There’s something refreshingly classic about Margot Robbie. ‘Old Hollywood glamour’ is a tired phrase that gets thrown around every award season to the point it loses all meaning. But one glance at Robbie, and you begin to understand the sentiment.

Although thoroughly modern - often dressed in new-gen designers, with a young fanbase, and an image entrusted to breathe new life into Chanel No. 5 - Margot Robbie also possesses the attributes of an old-school movie star. Qualities that modern society often pines for. The almost unnervingly beautiful face with a megawatt smile destined to be captured by cameras. The easy charm. And, crucially, a willingness to disappear entirely into a role. You get the sense that Robbie’s main driving force is a true passion for the craft of making movies. Her headlines are rarely personal; they follow her latest film, while her private life remains remarkably private.

The latest film venture in question? Wuthering Heights. The Emerald Fennell-directed project that’s incited heated debate on the internet for over a year now is finally being released this Valentine’s Day. Its London premiere took place just last night. Opinions on Fennell’s aesthetic and casting choices aside; Margot Robbie’s sartorial choices throughout the press tour have been impossible to ignore. Sitting at the intersection of couture and costume, they’re an extension of the film itself. A further interpretation of her onscreen character’s journey that’s played out on the other side, in reality. In other words: method dressing.

Although by no means new, Robbie is the one who perfected method dressing for a modern audience, ignited by her mega-hit of a few summers ago - Barbie. As well as inciting a frenzy for Barbie pink that was then seen on runways and city streets alike, the Barbie-inspired press tour ensembles were truly a sight to behold. Orchestrated by Robbie’s stylist, Andrew Mukamal, Robbie’s looks consisted of 100+ pieces from designers such as Versace, Chanel and Vivienne Westwood. Robbie and Mukamal’s commitment to the bit culminated in a coffee table book: Barbie: The World tour.

Fast forward to 2026, and both Robbie and Mukamal are aiming for lightning to strike twice – although this time around with a distinctive twist of dark romance.

Every moment is intentional, not even the smallest detail is left to chance. At the Wuthering Heights Hollywood premiere, there was the magnificent Schiaparelli gown with a gradient-effect hem. Its crimson base pooled into the lacquered red floor beneath – a direct riff on a set from the film. When asked by a reporter at the premiere what the inspiration behind the dress was, Robbie’s response was simple: “Wuthering Heights itself”. Her red carpet wardrobe mirrors her character’s arc, with narrative cues woven directly into the garments.

Beyond the red carpet, Robbie’s press junket looks are slightly more daytime-ready, yet no less considered. Her hair is worn consistently long and wavy with a half up-do. Very much Victoriana-coded. In terms of the fashion, highlights have included a gothic, black lace number by Alexander McQueen for an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. For a photo call in LA there was a distinctly reptilian design from Dilara Findikoglu in the signature Wuthering Heights hue – crimson. Detailing his inspiration for this look, Andrew Mukamal quoted the original novel: “I’d rather be hugged by a snake.”

When it comes to the performance that is method dressing, Margot Robbie undoubtedly takes top billing. Yet there’s been another 2026 red carpet regular whose fashion choices also tell a thrilling story, one that she shares in part with Robbie.

Charli XCX is making moves from stage to screen, and Wuthering Heights is only one of the many upcoming releases her name is attached to. Another releasing soon is The Moment. Instead of providing the music, XCX is the star of this mockumentary-style production, where the drama that unfolds is a fictionalisation of what occurred behind the green curtain of her monumental Brat tour.

What does method dressing evolve into when you’re portraying yourself? Some very meta moments. Throughout the press tour, Charli XCX’s wardrobe could be perceived as an homage to herself. All the XCX hallmarks were present and correct: leather, band tees, poker-straight black hair and smouldering eyes. At The Moment’s screening at Sundance Film Festival there was even a full Saint Laurent moment, complete with suit and tie and fur trailing the ground. A visual representation of one of Charli XCX’s crowning achievements; being named the face of Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer ‘26 campaign.

The self-referencing reached fever pitch at The Moment’s LA premiere. Flanked by co-stars Kylie Jenner and Rachel Sennott, XCX appeared in what could only be described as a deconstructed iteration of one of her most iconic looks. 2025 was the year when XCX took home three Grammy awards. She wore a pale blue, ruffled Jean Paul Gaultier gown that was part of a collection guest designed by Ludovic de Saint Sernin. A year later she donned the same gown with the ruffles entirely ripped off, distilled to just the bodice, for the premiere of a film dramatising the harsher realities of her life at peak Brat.

Margot disappears into character, Charli amplifies herself. Both harness fashion as a means of storytelling. From Barbie pink to Victoriana crimson, from swathes of ruffles to deconstructed bodices, method dressing has evolved into a language all its own. It shapes trends, sparks conversations and blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. The question now isn’t the validity of method dressing; it’s how far the next star is willing to take it.