Tessa Thompson’s Thom Browne Platform Pumps: High-Fashion Loafers at the MTV Awards

At the 2019 MTV Movie TV Awards at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on June 15, 2019, Tessa Thompson took Thom Browne’s exaggerated proportions from the runway to the red carpet, pairing an oversized metallic silver blazer with towering penny-loafer-inspired platform pumps.

The shoes were the most unconventional part of the look. Drawn from Thom Browne’s Spring 2019 Ready-to-Wear collection, they combined a black leather loafer-style upper with thick, layered wooden platforms and dramatically sculpted heels. At around 5’4″, Thompson has frequently used heels and platforms to add height, but this pair stands apart for its exaggerated proportions and menswear-inspired construction.

Tessa Thompson pairs an oversized metallic silver Thom Browne blazer with towering black platform loafer pumps at the 2019 MTV Movie TV Awards in Santa Monica on June 15, 2019 (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN / FayesVision)

Thompson wore the oversized metallic silver Thom Browne blazer as a minidress, letting its structured shoulders, wide lapels, and long hemline provide the tailoring while her bare legs kept the unusual footwear fully visible. She carried a rigid black Thom Browne box bag and accessorized with Borgioni jewelry.

A structured black Thom Browne box bag complements Thompson’s oversized metallic blazer and menswear-inspired styling

The footwear took a familiar menswear shape and distorted its proportions. The black leather uppers borrowed recognizable elements of a classic loafer, including the apron-toe construction and strap across the vamp, before giving way to substantial layered wooden soles and dramatically flared sculptural heels.

Thom Browne’s signature red, white, and blue striped detailing appeared between the layers of the platform and at the back of the shoes. Rather than simply adding height, the platform became part of the shoe’s architecture. Our guide to platform shoes traces how designers have repeatedly used elevated soles on everything from heels to Oxford-inspired footwear.

Thompson wears the metallic Thom Browne blazer as a minidress, leaving the designer’s sculptural platform shoes fully visible

The shoes also fit a broader pattern in Browne’s womenswear: taking details associated with traditional men’s footwear and pushing them into more exaggerated shapes. Just weeks before Thompson’s MTV appearance, Cardi B wore custom Thom Browne platform brogues at the 2019 Met Gala, although her pair was largely concealed beneath her enormous oxblood gown.

That approach has continued in later collections. At the Venice Film Festival in 2025, Rebecca Ferguson paired a Thom Browne suit with mismatched brogue-style platform pumps, again combining traditional menswear detailing with an oversized sole.

Styled by Wayman + Micah, Thompson finished her MTV look with sculpted waves by hairstylist Lacy Redway and metallic purple eye makeup by Kate Lee. The silver tailoring also connected naturally with the metallic palette she wore while promoting Men in Black: International.

A closer look at Thompson’s Thom Browne platform pumps, combining black leather loafer-style uppers with layered wooden soles, striped detailing, and dramatically sculpted heels

The MTV shoes weren’t Thompson’s only towering platforms during that promotional period. Just days earlier, she paired a custom silver Rodarte gown with Aquazzura Sundance sandals featuring 5.5-inch heels and 1.5-inch platforms at the Men in Black: International premiere in New York.

The two looks approached statement platforms differently: Aquazzura’s metallic sandals extended the silver palette of her premiere gown, while Thom Browne’s black leather and carved wooden construction brought a menswear reference and much heavier visual weight to her MTV Awards outfit.

Why Thom Browne’s Tailoring and Shoes Keep Standing Out on the Red Carpet

Tessa Thompson’s towering loafer-inspired platforms capture what makes Thom Browne so recognizable: familiar pieces rarely stay familiar for long. The designer built his signature around precise tailoring and altered proportions, from abbreviated jackets and cropped trousers to exaggerated takes on traditional menswear shoes.

That consistency has made Browne a natural choice for celebrities who want immediately identifiable tailoring without relying on obvious branding. His gray suits can function almost like a uniform, but the proportions, unexpected styling, and playful details keep them from feeling conventional. The same tension carries onto the red carpet, where Browne moves between sharply cut suits and theatrical ideas while borrowing freely from traditional menswear and womenswear codes.

The result can be a cropped gray suit, a skirt or kilt, an elaborate Met Gala creation, or—as Thompson demonstrated here—a penny-loafer-inspired shoe transformed by an enormous wooden platform and sculptural heel.