What does ruffle fashion have to do with evil? A British actress turns her fashion into an extension of her character in the movie "East of Eden"

- If clothes tell a story, then the looks of British actress Florence Pugh during her promotional tour for the movie “East of Eden” seemed to deliberately and remarkably mimic the character of “Kathy Eames,” which she embodies in an adaptation of the classic novel by American writer John Steinbeck. At the premiere of the new Netflix film in New York City, Pugh reached the peak of this transformation with a look that highlighted the evil side of her personality.

After more than two weeks of looks inspired by the time period in which the film's events take place, the British actress concluded her promotional tour with a dramatic and luxurious dress signed by British designer Vivienne Westwood. The design combined puffy sleeves and a corset with a deep opening, in details that seemed completely appropriate to her personality.

The choice of the “Chartreuse” shade, this bright green that borders on ugliness, was carefully calculated on the line between luxury and repulsion. The polished green tourmaline glowed in the necklace wrapped around her neck, looking like a magical amulet.

As for her updo and wavy hairstyle, it was strict and sharp, in keeping with the character. The style of "method dressing" that is widespread in Hollywood may have become so worn out that it has lost some of its luster and turned into a recurring publicity stunt, especially when it becomes clear that the clothes are being used to promote the work.

But in this film, Pugh's fashion stylist, Rebecca Corbin-Murray, succeeded in building a visual narrative inspired by literature, which she crafted through ruffles, precious stones, and elaborate tailoring, giving Pugh's looks a dimension that goes beyond simply promoting the film. In mid-September, Pugh appeared as if she had emerged from a romantic story set in a historical era, with the launch of her promotional tour in Los Angeles, where she chose a shirt and skirt from the American brand “Rodarte” in a soft buttery yellow color, dotted with feminine details.

Days later, during her participation in a dialogue session at the Atlantic Festival in New York, she appeared in a more conservative and elegant look, wearing a long dress with sleeves and a collar from the Chinese brand “Shushu Tong”. She also tested men's fashion style in the Edwardian era, as the events of the film go back to the period between 1862 and 1918, from the American Civil War until the end of World War I, so she transformed a brocade jacket from the French house "Dior" into a short dress.

However, as Cathy's path changes in the novel, from a New England schoolgirl to a character who runs a nightclub in the American city of Monterey, Pio's looks, in turn, gradually begin to move away from softness and romanticism in favor of a bolder, more glamorous and present. As the promotional tour entered its second week, pleats and ruffles came to the fore. She appeared during a photo session in London in a heavily pleated shirt and wide-legged pants, before arriving at a special show organized by the British BAFTA Foundation, with a look with a dominant presence and a gothic character, which also bore the signature of the American “Rodarte” brand.

The black, ruffled, off-the-shoulder dress, along with a bright red rubellite necklace, was a new indication of the character's transformation. As Steinbeck's Cathy transforms into Kate, her tidy, youthful appearance gradually gives up its simplicity to become more mature, complex, and calculating.

Then, to keep expectations open, Pugh attended a press event at New York's Paley Center in an all-white dress from British label Erdem, looking like a visual embodiment of innocence. But the next evening, she returned to black in an elegant Vivienne Westwood cocktail dress that she wore during her appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, before her promotional tour culminated in a “chartreuse” color look that embodied the darker side of her personality.