Florence Pugh made her return to the Venice Film Festival on September 8, stepping onto the Lido for the first time since her 2022 "Don't Worry Darling" press tour in a sleek, monochromatic navy look from Max Mara. The appearance lands just weeks after Max Mara named Pugh the face of its first-ever fragrance, giving her Venice return a clear brand tie-in as the 83rd edition of the festival continues through September 12.
Pugh's outfit centered on a cropped top and midi skirt in matching navy, an ensemble reported as a coordinated, head-to-toe moment rather than a single dramatic gown. She completed the look with Max Mara sunglasses and a black Chloé Paddington bag, opting for a cleaner, more pared-back silhouette than the look that made her a Venice fixture three years ago. In 2022, Pugh arrived for "Don't Worry Darling" in a shimmering, off-shoulder silver-embellished Valentino gown that became one of the most talked-about looks of that festival. This time, the styling read as deliberately understated, trading maximalist sparkle for a fitted, tonal outfit built for arrival photos rather than a formal premiere carpet.
Florence Pugh stuns at the Venice Film Festival. pic.twitter.com/4DNWmmNnBj
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 8, 2026
The shift in approach comes as Pugh steps into a new role with Max Mara. The Italian fashion house named the actress the face of its inaugural fragrance, Le Parfum, a launch developed in partnership with DSM-Firmenich perfumers and rolled out in late summer 2026. In brand materials announcing the partnership, Max Mara described Pugh as "a modern icon shaped by instinct" who embodies the house's identity as "timeless yet utterly of her time." Her Venice appearance follows that campaign rollout by only a few weeks, positioning the navy look as an extension of the fragrance's launch moment rather than a standalone red-carpet outing.
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Pugh's return to Venice also comes at a notably different point in her career than her 2022 visit. Since then, she has appeared in "Oppenheimer," "Dune: Part Two," "We Live in Time" and "Thunderbolts*," while largely stepping back from festival-circuit red carpets. She is now approaching one of the busiest release stretches of her career: Pugh stars in both "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Dune: Part Three," which are scheduled to open on the same day, December 18, a same-day franchise collision fans have already nicknamed "Dunesday" in reference to 2023's "Barbenheimer." Her Venice appearance arrives as something of a reintroduction ahead of that run, signaling a return to high-visibility fashion moments after a comparatively quiet stretch off the festival carpet.
For FashionTimes readers tracking Pugh's style evolution, the navy Max Mara look offers a clear contrast point to her red-carpet history, which has largely been defined by Valentino, her longtime go-to label for major appearances, including her role as the brand's DI.VA ambassador. The Max Mara pairing marks a newer, still-developing relationship, and her Venice arrival gives an early look at how that partnership may translate to her personal styling beyond the fragrance campaign itself.
