Daisy Ridley plays a competitive swimmer in the Young Woman and the Sea—and while her dress for tonight’s screening in London wasn’t exactly wet suit material, you could still count the look as a nod to method dressing. And the latex material was certainly ready for any rough waters. Despite its sleek material, Ridley’s gown steered clear of skintight fetish vibes and instead was cut in a twist on a more conventionally ladylike silhouette.
The dress comes courtesy of London-based latex house Atsuko Kudo, which counts superstars like Beyoncé, Madonna, and Lady Gaga as longtime clientele. The dress featured a deep-V neckline, with puffed shoulders up top and a traditionally cut pleated skirt below. The look was punctuated by a built-in corset and belt cinching in Ridley’s waist.
Ridley’s hair and makeup team kept the underwater fantasy going. She wore her hair slicked back in a wet look, and kept glam minimal aside from a bold cat eye that echoed the shape of her flipped-out hairstyle. The zipper detail on her white shoes recalled a scuba suit.
Young Woman and the Sea is based on the real-life triumphs of Gertrude Ederle, an American athlete who became the first woman to swim across the English Channel in 1926. The feat earned her the nickname “Queen of the Waves.” Two years prior, Ederle had also won three medals at the Summer Olympics, including a then-record-setting win in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay alongside her teammates. Despite originally being ordered as a Disney+ original, the film will premiere in limited release this weekend.
Ridley, however, did not go full method dressing throughout the promotion run for the film. We’re sure that a team like Zendaya and her image architect, Law Roach, could have gone all in on a “swimming, but make it fashion” fantasy (designers love to occasionally reinvent the humble swim cap as an editorial fashion statement), but not everyone needs to go full throttle. Ridley, however, did seem to have water on the brain. She previously wore two ocean-blue Prada outfits to promote the film.
