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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Lifestyle
Joe Bromley

Renée Zellweger shines at otherwise car-crash Bridget Jones premiere

Renée Zellweger can do no wrong — even donning her best Barbiecore look, a vintage fuchsia satin gown from Pierre Balmain, she shone at the London premiere of "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy"; the fourth and final installation of the beloved film series.

Renée Zellweger (Getty Images)

The Texan-born actress paired the strapless gown, complete with exploding train from the Fall 2000 haute couture collection, with metallic pink Louboutin stilettos and a statement bling ring as she posed up a storm with other well-dressed cast members Leo Woodall, smart in a Loewe chocolate brown corduroy suit, and Hugh Grant, safe wearing a black tux and unbuttoned white shirt.

Leo Woodall, Renee Zellweger and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dave Benett/WireImage)

Other respectably clad co-stars counted Chiwetel Ejiofor, in a black suit with navy suit and tie, Celia Imiere, who was ravishing in a tuxedo with ivory satin lapels, and Sarah Solemani, who adopted the naked dressing trend in a bodysuit and transparent, black embroidered lace frock.

Renée Zellweger and Hugh Grant (Getty Images)

Elsewhere, discouragingly, the whole event descended into mad, candy-floss, Instagram flower walled, Jeff Goldblum jazz hands dressing. What has gone wrong with the premiere circuit? Look back to the first two London openings in this franchise alone, and it’s all Naomi Campbell in dark, flared denim, Keira Knightley in lace vests and Mr Valentino himself, arriving in a dapper pinstripe navy suit.

Colin Firth, Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant attend the UK Premiere of

Best believe Valentino Garavani remained safe at the haute couture shows in Paris last night, as reams of TikTokers took to the violently pink Odeon Luxe Leicester Square carpet in Strictly Come Dancing gold, sequin jumpsuits, ill-fitting floral satin suits worn with exposed bras, Lauren Sánchez style, a blinding number crystal ASOS bags — hell, Made In Chelsea alum Sophie Habboo even helped host the evening in a full, Catwoman second-skin latex suit.

The Traitors’ Francesca Rowan-Plowden (Getty Images)

It is painfully obvious, now, that the bar for a premiere night dressing has crashed into the floor. Anything in a shade so startlingly fluorescent or blisteringly shiny it forces a photographer's hand to take a snap appears to be the choice à la mode, as demonstrated during the press tours of Barbie through Wicked. Might it be time for reassessment?

London premiere of "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy"

Anna Elisabet Eberstein and Hugh Grant (Getty Images)
Celia Imrie (Getty Images)
Laura Bailey (Getty Images)
Vanessa Feltz (Getty Images)
Helen Fielding (Getty Images)
Sarah Solemani (Getty Images)

Bert De Kock, right (Getty Images)
Daniel Afshinnejad and Sofia Wistam (Getty Images)
Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo (Getty Images)
Jane Dowden (Getty Images)
Stuart Armfield (Getty Images)

Ollie Locke (Getty Images)
Shirley Henderson (Getty Images)
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