Florence Pugh Frees the Nipple at Valentino Couture Show

The British actress has been known to take some bold fashion risks and her look for this year’s Valentino Couture show was no exception

There’s perhaps no other movie star these days who takes as many style risks as Florence Pugh. The British actress has quite the track record when it comes to her daring fashion choices and Florence Pugh added to that list once again with another free the nipple moment.

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While attending the Valentino Fall 2023 Couture show on July 5, Pugh went braless in a sheer, lilac gown that featured layers of draped fabric, a plunging neckline and a ruffled collar. She looked both edgy and delicate as the dress’ shocking transparency and revealing backless silhouette directly contrasted with its light material and flowy train — a uniquely audacious combination that the Little Women star has worn on several occasions.

She also debuted a fresh take on her buzzcut, which she first sported at this year’s Met Gala, as she turned heads with a new bright pink colour. The movie starlet allowed her tulle Valentino gown and the vibrant shade of her latest hairstyle to shine by pairing the outfit with a classic glam makeup look, minimalistic diamond earrings and her iconic septum ring.

Between her new ‘do and the shockingly sheer dress, fashion fans quickly took to social media as they shared Pugh’s latest couture look. And, while some championed her expressive style choices, others weren’t the biggest fans of the unique look. But after last year’s controversy, this shouldn’t be a surprise.

In case you don’t remember, during last year’s couture fashion week in Rome, the actress generated a ton of controversy online as she arrived at the Valentino Fall 2022 Couture show wearing a sheer, pink gown, with her nipples fully visible.  At the time, Florence Pugh addressed the nipple controversy on her Instagram by saying, “Listen, I knew when I wore that incredible Valentino dress that there was no way there wouldn’t be a commentary on it. Whether it be negative or positive, we all knew what we were doing. I was excited to wear it, not a wink of me was nervous. I wasn’t before, during or even now after.”

After a lengthy caption in which she called out body-shamers and double standards, she ended the post by sharing a photo of her covering her nipples with her fingers and completed her caption with, “Oh! The last slide is for those who feel more comfortable with that inch of darker skin to be covered… #fuckingfreethefuckingnipple”

Pugh followed up the controversial pink Valentino dress a few months later with a different see-through, nipple-freeing look in October 2022. In another head-to-toe Valentino look, Pugh sported a sheer, sequin-detailed crop top and maxi skirt set as she attended Spring 2023 Paris fashion week — which also caught a lot of media attention.

Back in September 2022, Pugh seemingly made a different kind of statement through her audacious outfit choice at the premiere of Olivia Wilde’s film Don’t Worry Darling, in which she starred opposite Harry Styles and, allegedly, endured a ton of backstage drama while making the movie. As she attended the red carpet in none other than a Valentino Fall 2022 couture glittery, sheer dress with feathery heels and a classic old-Hollywood-esque glamour beauty look, some onlookers suspected that the actress’ bold style choice was sending a message of defiance in response to how she’d been treated surrounding the release of the film. And, while she and her cast-mates outfits each had their own individual style, Pugh’s look did not complement any of her co-stars’, making the few group shots from the event look chaotic and out-of-sync.

Yet, Pugh did drop some hints that this may have been her intention with wearing the daring look all along. When asked what she found inspiring about working on the film during the premiere, she seemingly confirmed suspicions of behind-the-scenes drama as she said, “I think it’s very very inspiring to see a woman push back and say ‘no,’ and question everything. It’s very exciting to see a woman do that on and off camera.” Knowing the details of the drama surrounding the film, that defiant attitude certainly came through in her outfit choice for the Hollywood occasion.

From her most-talked-about looks of just the past few years, the actor has certainly proved that she’s consistently one to watch both on and off the red carpet. While she’s proven to be loyal to Valentino for her outfits, the question remains: what will she wear next? Perhaps Florence Pugh will wear more free the nipple-inspired looks as she gears up to promote her role in the second instalment of the highly-anticipated Dune series? Only time will tell what Pugh’s next major fashion move will be, but we’ll surely be keeping an eye on her ever-evolving style.