Tessa Thompson dug into Prada’s early-2000s archive on Saturday, arriving outside the James Earl Jones Theatre in mauve rose mules that brought a Y2K finish to a crisp white shirt and black pedal pushers.
Tessa Thompson wearing a vintage pair of two-toned Prada mules in New York City on Saturday.
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The vintage slip-ons mixed two shades of purple leather. Dusty mauve framed the sides of the square-toed upper, while a richer plum section covered the front of the shoe. Thin leather strips formed a knotted, rose-like detail at the center, with small leaf-shaped accents on either side. Visible stitching traced the embellishment and continued across the darker toe panel. The open-backed style sat on a gently curved heel that widened slightly towards the base.
Tessa Thompson outside of the James Earl Jones Theatre signing autographs in a pair of early 2000s Prada slip-on mules.
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The two-tone pop of color did most of the work against Thompson’s spare black-and-white outfit. Her oversized collared shirt fell past the hips, while fitted pedal pushers stopped at mid-calf and left the mules fully visible. A berry-mauve lip picked up their muted palette, and a long Tory Burch shell necklace from the spring 2026 collection added purple and brown beads over the white cotton.
Her cropped pants placed the look inside summer’s renewed capri conversation, but the Prada shoes pushed it toward the early-2000s side of the trend rather than its more familiar Audrey Hepburn associations. The squared toe, decorative leather flower and dusty color blocking all carried the offbeat femininity that has made archival Prada footwear particularly appealing to vintage shoppers.
A closer look at Tessa Thompson’s early 2000s Prada slip-on mules.
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The pair also extended Thompson’s recent interest in mules and sculptural heels. At the Lincoln Center Spring Gala in May, she wore Ferragamo’s black satin and patent mule wedges, a new-season hybrid with a Mary Jane-like strap and gold opanka construction around the heel. Earlier this month, she switched to white Jude Haze pumps for “The Fear of 13” promotion. Her Prada choice traded those current collections for a rarer archive pull.
Thompson is not alone in looking to turn-of-the-century footwear. Olivia Rodrigo wore vintage Miu Miu plaid slingbacks with low-rise denim last week, while Dua Lipa recently revived olive crocodile boots from John Galliano’s fall 2000 Dior collection.
Dua Lipa arrives at the Dua pop-up at Selfridges on May 21, 2026 in London wearing a pair of vintage Dior boots.
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Thompson is making her Broadway debut in Lindsey Ferrentino’s “The Fear of 13,” playing Jackie Schaffer opposite Adrien Brody as Nick Yarris, who spent 22 years on death row following a wrongful conviction. The limited engagement is now scheduled to play through June 28.
