Saoirse Ronan On Weird Barbie, Playing A Gender-Fluid Couple With Timothée Chalamet And The Importance Of Costume

In her November 2024 profile for British Vogue, Reni Eddo-Lodge describes Saoirse Ronan as someone who embodies star power without any of the attitude typically associated with it. This marks Ronan's first feature in the magazine. Once a child star and now an Oscar nominee, her skills have often been likened to those of legendary actress Meryl Streep. When she appeared on stage at the magazine's Forces of Fashion event, Ronan, dressed in a flowing red gown, radiated the charm of a talented performer while also exuding the approachable warmth of a close friend.

In a chat with the iconic British costume designer Jacqueline Durran, whom a young Ronan first met while filming Atonement and has since teamed up with for Hanna, Little Women, and Blitz, Ronan eagerly shifts the discussion to Durran's work on Barbie. She admits that the film wouldn’t have caught her interest if it wasn’t directed by Greta Gerwig. However, the two former collaborators also take time to celebrate their latest project together on Steve McQueen’s fresh interpretation of a classic World War II film. Durran highlights the importance of recognizing the individual stories of the many people in London during that time, emphasizing how easy it is to overlook the struggles of millions in favor of a nostalgic view. As always, Durran’s costumes are meticulously crafted, with a focus on authenticity, especially considering the unexpectedly glamorous aspects that were part of maintaining appearances during the war effort.

Ronan fondly remembers how smoothly Durran guides actors in developing their characters, especially when they get ready to wear iconic outfits like the Atonement slip worn by Keira Knightley or the elegant cream organza dress worn by Ian McEwan's young Briony Tallis (played by Ronan) in a pivotal scene of Joe Wright’s period film. These two costumes are among Durran’s favorites from her impressive career, which includes two Academy Awards for Anna Karenina and Little Women, along with seven other nominations. “I was really happy that the most extravagant piece in Atonement wasn’t the director’s top choice,” Durran shares about the latter dress, which shimmered beautifully and gave the young Saoirse a magical presence. “I guess that’s why [Keira] hasn’t reached out to me all these years,” Ronan jokes.

Jacqueline Durran and Saoirse Ronan.

The duo approaches red-carpet fashion with a shared mindset, which seems to be a joyous experience for some celebrities while feeling like a necessary burden for others. Ronan, who collaborated with Elizabeth Saltzman for ten years before teaming up with Danielle Goldberg for the promotional events for *Blitz* and *The Outrun*, confesses that returning to the red carpet after a long hiatus was daunting. "I felt quite self-conscious and wasn't at my best," she notes. "I was figuring out how to navigate the experience again and wanted to find outfits that would make me feel as empowered as possible." Her answer? Louis Vuitton. Durran, who typically allows the stars to shine on those grand evenings, reveals that her favorite red-carpet outfit was a unique, artistic piece she created for the 2008 Oscars. It featured words her young children were saying at the time and locations they had visited as a family in Los Angeles.

Inside Vogue's Forces of Fashion event in London.

As expected from two professionals who specialize in period dramas, the “Forces” crowd eagerly shares the most enticing behind-the-scenes stories when they discuss their collaborations with Gerwig, both of whom commend her creativity and sense of humor. They both express disappointment that Ronan's part as Weird Barbie didn’t come to fruition in the 2023 Mattel film. (“I was meant to play Weird Barbie,” Saoirse insists.) On the set of the 2019 adaptation of Little Women, alongside Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, and Emma Watson, Ronan discovered the importance of taking bold creative risks and embracing a bit of chaos—especially when exchanging costumes with Chalamet, noting that “Laurie and Jo had this kind of gender-fluid dynamic.”

While they won’t be discussing their ideal careers, it’s clear that after an hour with Saoirse and Jacqueline at Central Saint Martins in London, they’ve established their perfect creative collaboration quite some time ago.