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Highlights:

• Florence Pugh made a striking return to the Venice Film Festival, appearing at a Max Mara event in a cropped top and dramatic midi skirt after several years away from the festival's red carpet.
• On 18 December, she stars in two of the year's biggest films on the same day, Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, a clash fans have already nicknamed "Dunesday" in a direct nod to 2023's Barbenheimer phenomenon.
• Pugh has said the quiet stretch before the promotional rush was a rare chance to rest, telling one interviewer simply that she'd had time to sleep and go on walks.

Florence Pugh hadn't made a major appearance at the Venice Film Festival since 2022, when she turned up for Don't Worry Darling in a shimmering off-shoulder Valentino gown. This year, she's back, fronting a Max Mara event in a cropped top and midi skirt that did exactly what her past Venice looks have always done: made sure nobody was talking about anyone else's outfit that day. It's also, whether she planned it this way or not, the calm before a genuinely unusual storm.

What did she actually wear?

Two distinct looks, on the same trip. Arriving in the city by water taxi, Pugh opted for a quieter, all-navy Max Mara ensemble, a silky chemise and matching trousers, finished with Max Mara sunglasses, a black Chloé Paddington bag and a gold Bvlgari watch. For the brand's dedicated event, she switched into something considerably bolder: a black cropped turtleneck paired with a Max Mara compact crepe jersey midi skirt, a combination striking enough that it's what most of today's coverage is actually about.