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Gabrielle Union made an appearance at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) conference. The conference hosts actors and plenty of other creatives from all over the world in entertainment areas like music, comedy, and film, plus tech, culture, and education. It was first launched in Austin, Texas back in 1987 and has been a successful event ever since; it was canceled once in 2020 due to covid.

Gabrielle Union smiles as she shows off her sleek outfit and gorgeous hair at 2024 SXSW
Gabrielle Union smiles as she shows off her sleek outfit and gorgeous hair at 2024 SXSW | Rick Kern/WireImage

Celebrities often make appearances to speak on panels, and this year, actor and producer Gabrielle Union took the stage during the premiere of “The Idea of You” to discuss the film, which starred Anne Hathaway; Union was one of the producers. The movie had been in the works for nearly six years.

Gabrielle Union arrives at the 2024 SXSW conference to premiere her new movie, 'The Idea of You.'
Gabrielle Union arrives at the 2024 SXSW conference to premiere her new movie, ‘The Idea of You.’ | Rick Kern/WireImage

The film centers around 40-year-old Solène Marchand (Hathaway), a divorced mother who who falls in love with 24-year-old band member Hayes Campbell after taking her daughter to Coachella to see her favorite groups. Of course, between Campbell’s fame and the couple’s age gap, things aren’t totally smooth. Union worked on the film alongside producer Cathy Schulman.

Anne Hathaway and Gabrielle Union
Anne Hathaway and Gabrielle Union | Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios

Union has been married to former NBA player Dwyane Wade since 2014, though she attended the conference solo. And while walking the red carpet, Union debuted a brand-new fun, cute hairstyle: gorgeous cornrows that looked like silk running down her back.

It’s unclear how much time Union spent on the new look, but the hairstyle could have potentially taken hours given its length and complexity. Each cornrow was perfectly symmetrical to the next and sat harmoniously on her head, waterfalling down her back. Union’s hair was styled by hairstylist Larry Sims.

Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick, Gabrielle Union and Cathy Schulman speak at 2024 SXSW
Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick, Gabrielle Union and Cathy Schulman speak at 2024 SXSW | Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios

Union turned heads on the red carpet with not only her hair but her fun, sophisticated-yet-flirty look. She rocked a long, blazer-like sleeveless top paired with shorts that landed just below the knee. A pair of basic black pointed-toe heels completed the look. It gave the illusion of effortless without being effortless at all, and we loved everything about it.

Gabrielle Union chats on the red carpet at 2024 SXSW
Gabrielle Union chats on the red carpet at 2024 SXSW | Gary Miller/Getty Images

Union joined the movie’s other stars and producers on stage at the SXSW conference as well;  “The Idea of You” premiered on the event’s closing night and is expected to be released by Amazon on May 2. The film is an adaptation of a novel of the same name written by Robinne Lee. It’s been in the works since it was announced that the novel would become a movie back in 2018. Union has been producing films for a while; she produced the 2014 Lifetime movie “With This Ring” as well. It’s unclear what Union’s next project is, but from what we can tell, she enjoys being behind the camera and will likely have other projects down the road.