Anya Taylor-Joy might have skipped out on this year’s Met Gala, but her latest red carpet outfit might just be more on-theme than many of last night’s attendees. Yesterday, the actress stepped out to promote her upcoming Mad Max film Furiosa in a metal mini dress that could double as a suit of armor.
The actress attended a photo call in Mexico City while wearing a sculptural Balmain look. Taylor-Joy’s dress, a custom piece by the French brand’s designer Olivier Rousteing, molded precisely to her figure and required a small team to slip into. In a behind-the-scenes video shared to her Instagram account, Taylor-Joy’s dress could be seen being snapped into place at the sides by various metal clasps. The actress’s look didn’t just make a statement by way of its metal fabric, though. It also featured bundles of silver roses that trailed from Taylor-Joy’s shoulders to both the front and back of her bodice. The actress let her Balmain confection shine mainly on its own as she finished off her look with a red lip, a wispy updo, and sheer PVC pumps.
Although Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa co-star Chris Hemsworth co-chaired last night’s Met Gala, the actress clearly had some business obligations on her schedule which explains her absence. Later in the day, Taylor-Joy even sported an edgy crop top and matching shorts to a press conference. Just last week, she attended the Furiosa Australian premiere in an archival look from Paco Rabanne.
Taylor-Joy is no stranger to theme dressing both on and off the Met Gala red carpet. And, even though she was far, far away from the Big Apple, her Furiosa look still managed to completely nail the Met Gala’s dress code: “The Garden Of Time.” The theme is in reference to the J.G Ballard short story of the same name which follows the last days of Count Axel and his wife as their villa—which is surrounded by a garden—comes under threat by an army.
Aside from the obvious floral references, of which there were many on the actual Met Gala red carpet, Taylor-Joy’s armor-like mini dress could be interpreted as nodding to Ballard’s story. With her latest outfit, we were left pondering: Who needs the Met Gala when we have Anya Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa press tour?
