It’s Fleabag, but not as we know her. When Phoebe Waller-Bridge took to the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last week, she sparkled. Literally. Her outfit – by Armani Privé – was draped in a sheer, diamanté-encrusted mesh. Her hair was slicked back. Her poses were strong and defiant. She was visibly confident. In short, she seemed to have found a new groove.
Throughout 2019, Phoebe enlisted super-stylist Elizabeth Saltzman to curate her looks for high-profile events. She more than delivered: Elizabeth, who counts Gwyneth Paltrow, Saoirse Ronan and Jodie Comer among her clients, was responsible for the gorgeous A Teodoro duck-egg gown that Phoebe wore to the BAFTAs, and the Monique Lhuillier blush tulle at the Emmys. Now, though, Phoebe is doing things differently and, Grazia is told, has been styling herself, with the assistance of her US publicity team.
As a result, there has been a decided shift in the tone of her outfits, as she turns toward black with a twist: see the bespoke Ralph & Russo tuxedo she wore to the Golden Globes. Or the one-shoulder Dior gown she wore to the Critics’ Choice Awards. Phoebe is, a source says, enjoying the new challenge that styling offers her. ‘She gets grabbed by inspiration, in her work and her style,’ says a friend. ‘The successes of recent months have buoyed her with confidence, pushing her to embrace the rockier side of her personality. She’s trying new things and taking new risks.’ Phoebe’s make-up artist Nikki DeRoest told Grazia that her new look is also very reminiscent of the ’90s, ‘So we wanted to go ’90s effortless glam. We wanted her skin to glow, but the tones to all be muted, almost like she wasn’t wearing too much make-up.’
Phoebe’s SAG outfit also showed more skin than she is used to, something she addressed when collecting the award for Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor. ‘With all the chaos of the outfits, and the interviews and the six-pack that my make-up artist drew on me this evening, it’s quite easy to be distracted from the thing that has actually happened to us,’ she said.
‘Phoebe doesn’t like to be put in a box,’ the source continued, ‘so she likes to chop and change the way she depicts herself.’ And she’s undoubtedly and unapologetically enjoying this fun new edgy phase.
Last year, when Grazia spoke to Sian Clifford, who plays Fleabag’s on-screen sister Claire, she told us they have an unbreakable rule when choosing what to wear on the red carpet: pick something that makes you feel ‘powerful and clever’. Judging by Phoebe’s ever-evolving style, this is still very much in play.
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