oscar de la Renta jumpsuit straight off the runway for the Los Angeles premiere of "Beauty and the Beast" on March 2, 2017. She paid tribute to the tale as old as time with the gold rose at her waist.
While on her "Beauty and the Beast" promo tour, not only did Emma Watson incorporate pantsuits, but she also made sure all of her clothes were eco-friendly. An unintended effect the mandate has caused? "Because it's narrowed my options so much, I'm much more creative. I actually really think it's helped me dress better because I have less, but they're things that are perfect," she told Coveteur. At the Paris premiere of the film, Emma selected this custom Louis Vuitton number, showing off the edgy elements of her personal style.
Emma Watson landed the cover of Vanity Fair in March 2017, but her editorial spread was marred with controversy. In one of the photos, taken by famous fashion photographer Tim Walker, she posed topless with just a shawl covering her shoulders. The reason the high-fashion image caused so much controversy? Critics couldn't understand how a person could simultaneously pose topless and be a feminist. Emma sounded off to Reuters about the scandal, saying, "It just always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is about what feminism is. Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with. It's about freedom, it's about liberation, it's about equality. I really don't know what my t— have to do with it. It's very confusing." Later that month, she showed off her chic airport style while landing at LAX in Los Angeles in this printed skirt, white T-shirt and leather jacket combination.
