FASHION

Cate Blanchett Pulls Out Her Favorite Red Carpet Trick in Venice

by Matthew Velasco

Cate Blanchett attends a red carpet for the series "Disclaimer" during the 81st Venice International...
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Cate Blanchett is having a ball with pearls at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. After re-purposing a strand of the ladylike stone for the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice premiere yesterday, Blanchett just hit the red carpet in a dramatic twist on the classic pearl necklace.

As the star of Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer, Blanchett brought the drama to the series’s Venice premiere. The actress slipped into a slick Armani Privé catsuit that featured a plunging front accented by a single round button. She paired the long-sleeved piece with black pumps and an elegant ear cuff. Chic jumpsuits like this one have been a staple of Blanchett’s red-carpet wardrobe, so it isn’t exactly surprising to see the actress revert back to the silhouette. But, the remainder of Blanchett’s look co-signed another staple of her style: the statement back.

The actress’s one-piece flowed into a cut-out detail at the back. Her reverse cleavage was dripping in layers of pearls that trailed down from her shoulders. Of course, Blanchett has worn many backless gowns over the years—the floral John Galliano stunner she wore to the 1999 Oscars is perhaps her most famous—but this moment turned something as simple as the classic jumpsuit into an unexpected twist on demure pearls.

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Blanchett arrived in Venice yesterday, assumably with a suitcase full of statement jewelry. Joining the cast of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Blanchett looked breathtaking in another Armani Privé gown styled with a re-worn Louis Vuitton necklace. The piece, which sat gracefully along the actress’s collarbones, was part of the Jean Paul Gaultier dress she wore to the Cannes Film Festival in May. It was made out of repurposed diamonds and pearls and even included stones from two other necklaces Blanchett wore to the BAFTA Awards in 2023 and 2024.

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The pearl necklace has been a go-to for actresses since the dawn of Hollywood, with the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe making it a cornerstone of their style. But, with her Venice outfits, Blanchett proved that her pearls are definitely not your grandmother’s pearls.