Natalie Portman dazzles in a Dior gown recreation at Cannes

Natalie Portman made its triumphant return to the Cannes Film Festival this weekend and rolled back time by more than half a century.

The Oscar-winning actress showed up at the world premiere of her film “may decemberwearing a strapless dress that featured a white bodice and an ornate, scalloped skirt studded with midnight blue beads.

True to form, Portman looked effortlessly chic, with many fashion outlets proclaiming her dress to be one of the The best of the French film festival. But it was actually a modern reinvention of a Christian Dior dress created 74 years ago.

The current artistic director of Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri, was inspired by “Junowhich first appeared as part of the fashion house’s fall/winter collection in 1949. The original dress is named after Juno, the Roman goddess whose Greek counterpart is Hera.

It is owned by the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, although it is not currently on display for visitors. The Met considers “Junon” and another dress created the same year, “Venus”, to be the “most coveted” of Dior’s creations.

“The gorgeous skirt of shaded petals, like abstractions of peacock feathers without their ‘eyes,’ obliquely refers to the bird associated with the Queen of the Olympians,” the institute’s website reads. said.

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time the iconic design was referenced in modern fashion.

Last winter, designer Kim Jones created sleeveless men’s top for Dior which featured similar layers and beads. 2009 by Miley Cyrus Oscar lookdesigned by Zuhair Murad, also bore a striking resemblance.

While Portman’s jaw-dropping style is buzzing, his latest performance may prove even more indelible.

“may decemberdirected by Todd Haynes, stars Portman as Elizabeth Berry, a Hollywood actor who will star in a true crime drama about a 36-year-old woman who becomes a tabloid sensation after she is caught having an affair with a 13-year-old boy. .

To prepare for the role, Elizabeth visits the woman at the center of the decades-old affair, Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore), who hopes the film will shine a light on her story after years of criticism.

The film, which seems to be inspired by real case by Mary Kay Letourneau, received a eight minute standing ovation when it premiered and drew praise critics.

“You can not, can’t do better than having Portman and Moore front and center with juicy roles like these,” Deadline wrote. “Watching their game of cat and mouse again confirms that these two Oscar winners are as good as they come.”