Christina Aguilera took a leaner route than the platform-heavy red carpet lane at the Breakthrough Prize on Saturday night, arriving at Barker Hangar in Giuseppe Zanotti’s Intriigo Jewelry 105 and using a spare black evening sandal to sharpen an otherwise dark, body-skimming look.
Christina Aguilera wearing Giuseppe Zanotti heels at 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony held at Barker Hangar on Saturday in Santa Monica, Calif.
Gilbert Flores
Aguilera wore the Zanotti pair in black patent leather, a high 105 mm stiletto style cut with two slim straps and a long pointed front left open at the center. The pair sat closer to a mule than a standard ankle-strap sandal. Nearly all the shine was concentrated at the pointed toe, where Zanotti added a gold metal cap set with square and baguette-cut rhinestones. The rest stayed stripped back.
She paired the subtly shimmering sandals with a black Salih Balta spring 2025 ready-to-wear gown. The piece featured a molded, leather-like bodice, a broad off-the-shoulder neckline and a sheer, ruched skirt that draped over her feet. The look was styled by Chris Horan.
A closer look at Christina Aguilera’s Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo Jewelry Sandal 105 in Black.
Gilbert Flores
That sharper evening-mule lane has been widening. Giuseppe Zanotti’s Intriigo line has turned up repeatedly on celebrities over the past year, and has tracked Anya Taylor-Joy through several versions, from white Intriigo Strap sandals during the “Super Mario Galaxy” press run to an Intriigo mule at Tiffany & Co.’s holiday event. Aguilera’s pair fit inside that same sleek Zanotti vocabulary, but the black patent finish and crystal-capped toe gave it a harder, more high-contrast read.
Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo Jewelry 105 in Black. Retail price as of writing: $1,095.
Giuseppe Zanotti
That direction also lined up neatly with the image Aguilera has been pushing elsewhere. In her April WWD interview around Nexxus’ Keraphix collection, she called blond her “go-to classic.” At the Breakthrough Prize, that platinum-centered image ran straight through the rest of the look: short bob, black gown, black patent heel, then a precise hit of shine right at the front of the shoe.
