Liquid Gold: How Emily Blunt Channeled Old Hollywood Glamour in Couture Perfection at Venice
In the pantheon of Venice Film Festival glamour, where cinematic royalty congregates beneath the Italian sun, Emily Blunt delivered a sartorial master class that reminded us why she remains fashion’s most trusted chameleon. Monday evening’s premiere of The Smashing Machine became less about biographical sports drama and more about biographical fashion poetry, as the British actress transformed the red carpet into her personal atelier.
Draped in Tamara Ralph’s Fall 2025 Couture—a rose-gold confection that seemed to capture liquid sunlight itself—Blunt embodied the very essence of Venice’s golden hour. The strapless creation wasn’t merely worn; it was inhabited, its shimmering surface catching every photographer’s flash like a celestial mirror ball descended to earth. The gown’s genius lay in its architectural details: sunburst pleating that cascaded with the fluidity of silk scarves in wind, and those extraordinary teardrop-shaped embellishments that adorned her neckline and hip like precious metallic rain.
But darling, let’s discuss those details that separate the amateur from the artiste. Blunt’s styling choices revealed a fashion intelligence that would make Anna Wintour weep with pride. The center-parted hair, swept behind her ears with deliberate simplicity, created the perfect frame for Tiffany & Co.’s silver-and-pink chandelier earrings—a choice that whispered rather than screamed, allowing the gown’s drama to remain center stage. The complementary floral ring and plum-toned lip completed a color story so sophisticated it could anchor an entire editorial spread.
What’s particularly delicious about this moment is its timing. For weeks, we’ve witnessed Blunt’s method fashion approach while filming The Devil Wears Prada 2, where she’s channeled high fashion through Coach, Dior, and Wiederhoeft among others. Yet here, without Miranda Priestly’s fictional influence, she proved that true style transcends character work—it’s simply who she is.
The evening carried emotional weight beyond fashion. The Smashing Machine, chronicling wrestler Mark Kerr’s journey (with Dwayne Johnson in the titular role), received a thunderous 15-minute standing ovation—one of Venice’s longest this season. Johnson, visibly moved to tears, credited his “best friend” Blunt for unlocking his vulnerability in their latest collaboration following 2021’s Jungle Cruise.
As Blunt portrays Dawn Staples, Kerr’s then-wife navigating the complexities of loving a fighter, her red carpet presence seemed to channel the film’s themes of strength and grace under pressure. Speaking to PORTER, she expressed her commitment to “do right by” Staples—a sentiment that clearly extends to her fashion choices, where every detail serves the greater narrative of elegance meeting authenticity.
In a festival where fashion often feels performative, Blunt’s Venice moment felt genuinely transformative—proof that when great actresses meet great designers, magic isn’t just possible; it’s inevitable.
