For more than four decades, Judith Light has illuminated the stage and screen with her fearless performances, and just as defining as her acclaimed acting career has been, her unwavering activism also stands tall.

From the earliest days of the HIV/AIDS crisis, when silence and stigma were rampant, Light used her platform to advocate for compassion, research, and human rights. She has stood alongside LGBTQ+ communities, spoken out for justice, and partnered with organizations committed to service and impact.

That same commitment to living with intentionality and responsibility extends into her relationship with fashion. Sitting down with us for a conversation ahead of her panel at the 2025 Forbes Power Women’s Summit, Light reflected on the deeper meaning of style, and how the designers she wears, like CFDA member Michael Kors, embody not only elegance and boldness, but also values of sustainability, artistry, and care for community.

AA: Can you describe your approach to fashion and how you pick which designers or brands you wear?

JL: Asking me about fashion takes me back to when I was a very, very young girl. My mother had been a model here in New York—not runway, but the kind of model they drew sketches of when new collections were designed. She was also a womenswear buyer. We didn’t have very much money, so we shopped discount, but my mother always maintained that if you had a good tailor, you’d always look well put together.

I would stand for hours having tailors work on my clothes so they fit me properly. That’s still how I approach fashion—it’s about fit, tailoring, and reflecting who you are inside. American fashion to me is bold, innovative, risk-taking. It reinvents itself all the time, and that’s how I want to live—boldly, reinventing myself, changing my life over and over again.

I want what I wear to be elegant, simple, chic, and classic. That’s why I love designers like Michael Kors. It’s not just about looking fabulous on the red carpet, it’s about being intentional: does what I’m wearing reflect who I am inside and how I want to present myself in the world?

Talk to us about this Michael Kors look.

I mean, Michael Kors is one of my best. There’s always a sense in which it’s bold, it’s different. I’m wearing him right now, and what I love is that his clothes always make me feel well put together—chic and classic, but also strong.

On the red carpet, people always ask, ‘Who are you wearing?’ but that doesn’t interest me. What interests me is the artistry: what was Michael thinking when he designed this season’s collection? How does that idea manifest itself through the process, from conception to fabric to construction? Somebody made this garment. Somebody put this fabric together. That matters to me.

What excites you about American fashion and wearing CFDA members?

American fashion is bold, it reinvents itself, and that excites me. What’s particularly meaningful is how the CFDA champions young designers. You guys are a not-for-profit and create scholarship programs and mentoring opportunities. That kind of support means everything—it reflects service, generosity, and vision.

And then there’s the history—designers like Donna Karan, Anne Klein, Carolina Herrera—women who redefined what women could wear in the workplace.

When I was doing “Who’s the Boss?”, I went to the producers and said, ‘Angela Bower is an ad executive, she has to look like Madison Avenue.’ I pulled Armani, Herrera, Escada, Oscar de la Renta—and it became eight years of a fashion show. Fashion has always been about power, identity, and reinvention, and American designers have led the way.

How does sustainability play a part in your work and practice?

There isn’t a thing I do where climate change and sustainability don’t play a part. And I don’t just mean recycling—though that’s important—but how we conserve energy, how fashion relates to the environment, how animals and wildlife are cared for. We have one planet, and if we don’t take care of it, nobody else will.

Designers like Gabriela Hearst, who won the CFDA Fashion Award in 2022, inspire me. Her whole ethos is about sustainability—how her workshops run, how her workers are treated, how materials are sourced. That matters. When I choose what to wear, I want to know: are the workers treated fairly? Are the practices responsible?

I think about it constantly. Responsibility isn’t a burden—it’s the ability to respond. For me, that means working with people who are conscious and thoughtful. The more we talk about sustainability in fashion, the more it becomes aspirational and the more it inspires real change.”

What exciting things or news can we look forward to in the Judith Light universe?

I just finished shooting something extraordinary that I can’t talk about yet—but when it comes out, I think it will be a real surprise. I also worked on a series for AMC and Ridley Scott based on Victor LaValle’s novel “The Devil in Silver,” shot in New York and London. And I just did a guest spot for Ryan Murphy’s “All’s Fair” with Glenn Close, Naomi Watts, Kim Kardashian, and Sarah Paulson—what a group of women!

Beyond acting, my husband and I are producing together. He published his first novel in 2020, and now we’re developing projects we care deeply about. I’m also more intentional than ever about how I spend my time. I started meditating again during The Menu, and I realized how precious energy is—especially after losing three friends in quick succession. So now I’m very careful about where I give my attention, who I spend time with, and what projects I align myself with.

It’s about authenticity. It’s about depth, not just the glam. The glam is wonderful, but if it doesn’t serve a larger purpose, it’s not enough for me anymore.

Light’s reflections remind us that style is never just surface. For her, fashion is a vehicle to honor heritage, highlight sustainability, and amplify voices of change. Just as she once stood on the frontlines of the HIV/AIDS crisis to fight stigma and champion humanity, she now embraces fashion as another form of advocacy—an opportunity to embody elegance with purpose, and to use visibility as a way of driving awareness for what truly matters.