Maisie Williams has turned the Practical Magic 2 press tour into a stylish tribute to her on-screen mother, Sandra Bullock, by revisiting several of the actress’s most memorable red-carpet looks.
Williams, who plays Bullock’s daughter Antonia in the sequel, wore a bespoke deep-red ensemble by British designer Ellie Misner to the film’s London premiere on Wednesday, August 26. The corseted top and satin skirt were inspired by a two-piece outfit Bullock wore at the 1999 premiere of Forces of Nature.
The modern version included a sweeping train and Bulgari jewellery, with Williams’s stylist Dino Bonačić updating Bullock’s original 1990s look for the premiere. Williams told Vogue that the decade’s “eclectic and chaotic” fashion, with its emphasis on individuality, had been central to the tour’s styling.
Williams continued the homage at a London photocall the following day, wearing a black off-the-shoulder dress from Bullock’s wardrobe. Bullock originally wore the gown to the 2006 premiere of Infamous in New York.
The dress was altered to fit Williams and accessorised with vintage brooches, layered necklaces, moon-shaped earrings and a small chain-handle coin purse. The designer of the original gown remains unknown, as there was no label inside it.
Bullock appeared to approve of the fashion handover, sharing photographs of Williams in the archive pieces on social media. “My Antonia girl, you can raid Mama’s closet anytime,” she wrote, crediting Bonačić with bringing the looks back to life.
Williams said Bullock had initially been unaware that the red premiere outfit was based on one of her own looks. When told about the reference, Bullock was said to have been “so excited”.
At the film’s European premiere, Bullock also praised the younger members of the cast, describing them as “extraordinary” and saying they were “absolutely prepared” for the demands of joining the established franchise.
Practical Magic 2 reunites Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, alongside Williams, Joey King, Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod. The sequel is due to arrive in cinemas on September 11.
