When I pick up the phone and Rebecca Ferguson greets me with a cheery hello, she sounds completely at ease. She doesn’t sound at all like a woman who has been flying across the world to promote her new blockbuster film Dune: Part Two, all the while also spending six days a week shooting the second season of her critically acclaimed Apple TV+ dystopian drama, Silo. Of course, I realize not too long into our conversation that this is in part because Ferguson is quite amiable. I also learn there’s a small part of her that chooses to embrace the pandemonium.
Discussing her look for the final Dune: Part Two premiere, on February 25 in New York, the Swedish actor explains that when she arrived in the Big Apple, much of the outfit was thrown together at the last minute. Of her hair, done by Blake Eric, Ferguson says, “We were running late, so he was running after me with the scissors whilst clapping and chopping into it. I love all of the chaos.”
It’s hard to imagine such a comically haphazard process when you look at the killer result. For the red carpet, Ferguson and stylist Tom Eerebout chose a gothic ensemble from Olivier Theyskens that featured a black bodysuit layered under a sheer cape gown with alternating panels of frilly lace and fishnets. Ferguson accessorized with a pair of glossy black thigh-high boots and stacks of dog chains, which her husband, Rory St. Clair Gainer, actually picked up at a local pet store. Her ombré locks, which extended all the way to her hips, made for a dramatic touch, as did her bright red lip and dark eye shadow, done by makeup artist Tyron Machhausen. The ensemble screamed ’80s dark glamour, and Ferguson herself jokingly referred to it as “Madonna on crack.”
The Dune star was full of jokes during our chat, which helped paint a clearer picture as to how such a playful look came together. “I’m more gothic. I’m edgy. I’m Scandi,” she says. “I’m not fluffy and, you know, bridelike. That’s just not me.”
The Dune: Part Two press tour has been full of bold showings, from Zendaya’s Stéphane Rolland dress with the pointed-pronged cutout to Florence Pugh’s sideboob moment in her backless Valentino gown. However, none of the looks have been quite like this, and you can sense how free Ferguson felt in the ensemble.
“I think for me it was quite nice at the end here to be able to just break loose and think: ‘No, fuck it,’ ” Ferguson says. “ ‘I’m going to go completely rogue and communicate something completely different.’ You know, [having the] freedom and the platform to do so.”
The stars of Dune: Part Two have certainly been breaking free with their red-carpet choices, and it’s been a sight to behold. Ferguson notes that she is surrounded by fashion showstoppers who shine just as bright even when they’re on their own. “You know, [you] can take everyone individually out, and they would [still] absolutely rocket,” she says.
But Ferguson, who plays Lady Jessica in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films, certainly stands out on her own as well—and the New York premiere look was one of her most personal outfits yet. It’s clear that spur0-of-the-moment decisions can sometimes turn out for the best. “We literally just have fun, and sometimes you mess it up,” she tells me. “You know, everything isn’t perfect.”
When I tell her that I did in fact love the look, she says she’s happy to hear it. But she adds, “It doesn’t really matter as well, because some people will like it. Some people won’t like it. Some people will think it looks absolutely crazy and masquerades … but that’s what’s fun. The times that I kind of didn’t really see myself because I was a little bit of a beige hideaway—that’s not interesting. We’re selling a movie. … We’re making fun for people to talk about and gossip about and hate and love. And, you know, that’s what fashion is.”
Joel is the editorial and social media assistant for HarpersBAZAAR.com, where he covers all things celebrity news. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him singing off-key at concerts, scavenging thrift stores for loud wardrobe staples, or perusing bookstores for the next great gay romance novel.