Florence Pugh made a striking return to the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday, arriving at a Max Mara event in a plunging crop top and sweeping, shimmering skirt.
The British actress posed against the city’s historic architecture and by the water, with the fabric of her top draped elegantly over her arms. The matching skirt skimmed her figure before falling into a dramatic floor-length train.
She completed the look with a diamond necklace and matching earrings, carrying a clutch as she paused for photographs during the glamorous appearance.
Pugh had arrived in Venice earlier in the day by water taxi, marking her first appearance at the festival since the high-profile 2022 promotion of Don’t Worry Darling.
Her latest visit comes as she works with Max Mara as the face of its new Le Parfum fragrance. In a recent interview with Vogue Germany, Pugh described the brand as one she had admired since childhood and said she felt honoured to be working with the fashion house.
The actress’s return has inevitably revived memories of the controversy surrounding the 2022 festival, when reports of tensions between Pugh and director Olivia Wilde overshadowed the film’s premiere.
Pugh did not attend the film’s Venice press conference, with Wilde attributing her absence to a scheduling conflict. Instead, the actress was filmed in the city carrying an Aperol Spritz while the event was taking place, in footage that quickly circulated online.
Wilde has denied reports that she and Pugh had a screaming match on the set. She later said she had been advised not to address the speculation publicly, a decision she has since expressed regret over.
On this occasion, Pugh’s appearance was focused firmly on fashion. She posed beside the Venetian waterfront as the evening light caught the metallic fabric of her ensemble, before joining the stream of international stars attending the 83rd festival.
The Venice Film Festival, held on the Lido from 2 to 12 September, has drawn a host of high-profile guests this year, including Penelope Cruz, Pamela Anderson and members of the competition jury chaired by filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal.
