Where's the Love for Anya Taylor-Joy's Peerless Red Carpet Fashion?
Anya Taylor-Joy is working the red carpets on her press tour for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. She's blessed every stop, from Sydney to Cannes, with sublime statement looks that naturally evolve the dialogue around all the recent showstopping cinema style.
So where's the love?
Sure, Taylor-Joy's big looks have received conventional, almost perfunctory, coverage from the usual digital outlets and Twitter (or X) accounts. But the reception is surprisingly muted compared to what followed Challengers, Dune and the now-archetypal big-time press tour for Barbie.
And I'm not entirely certain why.
Yes, the March and April red carpets for Challengers and Dune both benefitted hugely from the Zendaya effect (i.e. Zendaya existing).
The former even enjoyed an additional boost from costume designer JW Anderson, who lent a little bit of LOEWE luxe to the on- and off-screen proceedings.
But the show-stopping Balmain metalwear and archival Paco Rabanne couture looks that Anya Taylor-Joy wore for Furiosa in May were appreciably wild, full-on fashion moments that only made a delicate splash online.
In fact, the Rabanne outfit drew strangely divided reactions on Twitter, a far cry from the unanimous (and deserved) fawning over Zendaya's red carpet appearances.
This may be down to red carpet fashion fatigue. The one-two punch of Zendaya's huge looks and the 2024 Met Gala might've quenched the thirst for a red carpet serve. Eh, unlikely. A good look is a good look.
Perhaps the social media fashion critics who're often at least partially aid red carpet looks in going viral actually aren't feeling Taylor-Joy's looks... or Tayler-Joy.
I'll admit that these looks don't have the multilayered ingenuity of Zendaya's outfits (styled by Law Roach) or Barbie doll references inherent to Margot Robbie's wardrobe (provided by Andrew Mukamal). It may be that they're comparably surface-level, all pomp and circumstance, and thus not richly provocative enough to get the crowd going.
Personally, I love the looks and how Taylor-Joy wears them but I can see how they're comparably service-level luxury. These are more obvious statements than previous red carpets, though they do tie in with Furiousa's rugged desert attitude.
But Taylor-Joy then flipped the script while keeping her stylistic hot streak alive.
At the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, she swapped her wild bespoke outfits for timeless Hollywood glam, topped off with XXXXL-sized, diva-worthy Jacquemus sunhats.
In fact, on May 14, Taylor-Joy even wore a dress from Jacquemus' wedding capsule (when in France...).
These outfits epitomize unbothered elegance, not unlike Taylor-Joy's personal style, leaning more into classically fashionable territory.
Which, honestly, may be more Taylor-Joy's niche. Though I'd posit that, either way, she's crushing it.
