Forget the statement coat. Florence Pugh is all-in on the statement shoulder. And, in true Florence Pugh fashion, she’s doing nothing by halves. At an East of Eden FYC event in Los Angeles, the actor arrived wearing a black satin Harris Reed ensemble with shoulders of such exaggerated proportions that they practically deserved their own invitation.
Styled by Rebecca Corbin-Murray, Pugh wore a look from Reed’s spring 2027 collection, featuring enormous, sculptural sleeves that rose above her head like a pair of black wings. Beneath all that architectural drama was a tightly fitted, button-front corseted jacket and a slim pencil skirt, a silhouette that balanced Victorian severity with something subversive. (The look actually first appeared in the bridal-focused collection in all-white, but Pugh and Reed decided on the more gothic vibe.) She added towering Vivienne Westwood platform sandals and a constellation of diamond earrings from Maria Tash.
Photo: Getty Images
It’s hardly surprising that Pugh would turn to Harris Reed for such a theatrical yet elegant moment. The British designer is a longtime friend and collaborator: Pugh opened his fall 2023 London Fashion Week show in a sequined harlequin gown and enormous halo headpiece, delivering a Shakespeare-inspired monologue about the transformative power of clothes. She returned to open his fall 2025 presentation at Tate Britain, emerging in a pointed black corset and hooded gown for an eerie, dramatic performance. Reed’s designs, with such unabashed romanticism and allegiance to craft, have long been a natural extension of Pugh’s own fashion sensibilities.
The beauty look was equally striking. Makeup artist Alex Babsky gave Pugh a deep, wine-stained lip, softly smoked mauve-gray eyes, and flushed cheeks, while hairstylist Adir Abergel twisted her blonde hair into a deliberately undone, almost Regency-style updo, with wisps escaping around her face.
The night before, Pugh had embraced a more relaxed take on historical dressing. She appeared alongside her East of Eden co-star Zoe Kazan in a richly patterned Ralph Lauren Collection jacquard Maurice jacket, layered over the matching Thurlow corset top and a dark, floor-length Janie maxi skirt. She added Bulgari Serpenti Viper jewelry, Maria Tash diamond earrings, and chunky Christian Louboutin platform sandals to keep things modern.
Photo: Getty Images
Throughout the East of Eden promotional circuit, Pugh and Corbin-Murray have found a particularly satisfying meeting point between the actor’s maximalist instincts and the romantic, historical world of the Netflix adaptation. There have been enormous black Rodarte ruffles, a corseted Vivienne Westwood gown in shocking chartreuse, and an Erdem ensemble that paired sparkling lingerie with a kilt—the prettiest looks always come with a rebellious streak. While this time the finishing touch was the XXL shoulders, she recently made her red carpet debut with boyfriend Finn Cole on her arm.
Corsetry has emerged as a common thread, but Florence Pugh has never been one to play the demure period heroine. The bigger the shoulders, the better.
