Alicia Vikander Brings Sci-Fi Princess Style to the Red Carpet

Alicia Vikander transforms as Katherine Parr, the last wife of King Henry VIII, in Karim Aïnouz’s latest film Firebrand. And while the actress looked like red carpet Royalty during the film’s New York City premiere last night, her gown veered more towards sci-fi runway princess than Tudor-era Queen of England.

Vikander dazzled the Tribeca Festival in a glittery gown from Nicolas Ghesquière’s recent cruise collection for Louis Vuitton. Her dress, designed in baubles of watercolor sequins, featured a scoop neckline and a floor-skimming maxi skirt. A side slit and dreamy ruffles added a whimsical touch to Vikander’s outfit. But it was her UFO-shaped Louis Vuitton bag, dubbed the “Toupie,” that brought things in a futuristic direction. Her silver clutch picked up on the glimmer in her gown and was accented by a chain strap and a lock detail.

Vikander topped off her look with tousled, casual hair and a fresh face of makeup. Hollywood has been inundated with red carpet method dressing of late. Last night, likely for the best, Vikander opted to channel Royal style with a more avant-garde, runway tinge instead of something in keeping with the period costumes seen in Firebrand.

Vikander and her stylist Victoria Sekrier seem to have slightly altered the Louis Vuitton look from when it first debuted on the runway last month. They gave the dress a higher waist and paired it with strappy silver heels instead of black mules.

Firebrand, which first debuted at Cannes last year, tells the story of Parr (Vikander) who agrees to be the sixth wife of the notorious King Henry VIII (Law) during the final years of his reign. The pair are embroiled in an intense power struggle throughout the historical drama which is based on Elizabeth Fremantle’s 2013 novel Queen's Gambit.

“I realized I knew the least about this woman who survived out of the wives,” Vikander told Morning Joe earlier this week of her role. “One thing that was remarkable was that she was actually the first ever published woman in Britain.”

Vikander continued, “This film is about a survivor. She stepped into this job, being this wife, knowing where the previous wives had ended up,” she said in reference to the King’s previous wives who had been disappeared or beheaded. “She had her task very clear ahead of her, she knew she would have to get close to this man. She needed him to trust her more than anything.”