by AJ Craig
It’s official, Florence Pugh is the new face of Maison Valentino.
Everyone's favourite husky voiced blonde has been revealed as the new muse for the Italian fashion house in a series of new campaign images, videos and interactive online activities.
The actress has been named as the latest Valentino DiVA, standing for DI.fferent VA.lues, for Maison Valentino in a new campaign photographed by Steven Meisel entitled ‘I Mean… It’s Rockstud!’
The Rockstud23 campaign features a new story in collaboration with Pugh and Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Picciolo, focused on the comic Valentino rockstud motif - but updated for 2023.
To accompany the collection, the duo have created an online visual interactive encyclopaedia of Pugh depicting various and extensive emotions entitled ‘An Encyclopaedia of Feelings’.
The feature, which can be found on the Valentino website, encourages fans to upload pictures to the site to then be matched to a corresponding expression of Pugh. [Note: I was matched with ‘Surprised’.]
Fittingly, the campaign images themselves are based on these many expressions. They depict Pugh clutching the collections signature Rockstud23 shoulder bag in pink, ivory and silver whilst wearing matching Rockstud23 pumps.
Valentino's new Rockstud campaign is only the latest in a long line of collaborations with Pugh. The actress has been styled by and seen in Valentino many times over the last year at events from premieres to casual coffees. Arguably one of these most notable looks was that internet-breaking pink sheer gown that Pugh sported at last summer's haute couture show for the brand.
The relationship between Pugh and the fashion house has blossomed over the last year into a true friendship, something that the actress herself acknowledges in an Instagram post:
“Truly an honour to continue creating art with my family at Valentino. Working with talented people is one thing but to work with talented people who are great friends feeds the soul”
The professional relationship between the two has been even more prominent since the campaigns announcement with Pugh sporting a floaty mint Valentino gown to the grand opening of the Tiffany & Co Landmark Fifth Avenue store.
The MET Gala is the most recent event that has seen Pugh be styled by Valentino, with the actress wearing a custom white silk backless dress with black bow detail which was accompanied by a newly shaven head from Pugh as well as a black feather crown headpiece.
With Pugh’s upcoming projects including the highly anticipated Dune: Part Two and Christopher Nolan’s latest historical drama, Oppenheimer, we are sure to expect a variety of press and premiere looks from both the House and from Pugh.
Edited by Emily Duff