Margot Robbie’s latest press tour has fashion historians doing double takes.
While promoting Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights,” the actress and her stylist Andrew Mukamal are serving up a masterclass in historical fashion references—with a distinctly modern twist.
Accuracy? Not exactly the goal here.
But for anyone fascinated by how period pieces translate to red carpet glamour, these looks offer something far more intriguing than museum-worthy recreations.
Historical Fashion as Creative Playground
Mukamal and Robbie approach historical references like suggestions rather than rules. Their method mixes eras with gleeful abandon, creating looks that feel both timeless and utterly contemporary.
Take the Roberto Cavalli dress Robbie wore to launch the film’s promotion last month. The square neckline screamed Tudor England. The Fausto Puglisi necklace with ruby pendant drew inspiration from 18th century paintings. The mini-skirt hemline? Pure 1960s.
This isn’t historical costuming—it’s historical remixing. And it’s brilliant.
Victorian Mourning Jewelry Gets Red Carpet Treatment
Robbie’s most striking look arrived at the London premiere. She wore a translucent boned corset dress by Turkish-British designer Dilara Findikoglu, constructed with authentic Victorian lace.
But the real story lay in the details. Braided synthetic hair, hand-dyed to match the dishwater blonde shade of Brontë sisters Anne and Emily, accented the dress in rope-like tresses.
The inspiration? Victorian mourning jewelry—pieces crafted from braided hair of deceased loved ones. On Robbie’s left wrist sat a replica of a bracelet Charlotte Brontë had made after Emily and Anne died.
Morbid? Perhaps. But this sartorial memento mori made mortality tangible for Victorians, ultimately helping them celebrate life more fully.
Napoleon Meets Emily Brontë
At a London photo call earlier this week, Robbie explored late 1700s aesthetics through a John Galliano brocade frock coat. She styled it with a black mini skirt, thigh-high scarlet stockings, and satin Manolo Blahnik pumps.
The archival fur-trimmed jacket came from Galliano’s legendary Spring-Summer 1992 collection. Robbie wore it as a top, secured with ladder hook-and-eye fastenings running down the front.
That collection featured slip dresses, shirts with undulating ruffles, and jacquard silk jackets constructed to appear permanently burst open. Galliano drew inspiration from Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine’s romance.
Here’s where it gets clever: Napoleon and Josephine lived from the late 1760s through early 1800s—exactly when Brontë set “Wuthering Heights.”
Literary References Woven Into Every Look
Mukamal isn’t just pulling looks from fashion archives. He’s doing close readings of Brontë’s novel, documenting his process on Instagram with quotes that illuminate his choices.
In January, Mukamal dressed Robbie in two feathered Victoria Beckham pieces—a white mini dress and black vest. His Instagram caption quoted a passage where Cathy, delirious from illness, tears apart pillows and plays with spilling feathers.
When Robbie appeared in full red snakeskin from Dilara Findikoglu—corset, jacket, and mini skirt—Mukamal let Heathcliff speak. He quoted the character’s biting insult from the novel’s second half:
I’d rather be hugged by a snake.
Each outfit becomes a visual essay, connecting literary themes with fashion history and modern silhouettes.
Why Historical Accuracy Misses The Point
Anyone seeking period-perfect recreations will find disappointment. Those folks should revisit Robbie’s 2023 “Barbie” press tour, where she and Mukamal painstakingly replicated outfits worn by actual Mattel dolls over decades.
But that’s not what this tour aims to achieve. Instead, these looks offer something richer for fashion enthusiasts:
- Cross-era dialogue: Tudor necklines meet ’60s hemlines without apology
- Literary translation: Novel passages transformed into wearable art
- Historical remixing: Period elements recombined for contemporary impact
- Conceptual storytelling: Each outfit advancing narrative themes
Mukamal treats historical references like prompts on dating profiles—not meant for literal interpretation, but serving as fun jumping-off points for creative exploration.
Fashion History as Living Art
These red carpet appearances become key texts for anyone interested in how fashion history evolves. Robbie and Mukamal demonstrate that period references needn’t constrain modern style.
They’ve incorporated bustles—silhouettes more popular during Emily Brontë’s lifetime than her character Cathy’s, who lived 50 years earlier. They’ve layered corsets, black lace, and chokers with abandon.
Historical precision? Irrelevant. Cultural conversation? Absolutely happening.
Each look sparks discussion about Victorian mourning customs, Napoleonic-era fashion, Brontë’s literary legacy, and contemporary design innovation. That’s far more valuable than perfectly accurate costuming.
Method Behind The Madness
What makes this approach work? Mukamal and Robbie understand that fashion tells stories differently than film or literature.
Red carpet dressing allows compression—multiple eras, references, and themes collapsed into single garments. A viewer might catch Tudor England in a neckline while another spots Victorian mourning jewelry. Someone else notices ’90s Galliano recontextualized for 2025.
Every observer brings different knowledge, creating layered interpretations. That’s sophisticated fashion communication.
These looks prove that historical inspiration becomes most powerful when filtered through contemporary vision. Mukamal isn’t recreating past eras—he’s in active dialogue with them.
Since “Wuthering Heights” theatrical costuming has sparked outrage among historical accuracy purists, Robbie’s press tour offers deliberate counterpoint. Why recreate when you can reinterpret?
It might not satisfy historians demanding precision. But for fashion enthusiasts who appreciate creativity, literary depth, and bold styling choices? It’s certainly delivering something more interesting than museum recreations.