Monica Barbaro Wears a Custom Dior Ice-Blue Sequin Dress to the “Artificial” Gala in London
Monica Barbaro wore a custom Dior ice-blue sequin dress with Paris Texas mules and Ananya diamond earrings to the Artificial gala in London.
Monica Barbaro went icy and glittery for the “Artificial” gala screening, and the red carpet at London’s Royal Festival Hall did her no harm at all. The actress turned up on October 11 for the film’s big night at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, wearing a custom Dior dress made just for the occasion.
The dress was a pale, ice-blue midi covered in sequins, with skinny spaghetti straps, a straight square neckline and a fitted bodice that skimmed down into a flowing skirt. The best bit was at the bottom: a ruffled, silvery hem that caught the flashbulbs every time she moved. She kept the shine going with Paris Texas Lidia mules in metallic silver, which gave the look a sleek, slightly retro finish.
Jewelry was small but sparkly. Monica wore Ananya 18K white gold and diamond scatter climber earrings, which trailed up her ear and added a little extra twinkle without competing with the dress.
Her hair stayed relaxed, with shoulder-length brunette waves, a soft center part and a little bounce through the ends. Makeup was low-key and fresh, with a natural lip that let the dress take center stage.
If you know Monica from “Top Gun: Maverick” or from playing Joan Baez in “A Complete Unknown,” you’ll know she can pull off both polished and playful. She and Dior go way back, too, and you can see Monica Barbaro’s Dior cover look for InStyle for another example.
“Artificial” is Luca Guadagnino’s take on the rise of OpenAI and the chaos around Sam Altman’s brief ousting as CEO, with Andrew Garfield in the lead. Monica stars alongside Yura Borisov, Mark Rylance and Ike Barinholtz, and the script is by Simon Rich. The film runs about 140 minutes and sits among the festival’s galas.
She’s been upfront about the subject matter, too. Monica said it’s important to question the motives of the people behind technology with that much power. She also said she hasn’t engaged with AI “actress” Tilly Norwood and hasn’t really looked into her.
For another recent red carpet from her, check out Monica Barbaro in Roberto Cavalli at the 2026 Olivier Awards.
