26 April 2023 |
Florence Pugh has flirted with the idea of becoming a Valentino ambassador for some time now. The renowned actress, famed for her roles in Midsommar and Little Women, has turned to Pierpaolo Piccioli to dress her for a slew of high-profile public appearances – from the red carpet of last year’s Fashion Awards to the press tour of Don’t Worry Darling. Now, Valentino have officially put a ring on it, revealing that Pugh is the new face of the brand.
Starring in Valentino’s Rockstud23 bag campaign, the British talent poses with a range of Valentino Garavani goodies, which each feature the brand’s signature, prism-shaped studs. Dubbed an Encyclopedia of Feelings, the campaign – photographed by Steven Meisel – plays out like a storyboard, capturing Pugh in a variety of emotional states.
Speaking to The New York Times, Pugh explains her close relationship with Piccioli took off after she received backlash online for wearing a semi-sheer, pink Valentino frock to the brand’s AW22 couture show in Rome.
“I just could not wrap my head around the fact that showing my breasts was causing such anger — to the point where people were saying that if I got hurt, I deserved it. That was why I had to comment.” says Pugh.
“I wanted to talk to her after that,” adds Piccioli. “The statement was the perfect one to embody the idea I was talking about months ago about not having canons of beauty, but being unique and different and diverse and showing yourself in a fierce way.”
Bonding over a FaceTime call, nowadays the pair communicate on a daily basis over Instagram. “He’s become best friends with my dad. We’re completely in each other’s lives,” adds Pugh.
The pair will cement their fashion union on the carpet of the Met Gala, where Pugh is set to walk alongside Piccioli in a custom Valentino frock. And what does it look like, you might ask? “It’s big, but we like big, don’t we?” says Pugh.
Photography Steven Meisel.
