Charli XCX Looks Like an Unconventional Bride at the Wuthering Heights London Premiere

Charli XCX stepped onto the rain-slicked black carpet at London’s Odeon Luxe Leicester Square like a vision from a feverish Victorian dream, where passion collides with tragedy and romance defies conventional rules.

On February 5, 2026, the pop provocateur didn’t just attend the UK premiere of Emerald Fennell’s highly anticipated adaptation of Wuthering Heights; she arrived as an unconventional bride, draped in layers of baby-pink tulle and lace, a sheer veil cascading to the floor like mist over the moors.

This wasn’t a traditional white wedding fantasy. It was something darker, more defiant—a gothic bridal statement that screamed “everything is romantic,” even when it’s soaked in pain, mud, and unbridled emotion.

The gown, a custom creation from Erdem’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection, was a masterclass in theatrical romance. Off-the-shoulder sleeves framed her figure with delicate floral lace, sparkling subtly under the premiere lights. A romantic princess neckline led to a belted waist that echoed Victorian-era wedding attire, while crystal embroidery trailed down the bodice like vines over ancient stone.

The skirt exploded in pleated tulle and layers of baby-pink fabric, voluminous yet ethereal. Completing the look was a full-length, floor-skimming veil in pale pink tulle that enveloped the ensemble, adding an air of tragic mystery. Charli’s signature grungy makeup—smoky eyes beneath the sheer fabric—and soft, flowing waves in her hair grounded the fantasy in her unmistakable edge. Styled by Chris Horan, the outfit felt like method dressing at its most committed: a nod to the film’s pivotal wedding scenes, reimagined through a modern, anti-traditional lens.

This wasn’t Charli’s first foray into period-inspired drama for the Wuthering Heights press tour. Just weeks earlier, she turned heads in a sculptural gold Vivienne Westwood ball gown, with a corseted bodice and an exaggerated balloon skirt jutting out at the hips, creating a silhouette straight out of an 18th-century portrait. Another appearance featured black lace and vintage John Galliano elements paired with Saint Laurent.

Throughout the campaign, Charli and her stylist leaned into the late-Georgian and early-Victorian setting of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, blending historical nods with contemporary flair. But the pink bridal ensemble stood apart—more personal, more poignant, especially considering Charli’s real-life marriage to George Daniel in 2025.

While her actual wedding gown was a minimalist white Vivienne Westwood mini, followed by a sheer Danielle Frankel number for a second celebration in Sicily, this red-carpet version felt far more theatrical, as if she were channelling the wild emotional swings of Catherine Earnshaw herself.

Charli XCX’s involvement in Fennell’s Wuthering Heights goes beyond fashion. She didn’t appear on screen—the leads are Margot Robbie as the fierce Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as the brooding Heathcliff—but she crafted the film’s entire original soundtrack. An album of new songs inspired by the gothic romance, it includes standout tracks like “House” (a collaboration with Velvet Underground legend John Cale, released in November 2025 to widespread acclaim) and “Chains of Love,” which features prominently in the movie’s trailer.

Reflecting on the project, Charli shared: “After being so in the depths of my previous album, I was excited to escape into something entirely new, opposite… When I think of Wuthering Heights, I think of many things. I think of passion and pain. I think of England. I think of the Moors, I think of the mud and the cold. I think of determination and grit.”

Her music mirrors the film’s intensity. Described as a racy, R-rated adaptation, Emerald Fennell’s version embraces the novel’s raw emotional turbulence—passion that borders on obsession, love that destroys as much as it elevates. Robbie has spoken about the demands of the role, noting that her character “cries in every single scene” and swings wildly between emotions.

“The movie kind of demands a lot of all of us,” she told PEOPLE. “I loved playing a character who kind of swings from one wild emotion to another in an instant.” The premiere’s rain-soaked atmosphere only amplified the mood, with stars braving the elements on the black carpet.

Robbie arrived in a daring sheer gown with a Victorian-esque corset and green knotted trim, showcasing her own period-inspired glamour, while Elordi complemented the group in a dapper dark green suit.

Charli’s unconventional bridal look perfectly captured the project’s spirit: a rejection of sanitized romance for something messier, more authentic. The baby-pink hue subverted expectations—no pristine white, but a color evoking tenderness laced with melancholy.

The long, dramatic veil transformed her into a ghostly figure, as if she had wandered off the Yorkshire moors into the 21st century. Fashion critics and fans praised the commitment; one observer called it “amazing” for fully embracing the bridal-esque theme, veil and all, and deemed it “really appropriate for the WH press tour.”

As Wuthering Heights gears up for its theatrical release on February 13, 2026, just in time for Valentine’s Day, Charli XCX’s appearance reminds us that true romance isn’t always pretty or predictable. Sometimes it’s pink lace over grunge, a veil in the rain, and a soundtrack that captures the grit beneath the beauty.

Photo: Dave Benett/Getty Images