From Elizabeth Taylor to Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner: The Starry History of the Scorpio Cape

Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner have a shared affinity for archival fashion and high-octane glamour, with an increasing penchant for mother-daughter twinning. But their latest red carpet outing came with a particularly storied piece of Hollywood history, involving Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and a certain astrological sign of the moment.

At the Rome Film Festival last night, where Kardashian was celebrating the season two premiere of Ryan Murphy’s legal drama All’s Fair, Jenner arrived in a sweeping black velvet hooded cape, its ivory silk lining framing her face and glittering scorpions embroidered across the chest. She wore it with long white gloves and a floor-length white gown underneath.

The striking design was a homage to a Tiziani Roma creation worn by Elizabeth Taylor in 1969, when the actor attended Princess Grace of Monaco’s 40th birthday celebrations.

The occasion the cape was first worn by Taylor herself was Princess Grace’s famous Scorpio Ball, held in Monte Carlo on November 15, 1969, in honor of Kelly’s own star sign. Taylor, a Pisces, attended alongside her husband Richard Burton, who was himself a Scorpio. Her theatrical cape, with its diamanté-encrusted scorpions and contrasting ivory moiré silk lining, was an extravagant nod to the evening’s theme, in line with the opulent style Taylor had become known for. The fashion connections run deeper still: Karl Lagerfeld was working as a freelance designer for Tiziani at the time, and Christie’s has suggested that the cape may have been one of his works. (Even more delightful, then, for Jenner, who is a Chanel woman through and through.)

The original piece eventually went under the hammer at Christie’s in 2011, as part of the auction of Taylor’s extraordinary personal collection, fetching $74,500. Whether Jenner wore that very garment or a faithful recreation remains unconfirmed. Either way, it was an especially apt choice for the Kardashian-Jenner matriarch, who celebrates her birthday on November 5 and is also a Scorpio.

And the referencing goes even further. Fans of All’s Fair might have already spotted Kardashian herself wearing a near-identical cape in the season two trailer, in character as high-powered divorce lawyer Allura Grant. On screen, the look is styled with a substantial diamond necklace, recalling the magnificent, million dollar Cartier diamond that Taylor also wore to Princess Grace’s party.

The family has a very well known fascination with the late Hollywood icon. Just last week at the Academy Musuem Gala, Kardashian wore an archival Balenciaga gown from 1951 that, as noted by the dress sourcer Lily et Cie, channeled the Hollywood icon. When she walked the runway for Balenciaga, Kardashian wore diamond Lorraine Schwartz jewelry that once belonged to Taylor.

Kardashian also had her own archival showstopper for the Rome premiere. Working with her new stylist Law Roach—whose extraordinary vintage pulls for Zendaya have become a red carpet art form—she wore a leopard-print Yves Saint Laurent fall 1986 haute couture gown, sourced by celebrity vintage go-to Lily et Cie. The dress features a structured sweetheart corset, crisscrossing lace-up detail, and body-skimming, dramatically flared skirt, making for a distinctly Kim Kardashian take on archival. A sweeping, matching shawl, that she posed with over her head, when paired with Jenner’s velvet hood, created another matchy-matchy moment.

Only a day earlier, the pair had demonstrated their differing approaches to sparkle season: Kardashian in a cutout, crystal-embellished Erdem creation, Jenner in a glitter-trimmed leopard-print Chanel skirt suit.

From a royal birthday celebration in Monaco to a star-studded premiere in Rome, it’s quite the fashion lineage, powered by the connections and enduring obsessions of the Kardashian-Jenner women. It’s all very Scorpio season.