Florence Pugh is on a mission to rid Hollywood of its obsession with “vanity.”
The 27-year-old actress explained in a recent interview with Radio Times — per The Daily Mail — that she fights to “control her image” in the film industry, which is why she unveiled a completely shaved head in May.
“I purposely chose to look like that,” she told the news outlet. “I wanted vanity out of the picture. Hollywood is very glamorous — especially for women — and it’s hard for an audience to see past that.” Pugh explained that whenever an opportunity arises to not “be glam or have a full face of makeup,” she works to “keep it that way.”
“It helps the audience,” Pugh continued. “Vanity is gone. The only thing that people can look at then is your raw face. Even at the beginning of my career, I was always fighting to control my image. … It helps me when I’m wearing less makeup because then I’m less of a sparkly thing on screen. I feel like I’m allowed to do ugly faces, like it’s more acceptable.”
Pugh revealed at the Met Gala on May 1 that she “happily” chopped off her locks for her new film, We Live in Time. “It’s unbelievable. … I thought what is a better way to release [this hairstyle] to the world than at the Met. I’ve been keeping it under wraps for about three weeks now. It makes everything perfect.” Pugh paired the cut with a plunging white gown from Valentino.
The look fit the “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” theme as it featured a dark bow at the center, a nod to the late designer’s love of the accessory. The actress was announced as Valentino’s newest ambassador just days before fashion’s biggest night.
Pugh’s commitment to individualism isn’t limited to her work in film. The U.K. native is also dancing to the beat of her own drum when it comes to fashion — which helped her land her gig with Valentino.
In July 2022, Pugh made headlines when she attended the fashion house’s Haute Couture fashion show wearing a hot pink gown that exposed her nipples. The ensemble sparked major backlash, but Pugh was quick to shut the hate down.
“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,” Pugh wrote via Instagram, sharing her red carpet pics. “I was excited to wear it, not a wink of me was nervous. I wasn’t before, during or even now after.”
Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli told The New York Times earlier this year that Pugh’s unapologetic response to the negative commentary intrigued him.
“The statement was the perfect one to embody the idea I was talking about months ago, about not having canons of beauty — but being unique and different and diverse, showing yourself in a fierce way,” Piccioli told the newspaper. “Florence was just asking for respect about a choice, which is exactly what I’m saying when I do my collection.”
