Florence Pugh’s Vivienne Westwood Look Feels Made for Cathy Ames
Florence Pugh attended Netflix’s East of Eden New York premiere, held at The Plaza Hotel on Wednesday.
We’ve seen a lot of method dressing, and for me it lands when the connection to the project feels convincing. While this may not be method dressing in the literal sense, that connection is what I’m getting from Florence in this custom Vivienne Westwood look.
Florence plays Cathy Ames, the antihero at the centre of the adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel, so Westwood feels like a smart choice.
The corsetry and exaggerated proportions reference another era without attempting to recreate East of Eden’s early 20th-century wardrobe. Some might disagree and find the silhouette too close to costume, but for me there is just enough historical language to establish a connection to Cathy’s world without making it too literal.
Some might love the silhouette and embroidery but struggle with the colour combination, yet that is where the character connection becomes more interesting. Florence’s character isn’t presented as a conventional romantic heroine; Cathy is a complicated and disruptive figure, so the acidic chartreuse against the cold gunmetal grey has considerably more bite than a traditionally beautiful colour pairing. In the context of the character Florence is portraying, it makes sense.
Beyond the storytelling, the proportions are spot on. Remember how we used to complain about looks swallowing Florence whole? Despite her petite frame, she looks statuesque here. The volume of the sleeves is balanced by the corseted waist before the skirt falls into that elongated fishtail silhouette, and the styling follows suit with the updo and stunning Bvlgari choker.
Florence has been playing with dramatic silhouettes throughout this promo tour – Rodarte in London, Erdem in New York, and now Vivienne Westwood – and this continues that thread while taking it in a more character-driven direction.
What more can I say? I love this.
Stylist: Rebecca Corbin-Murray.
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