Natalie Portman’s Natural Waves Were the Star of Her Dior Couture Look
Natalie Portman is well-versed in Dior. The French house crowned the American actor the face of its Miss Dior ChĂ©rie perfume after the runaway success of Darren Aronofskyâs deeply unsettling Black Swan in 2011, and sheâs been giving good Dior gown since. Last year at Cannes, for example, Portman revived one of the most memorable dresses of Monsieur Diorâs tenure: the ornately beaded autumn/winter 1949 âJunon,â named after the Ancient Roman goddess.
For the Dior haute couture spring/summer 2024 show, Portman left the fairytale storytelling to the runway and wore a playful look that was less Cinderella, more May/December. The film star, who is on the awards show circuit representing the Todd Haynes melodrama, seems to have been channelling her ruthless character, Elizabeth, on the red carpet with commanding black dresses boasting sexy details (hello exposed bra). Taking her seat on Maria Grazia Chiuriâs front row alongside Ali Wong, Felicity Jones and Juliette Binoche, Portman was almost incognito as a brand face.
Portman and her platforms at Dior.
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No bar jackets for Portman, just blazers worn as dresses and black platformsâthe sort of low-key sexy look Elizabeth might wear to try and jazz up the indie film circuit. OK, weâre reaching, but incidentally another actor doing method dressing in Hollywood has worn that same commanding footwear this January. Rosamund Pike, who is moonlighting as Saltburn aristo Elspeth, teamed her black lace Dior couture dress with a pair of monster heels to give her âElspeth at the funeralâ look something of an edge (if that didnât do it, the lace veil certainly did).
Adding to Portmanâs new-look Miss Dior allure? Her glossy yet messy, naturally wavy hair that had the same vibe as her campaigns, in which she utters the immortal line, âAnd you, what would you do for love?â while in the throes of a wild romance. Natalie Portman will never be the most showy (see Rihanna, who rocked up to the show in a directional version of Diorâs famous â50s silhouette), but thereâs quiet power in knowing when to play it cool and when to pop. Her Oscars moment is in sight.
This article first appeared on British Vogue.
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