Spectre’s Bond Leading Lady and Her Red Carpet Looks

Before British actress Naomie Harris sits down at last night’s Omega screening ofSpectre to discuss her copious outfit changes for the film’s whirlwind, worldwide tour,

she needs to first confirm the designer of the strapless cream car-wash-pleated dress she’s sheathed in for the evening. In the past two weeks, from Switzerland to Mexico, the newfound James Bond leading lady has dazzled in the likes of Valentino, Balmain, Stella McCartney, and Dior, bringing her all the way to the Dion Lee look she’s wearing in New York City. “I’ve had 35 dresses!” she says, laughing. “I’m a bit like, ‘Where am I?’ I was in L.A. yesterday, and then the day before we were in Mexico, the day before that in Moscow, before that in Berlin and Zurich. I don’t know which way I’m coming or going. In one day in Berlin, I was in three outfit changes!”

Moving from time zone to time zone, one press junket to the next, it’s easy to see how one’s wardrobe could start appearing like a big blur, but the actress who plays Eve Moneypenny, the shrewd adviser to James Bond’s Secret Intelligence boss, can rest assured that her red carpet looks have been sending rather clear signals.

There was the jaw-dropping celestial-themed Valentino gown she wore in Berlin, the punchy orange corseted Stella McCartney column gown in London, and, yes, that racy metallicThierry Mugler mini with the strategically placed cutouts (“You know the hilarious thing about the Thierry Mugler? I didn’t actually realize it was a daring dress!”). Thus far, Harris’s high-octane red carpet style seems to be about color and texture, without overthinking any overarching message. “Somebody said to me, ‘Do you have a theme?’ I don’t really believe in that. I like every outfit to be unique, and I like it all to be fun, and because each dress is so distinct, if you try to throw it all into one kind of theme, it just wouldn’t work!” she explains.

The same could be said for the wardrobe of her on-screen alter ego. Moneypenny’s staid motif of pussy-bow blouses and secretary chic over the years has been upended entirely via Harris’s modern portrayal. “Moneypenny has moved on from those days, and I’m happy about that!” she says, smiling. Skyfall’s and Spectre’s costume designer, Jany Temime, was initially going to reflect that original secretary look (think plenty of gray), but Temime soon realized it didn’t quite align with the new Moneypenny and her new role (in Spectre, she’s working as a field officer).

“Jany said, ‘We need more color! She needs to be more quirky!’ And I like that, because she’s having a quiet rebellion,” says Harris. “Everything is so traditional in the context of MI6, and with the introduction of color and a bit more vibrancy, she’s allowed her character a bit more exploration.” By injecting bold reds and blues into her otherwise conservative wardrobe of buttoned-up blouses and pencil skirts, Moneypenny is able to exert her newfound strength as she moves from behind the desk and into the middle of the action, all while flirting with 007 along the way. In a word, she’s the ultimate alt Bond girl—rather than turning to the formula of plunging necklines and catsuits as other Bond bombshells before her, Moneypenny showcases her allure with a subtlety that slyly smolders.

“I love playing with sexuality and sexual tension without it being—,” here Harris pauses for effect and motions toward her chest. “Because, actually, most of the time when you really fancy someone it has nothing to do with this. It’s really about the person who stimulates your mind, who has an amazing sense of humor, and it’s about these other qualities . . . just the chemistry. So I love the fact that Moneypenny and Bond get to play with all of that without it being about tits and ass.”

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