Angelina Jolie plays opera singer Maria Callas in the biographical, psychological drama film Maria, and she dressed the part while promoting her new movie at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
While I adore Jolie’s edgy, sophisticated style, I also admire how she adds a touch of classic elegance to the red carpet, demonstrating her ability to look put together in any outfit.
Angelina Jolie opts for diva looks as she promotes her new biographical drama, Maria, in long designer gowns evocative of Maria Callas at the 81st Venice Film Festival (Credit: Cover Images / Abaca Press / IPA / INSTARimages)
How Angelina Jolie Transformed into Operatic Soprano Maria Callas
Maria is set in the 1970s, during Maria Callas’ final years in Paris. The American-Greek operatic soprano, one of opera’s most famous singers in the mid-20th century, revived the appeal of classical coloratura with her dramatic and lyrical flexibility.
During her time, Callas was hailed as La Divina (The Divina Woman) and La Diva Assoluta (The Absolute Diva).
Maria is reportedly the third and final film in Pablo Larraín’s trilogy of 20th century “iconic women,” which also includes Jackie (2016), starring Natalie Portman, and Spencer (2021), top-billed by Kristen Stewart.
Angelina Jolie said she took classes to prepare for the role, thanking director Pablo Larraín for putting up a team to train her.
“It wasn’t easy. I was fortunate to have a director who truly understood and respected opera. He knew how much work was required and assembled a team around me to teach me,” she told Variety.
“He made sure I had the classes I needed and gave me the space to practice. From the beginning, he understood that I needed extra time to prepare, and he always supported my transformation process,” Jolie continued.
“This is the hardest, the most challenging role,” Jolie told Reuters at the Venice Film Festival. “I thought I could sing like people sing in film, you pretend to sing or you sing a little. And it was very clear early on that I was going to really have to learn to sing because you can’t really fake opera,” she said.
Now, if you’re going to ask if Angelina Jolie sang in Maria, believe it or not, she did! And she received an eight-minute standing ovation at the Sala Grande Theatre during the film’s Venice Film Festival premiere!
In addition to being recognized for her performance, I believe Angelina should have been commended for the stylish outfits she wore to the annual film festival!
Regal in Tamara Ralph Gown and Aquazzura Heels
I applaud Angelina for staying in character and emulating Maria Callas off-screen! At the premiere of Maria, the Cyborg 2 actress looked every inch the classy opera singer in a custom beige gown by Tamara Ralph.
With her commitment to craftsmanship and luxurious details, the Australian fashion designer is making a remarkable comeback to the fashion scene after her former label, Ralph & Russo, which she co-founded with her ex-fiance, Michael Russo, collapsed.
I love the bespoke ensemble she created for Jolie, which consisted of a strapless beige chiffon gown and a faux fur stole. It perfectly embraced Old Hollywood glamour and brought out Jolie’s inner diva.
Some may find the stole a tad excessive—especially given the sweltering heat in Venice, but I thought it injected a touch of royal flair into the look.
Angelina Jolie embraces Old Hollywood with her custom beige Tamara Ralph chiffon gown at the Venice Film Festival premiere of Maria (Credit: IPA / INSTARimages)
The chiffon gown flawlessly accentuates Jolie’s curves. It has a snug, ruched bodice that unfolds into an asymmetrically draped skirt with a ruffled hem that pools around her feet, eclipsing her shoes.
Fortunately, I got a good look at her shoes when she lifted her skirt to walk the steps of Palazzo del Cinema. Jolie paired her beige dress with pale gold “Sundance” sandals by Aquazzura, and I think she made the right choice.
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These sandals, evocative of the 1970s, go perfectly with her diva look. They are made in Italy from strips of metallic pale gold leather stitched together to create a ribbed effect.
They are finished with adjustable ankle straps and mounted on a towering 5.5-inch block heel supported by a 1-inch platform. You can get them at Farfetch for $760 or Net-a-Porter for $950.
Angelina Jolie pairs her beige gown with pale gold metallic platform sandals by Aquazzura (Credit: IPA / INSTARimages)
Angelina kept her accessories cohesive, styling her faux-fur stole with a gold Cartier floral brooch from Maria Callas’ jewelry collection. She wore the 1972 “Rose Ouvrante” pin, adorned with diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies.
She also accessorized with her signature multiple stud earrings, a $195,000 Cartier Maillon Panthére 7-row diamond bracelet, and the matching Maillon Panthére ring, adding a touch of luxurious elegance to her ensemble.
Her long honey-toned tresses, styled in a sleek side part, perfectly complemented her dress. Soft eyeliner emphasized her striking blue eyes and vibrant red lipstick enhanced her iconic pout, completing her glamorous look.
Angelina Jolie completes her Old Hollywood look with a soft waves hairstyle, bold red lipstick, and Cartier jewels (Credit: IPA / INSTARimages)
Elegant in Atelier Jolie LBD and Black Pumps
For the Maria photocall earlier in the day, Brad Pitt’s ex-wife chose to rep her brand, Atelier Jolie, donning a minimalist yet elegant black dress that showcased her tattoos.
Being a minimalist dresser, I was immediately sold on Angelina’s outfit choice. She embodied her signature effortless elegance and edgy style with a simplicity that I think was ideal for a photocall.
Angelina Jolie opts for quiet elegance in a long, black sleeveless dress from her Atelier Jolie collection for the Maria Venice Film Festival photocall (Credit: IPA / INSTARimages)
It’s a sleeveless black dress that’s fitted at the bodice and elegantly falls to a column skirt with a short floor-sweeping train. Its plunging back beautifully showcases her toned back and Sak Yant tattoo collection.
Her upper left back features a Buddhist spell tattoo dedicated to her son Maddox, her upper right features ancient Buddhist mantras, and her lower back shows a Bengal tiger tattoo. Across the top is a gothic letter tattoo that reads “Know Your Rights.” Below is a grid design that symbolizes the continents and the four elements of the universe.
Angelina Jolie’s dress has a scoop back that allows her to show off her Sak Yant tattoo collection (Credit: IPA / INSTARimages)
I love the addition of the Cartier Panthére Brooch encrusted with emeralds and Chalcedony. It gives the modern minimalist dress a touch of Old Hollywood glitz.
The Salt star concealed her eyes behind a pair of black Wayfarers, painted her lips a rosy blush, and styled her blonde hair in delicate waves.
Classic black heels are the ideal finishing touch for a long, black dress. That’s exactly what Angelina did to complete her elegant, timeless photocall ensemble.
Angelina Jolie completes her evening look’s opulence with black pumps featuring crystal-encrusted heels (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
Ladylike in Brown Saint Laurent Dress and Slingback Pumps
For her debut appearance at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, Angelina Jolie arrived via boat at the Excelsior Hotel wearing a brown Saint Laurent dress. I must say, that was a classy—and fitting—way to begin her Maria promotional tour.
Created by Anthony Vaccarello from fluid silk, the sheer dress gracefully draped her slender frame; I love how the fabric swayed with her every step! I also adore the chocolate brown color, which complemented Jolie’s radiant complexion.
It has a draped bodice, a plunging V-neckline, and ruched shoulders that remind me so much of Grecian goddess gowns. The geometric honeycomb-like embroidery at the waist gives the dreamlike gown some texture, adding a hint of contemporary style to the regal design.
Angelina kept the rest of her look simple to let the majestic dress speak for itself. She fashioned her tresses in natural waves, enhanced her innate beauty with mascara and peachy lipstick, and accessorized with diamond drop earrings and a diamond ring.
Angelina Jolie arrives at the Excelsior Hotel looking like a Grecian goddess in her brown Saint Laurent chiffon dress with a textural pattern on the bodice (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
At one point, Jolie was pictured covering her eyes with Saint Laurent tortoiseshell sunnies. A pair of Saint Laurent “Dune” slingback pumps rounded out her exquisite look.
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These pumps are crafted in Italy from glossy patent leather and have slingback straps with tortoiseshell buckles, squared pointed toes, and spool or martini-shaped high heels. You can find them in three colors at Mytheresa, retailing for $1,090.
Angelina Jolie finishes off her goddess look with Saint Laurent Dune slingback pumps (Credit: IPA / INSTARimages)