Joan Collins says wearing jeans is ‘tragic’ as she is unveiled as new face of Valentino

'I really hope that people will spend more money on clothes, because nobody dresses up anymore,' actor says

Dame Joan Collins has expressed her strong distaste for jeans while being unveiled as the face of Valentino‘s new festive campaign.

The actor, who is perhaps best-known for her role in 1980s soap opera Dynasty, stars in a Christmas short film for the Italian fashion house, which sees her arrive at a house party dressed in a red ensemble, dazzling jewellery and an eye-catching tiara.

Speaking to Vogue about her collaboration with the high fashion label, Dame Joan said she wishes people spent “more money on clothes” because, in her opinion, “nobody dresses up anymore”.

“If you do, then people stare at you, or make cutting remarks… well, maybe not cutting, but they’ll say something like, ‘Oh, look at you! You’re all dressed up.’ I find that very sad, because it will be the end of women buying elegant clothes in stores,” the 86-year-old said.

“Everybody’s going to end up in jeans and T-shirts, which I think is tragic.”

Dame Joan Collins in the new Valentino holiday campaign (Instagram (@maisonvalentino))

Dame Joan continued, saying that she “hates” jeans because she finds them “so unflattering”.

“And I hate jeans with holes in the knees, or holes anywhere. I’m not keen on T-shirts with logos, either. I like to be comfortable, but I want to be elegant, too,” she stated.

The American Horror Story star added that she doesn’t feel she fits in with the lifestyle in Los Angeles, because of the casual attire that many people wear in the beach city.

During her interview with the publication, Dame Joan reminisced about the over-the-top style of the 1980s.

The Golden Globe winner said that she believes the “flamboyance of oversized earrings and ill-fitting skirts” may no longer exist.

“But the sleek style that I wore a lot in Dynasty, the pared-back suits but with definitive shoulders and small waists and embellishments of colour and jewellery, I think smart women have been doing that through the decades,” she said.