For the Los Angeles premiere of her film Spin Me Round—a wild and hilarious ride that turns the traditional rom-com on its head—Debby Ryan opted for suiting (her red carpet outfit dujour), albeit with a bold twist. Instead of classic black or navy, she and her longtime stylist Chris Horan went for a more playful colorblock moment, featuring a sharp bordeaux-hued blazer paired with a blue and white striped shirt and cobalt blue trousers, all from the brand Lafayette. Accompanied by her curly auburn locks, which she dyed earlier that morning, the resulting look was both striking on the carpet, yet comfortable enough to take her late into the evening’s post-party game night.
We got the exclusive scoop on how the look came together from Ryan herself who also snapped some behind the scenes photos. Ahead, we chat with the actress about the joy of working with Spin Me Round co-writers Alison Brie and Jeff Beana, how her style has evolved over the years, and skincare products she swears by for a glowing red carpet moment.
How would you describe the film Spin Me Round?
It’s a truly nuts, funny, suspenseful, surprising film about expectations.
This isn’t the first time you’ve worked with co-writers Alison Brie and Jeff Baena. You also worked together on a film called Horse Girl. What do you love about their writing style?
All of their characters feel multidimensional. They’re allowed to be messy. They don’t protect their characters from the humanity necessary to get them into these situations. They create a framework, and Jeff appreciates spontaneity on the day, so the process is empowering—to build a character and bring her and let her play in this place and trust that he’ll direct it into shape.
Set the stage for us: What’s currently on your getting ready playlist? Any go-to songs that set the right vibe?
I’ve been so into that DOMi & JD BECK album. Normally, Run The Jewels is nice to have playing—something about honesty, boldness, clever playfulness being in the air sets a helpful tone to go and be a person in public. I find the more there is going on, the more social the moment is, the less I tend to invite in in terms of sound or stimulus or distraction. Post-pandemic especially, I’m learning to better protect my mental bandwidth or whatever.
Tell us about your look for the Spin Me Round premiere. Did you and your stylist Chris Horan have a specific vision for this event?
He knows I often prefer pants or suiting. We’ve never done a fun color-blocking moment and I thought these Lafayette pieces paid homage to the vibrancy of the film, while also being a silhouette that could easily take me to game night after. Ayden Mayeri and I hit a bunch of flea markets and thrifting while we were shooting in Italy, and we found her this incredible chartreuse suit we talked about her wearing to the premiere. A year later, I’ve just always imagined her in it tonight and our fun suits can be friends stateside.
Take us inside a typical fitting with you and Chris. Do you like to do a big try on or do you usually gravitate towards just a few items on the rack?
Well I live in Columbus, Ohio, so it’s a lot of staying in touch and sending things back and forth that we’re inspired by. A lot of the time when I’m traveling, it’s bowling with bumpers. I’ll send him a picture of a piece with another piece, and he’ll give feedback on styling, tying it together and making adjustments. I’m really into thrifting and repurposing random pieces around me, and he’s so knowledgeable about designers and loves to support up-and-coming designers and lines. Now, when I see him for a week like this, we’re usually trying on and putting together looks for all foreseeable events in one fitting. My friends Sarah [Hyland] and Wells [Adams] are getting married this weekend, so he’d put a look on me and it’d be, “Is this premiere or rehearsal dinner in wine country or zoom press?” based on the vibe or formality or comfort or whatever.
How do you think your red carpet style has evolved over the years?
I feel I’ve just recently hit my stride in expressing myself, as opposed to retrofitting my comfort to embody a look, like working backwards as an actor: building a character based on the lines. I’m wearing stuff that I like and get excited about finding and putting together, but I’ve also begun to think about it way less. What you wear is showing people how you want to be seen, it telegraphs your priorities, and it oscillates so wildly. Though, we’re all a little new every day, so I feel like it evens out.
Let’s talk glam. When it comes to prepping your skin, what are some of your go-to products?
You cannot buy anything that does to your skin what circulation, sweat, and hydration does. That said, iS Clinical Active Serum is my holy grail of skincare. I like cold (water, products, tools) and lots of moisture. One thing that makes Hinako such an incredible makeup artist is her emphasis on skin maintenance. My friends who are visual artists, whatever their medium, acknowledge an importance of the canvas as much as the tools, and it’s a comforting, empowering process because it’s not concealing or masking or disfiguring. It’s laying a thoughtful groundwork that holds incredible artistry. Today she brought a machine from Japan that zapped my face muscles.
How did you decide on your hair and makeup look? Do you like to come to the table with ideas, or do you prefer to have your trusted team lead the way?
Aw man. My favorite way to prepare is to keep as much as possible authentic and consistent. The most nervous and weird and regrettable I’ve been about things has been a direct result of bringing in a whole bunch of new variables. My hair had already decided what it wanted to do after I had it colored and air dried it out of my friend’s car window, so I pulled the bulk of it back and wrapped a ribbon around it from my stationary drawer. I showed Hinako the outfit, and she told me she was thinking of giving some attitude to the eye in the colorworld of the jacket, and she aced it.
What would we find in your purse on a red carpet?
Today I’m packing the usual: lip balm, safety pin, topstick, a shout wipe, and this vintage compact my mom got me at a market in London. Then mints and Hi-Chews, cola flavored.
What are you most looking forward to at tonight’s premiere?
Being back with everyone, and I heard that there were gonna be cannolis.
Don’t miss Ryan in Spin Me Round in theaters and streaming on AMC+ now.