Penélope Cruz Embraces Pattern Play in Archival Ralph Lauren

Penélope Cruz continued her La Bola Negra press tour at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival, held at the Royal Festival Hall this evening.

The Chanel ambassador has been having plenty of fun experimenting with different styles and labels throughout this press tour. We saw it at TIFF and San Sebastián, and now London has given us another welcome change of direction.

This time, Penélope dipped into the archives for a Ralph Lauren Collection Spring 2014 suit.

The tailoring is impeccable, but it’s the pattern play that really sells this look to me. The contrasting checks of the shirt and tie, alongside the dominate cuffs, add plenty of charm and personality to the classic black suit without making the combination feel too busy.

I also think this was exactly the right look for a chilly London evening. The sharp tailoring, contrasting checks and beret have a distinctly British feel, while the menswear-inspired styling adds just enough eccentricity to make it an interesting choice for an autumn film festival.

And I’m happy about two things in particular. First, Penélope has returned to her darker hair colour, which I’ve always preferred on her. Second, she opted for a black beret rather than the checked version we saw on the runway. With so much pattern already happening through the shirt, tie and cuffs, the black beret was a much better choice.

It’s a small styling change, but one that makes this archival look feel even better on Penélope than it did on the runway.

Garatti Jewelry completed her look.

Stylist: Anna Castan

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