Tessa Thompson Wore Simone Rocha To The Newport Beach Film Festival Honors and Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch

It has been a super busy week for Tessa Thompson, with multiple looks to unpack, but she isn’t someone who ever coasts through a red carpet. Even when she’s juggling appearances, she still has the ability to choose something that sparks a conversation.

At the Newport Beach Film Festival Honors, where she was recognised as one of Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch, Tessa wore a Simone Rocha Spring 2026 look that challenged the boundaries of traditional glamour.

Part lingerie, part art installation, the ensemble felt like a fascinating study in contrasts — transparency and opacity, delicacy and defiance. The sequin-encrusted lace bralette paired with a high-shine PVC overlay skirt trimmed in lace explored ideas of intimacy and exposure, while the red shrug — seemingly out of place at first glance, then becomes part of the performance.

What makes this work isn’t just the conceptual underpinning, but Tessa’s innate ability to inhabit the clothes without letting them overpower her. She turns theory into something tangible.

Call me crazy, but I love everything about this look, right down to the pink Christian Louboutin Kate pumps. It’s a lot to absorb, yes, but I’m just relieved the PVC skirt wasn’t as baggy as it appeared on the runway — and even happier she skipped the matching PVC shoes.

Stylist: Karla Welch.

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