Nicola Coughlan Rounds Out the ‘Bridgerton’ Tour in Custom Botticelli-Inspired Rodarte

Nicola Coughlan wrapped the Bridgerton season 3 press tour last night with a toast—to her costar Luke Newton, to her best friend from childhood, and to her Derry Girls family, who all made the journey to London to see Coughlan get her leading-lady moment in the titillating period drama that has got the world humming along to rousing orchestral covers of Pitbull.

Voice-noting British Vogue post red carpet, Coughlan was both overwhelmed and full of adrenaline, but every inch of her radiates Hollywood star. Championing bridal “mermaid” glamour, Coughlan and her longtime stylist, Aimée Croysdill, worked with Rodarte to create a custom champagne-colored gown that had Botticelli connotations and felt perfect for a celebration of a fabulously OTT show about high society.

Nicola Coughlan attends the special screening of Bridgerton Season 3, Part 2 at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on June 12, 2024, in London.

Karwai Tang

“Instead of method dressing, we’re going in the opposite direction,” shared Coughlan, who has worn no fewer than 68 looks on this year’s Bridgerton promo trail. “I quite like to get as far away from the characters I play as possible, so this one is very far from Pen [Penelope Featherington].” With soft waves—“my hair has been through a lot”—perfected by hairstylist Halley Brisker and pink- and purple-tinted summertime makeup masterminded by Neil Young, Coughlan said Rodarte’s hyper-feminine, gothic-tinged vision seemed like a natural step away from the whimsical looks she wore on the first Bridgerton leg. “I loved that, but when it’s my leading-lady moment, I wanted to step up to the bar and deliver some really fun looks.”

As Nicola Coughlan, a true follower of fashion who brings a level of joy to the red carpet that can often be lost among seasoned celebrities, signed off before clinking glasses at Café Laperouse, she hoped that her mission to execute these major looks “her own way”—because “Penelope is a leading lady in her own way”—has translated. It has not only done that, but it has also been the talk of the Ton.

This article first appeared on British Vogue.