Margot Robbie's Victorian-Inspired Hair Corset Steals the Show at Wuthering Heights Premiere
Australian actress Margot Robbie, 35, braved the rainy London weather on Thursday evening to make a stunning appearance at the premiere of Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Wuthering Heights. The star captivated onlookers in a daring sheer gown that featured an intricate corset meticulously crafted from blonde human hair, creating a dramatic and historically inspired look.
A Tribute to the Bronte Sisters
The extraordinary ensemble was designed by London-based fashion house Dilara Findikoglu and drew direct inspiration from a traditional Victorian mourning bracelet once owned by Charlotte Bronte. This poignant accessory, believed to have been fashioned from the hair of her sisters Emily and Anne, served as the creative muse for the corset's unique braiding.
Margot sported a faithful reproduction of this 175-year-old bracelet, which also incorporated gold detailing and a pendant diamond. The actress has frequently championed Findikoglu's designs, having worn several of the label's creations during the 2023 Barbie promotional tour in the United Kingdom.
Director Emerald Fennell's Unconventional Set Designs
Meanwhile, director Emerald Fennell revealed equally unconventional artistic choices behind the scenes. In a discussion at the BFI Southbank, she explained that the wallpaper in protagonist Cathy's bedroom was created using silk printed with images of Margot Robbie's own veins and freckles.
"We asked her to send us all her veins and her freckles, and then we printed it on silk and stuffed it and put latex over it so that it could sweat," Fennell disclosed. "At first glance, you don't see any of it, it's just a beautiful pink room. It's like a visual example of what it feels like to be made a wife, to be made an object of beauty, to be a collector's item."
Unusual Methods to Foster On-Screen Chemistry
Fennell also employed unique psychological techniques to deepen the connection between her lead actors. She created personal "shrines" in the bedrooms of both Margot Robbie and her co-star Jacob Elordi, filled with curated photographs of each other.
"I was like: 'I'm going to go through the internet, I'm going to find their best photos and then I'm going to make shrines in their bedrooms for each other'," the director recounted. "So when Jacob went into his room, he had an insane shrine to worship not just Cathy, but Margot Robbie and then she had the same thing. There's nothing more humanising than somebody's first press photo."
Robbie's Proactive Casting and Character Challenges
Interestingly, it was Margot Robbie who initiated her involvement in the project. After Fennell sent the script to Robbie's LuckyChap Entertainment production company, the actress personally requested to portray the fierce heroine Catherine Earnshaw.
"I sent it to them to produce, and Margot luckily asked if she might play Cathy," Fennell admitted. "I was very nervous to ask her, because I think we have a different relationship, and I didn't want to put her on the spot. I was like: 'Do I go for it?' No, I didn't. Of course I didn't, because she's braver than me. She asked me."
Fennell cautioned that her adaptation does not slavishly follow Emily Bronte's original 1847 novel, stating: "I can't adapt the book as it is but I can approximate the way it made me feel."
Off-Screen Chemistry and Fan Reactions
The palpable off-screen chemistry between Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi has generated significant attention throughout the promotional campaign. Their series of coordinated red carpet appearances has led some observers to draw comparisons with Sydney Sweeney's promotional tactics for Anyone But You in 2023.
Elordi himself fueled this narrative during a recent interview, declaring a "mutual obsession" with his co-star and noting he ensured he was never more than ten metres from Robbie on set. "If you have the opportunity to share a film set with Margot Robbie, you're going to make sure you're within five to ten metres at all times," he told Fandango. "Watching how she drinks tea, how she eats her food. When is it going to slip? And it never comes undone."
A Demanding Role and Period Authenticity
At the premiere, Jacob Elordi complemented his co-star's dramatic look with a dapper dark green suit, gallantly holding an umbrella to shield Robbie from the persistent rain. Robbie has consistently embraced the Georgian era aesthetic throughout the press tour, with her fashion choices thoughtfully referencing the film's historical setting.
Portraying Catherine Earnshaw opposite Elordi's Heathcliff presented considerable emotional challenges. Robbie revealed that her character "essentially cries in every single scene," requiring her to navigate extreme emotional shifts. "The movie kind of demands a lot of all of us," she told PEOPLE. "I loved playing a character who kind of swings from one wild emotion to the other in an instant."
Wuthering Heights is scheduled for general release in cinemas from February 13, promising audiences a visually striking and emotionally intense reinterpretation of the classic literary romance.
