Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Wears the Backless Dress to End All Backless Dresses

Every so often, a moment in the middle of the fashion month marathon makes even the weariest editors sit up a little straighter in their seats. This season, it came courtesy of Demna, whose spring 2027 show featured a formidable cast of characters, from sultry sirens in sequins to coiffured OAPs to rich-bitch equestrians. Joining this crew was Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, in an enormous faux-fur coat and sunglasses, looking like the kind of woman who knows her way around a prenup.

Catching up ahead of the LACMA gala this weekend, the star confirmed that our new favorite leading lady is still very much in the room. “She’s back,” Huntington-Whiteley tells me, albeit wearing slightly less clothing this time around. She swapped the enrobing coat for an ostensibly demure high-necked black dress that’s more of a barely-there number at the back. “It’s very Demna-coded, and I think there’s definitely something very similar in spirit to the character,” she says.

The characters, Rosie explains, were divided into three archetypes: “The rebellious aristocrat, the snob and the eccentric. I actually felt like my character embodied a little of all three. There was something obviously very commanding and unapologetic about her, with a certain sort of eccentricity and attitude. I also love that she didn’t take herself too seriously.” It seems the transformation was convincing enough for Derek Blasberg to tell her, “I can see you dug really deep for this character.”

Rosie’s trip into the Demna-verse served as a reminder that a little theatrics can go a long way. “My job as a model is basically being able to step into different characters and explore a designer’s vision. It’s about really understanding their world and finding a way to bring that character to life that feels authentic and natural to me,” she says, adding: “It’s always a reminder, when you do projects like this, of how important attitude is with the clothes we embody. Ultimately, clothes are clothes, but the way you wear them, the attitude and the way you embody them are what really make something memorable, what makes something iconic.”

Rosie’s earliest memories of Gucci are firmly rooted in the Tom Ford era. “Of course, back then I could never afford Gucci, but what’s always struck me is that the brand has this glamour to it. It’s unapologetic,” she says. Those campaigns, she remembers, were everywhere when she was starting out, “at a time when fashion imagery felt like something you really studied and committed to memory. They become part of your reference bank, so to speak. I loved that era and always will. I’ve really worn and loved Gucci on the red carpet ever since, and certainly in my real life too.”

As for her favourite Gucci looks over the years, a few spring to mind. Currently taking the crown (aside from this weekend’s LACMA look, of course) was her 2012 LACMA appearance, for which she wore another open back number, this time in green. “It was sharp and clean, but really sexy.” Clearly, Rosie and Gucci have had a few good outings together, and if Demna has anything to do with it, there are probably a few more characters still to come.