Oppenheimer and Barbie seem intent on competing to see who can outdo one another. No, not on the big screen just yet (they both premiere on the same day, July 21st). Rather, there’s been a battle of sorts over the past few days as the films’ stars make their way around European cities for premieres. The dueling actors have pulled out everything from vintage ‘60s references to power suiting.
Well, on Thursday, Florence Pugh just scored another point for team Oppenheimer when she attended the film’s London premiere. The actress stepped out to the event in a billowing deep orange gown from Valentino’s fall/winter 2023 couture collection.
Gowns on the red carpet are almost expected, but Pugh’s had an interesting cut-out detail near the hip area that offered a different take on the silhouette. The bottom half of the piece followed a fairly traditional shape—layers of pleated fabric that fell into a dramatic train. But it was up top where things got a bit more interesting.
The skirt portion of the dress connected to a ruched, diamond-shaped middle section. This then moved into two cut-outs placed on either side as well as a plunging halter top and completely open back to round out the look. She paired the gown with platform black heels and a pair of simple gold earrings.
Fittingly, her buzzed hair also matched the orange shade of the Valentino number. It may not be Margot Robbie’s pinks or patterns, but Pugh is incorporating lots of color into her Oppenheimer press looks. Yesterday, the actress sported a cerulean shade of blue in the form of a Moschino shirtdress. Then, her hair was a shade of pink.
Though it was sans cut-out, the Moschino piece also featured a similarly plunging neckline to her Valentino gown. Which really isn’t a surprise—Pugh certainly isn’t shy when it comes to showing some skin (she is one of the original proponents of sheer dressing, after all). And yes, cut-outs have been everywhere of late, even on the red carpet. But Pugh seems to have found another formula to master them for the most formal of occasions.