Anya Taylor-Joy Defines “Ethereal” at Dune Premiere: Part Two

Stepping out in a chalk-white pleated silk dress embellished with a translucent white hooded veil, all by Dior Haute Couture, the Queen’s Gambit star looked like an angel flowing gracefully on the red carpet. 

Anya Taylor-Joy at Dune Premiere: Part Two

At this point, we all know how the whole Dune cast loves acing the press tour gowns with their method dressing, her presence in this monastic classical dress confirms her role as Alia Atreides in the film, the younger sister to Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides. Her character in the Dune universe is a startlingly precocious child who possesses all of Bene Gesserit’s abilities from birth. Thus, with the veil hung from the top of her head to the tops of her thighs in an upside-down V pattern that framed her face, this implies a possibly conjuring of a newborn’s innocence. 

Anya Taylor-Joy jewelry in Dune Premiere

 Her glamorous gown was flawlessly complemented by her signature makeup look, which included a frosty blonde slicked-back bun, delicate rosy makeup, and a deep red lip. To elevate her monochrome ensemble, Taylor-Joy wore an oval ring and a large tennis bracelet encrusted with white diamonds from the 101 collection of Jaeger-LeCoultre, which she serves as a brand ambassador. If you have a closer look, the bracelet is actually a miniature watch, with just 14mm long and less than 5mm wide, containing a mechanical marvel. 

Jaeger-LeCoultre miniature watch

Despite the praise towards Anya Taylor-Joy for her stunning entrance at the premiere, the actress also received some criticism for wearing the gown that resembles a Muslim burka and hijab. This is seen as an act of cultural appropriation by some and the representation of double standards by others as they commented: “A white girl wearing it is fashion, a brown or Muslim girl wearing it is oppressed.” Nonetheless, this also sparks another controversy over the look as it could be derivative of Catholicism (a Catholic nun in this case).