The Tamesis
In the work of Mary Bronstein If I had legs I would kick you2026 BAFTA nominee Rose Byrne stars as Linda, a therapist whose child suffers from a chronic gastrointestinal condition, her husband is absent and a hole opens in the ceiling of her home. Indulging in self-embellished vanity doesn’t matter to Linda as the world seems destined to fail her. So is it wrong that Byrne feels the opposite while promoting the film on red carpets around the world?
“I’m very proud of this movie,” the actress says, speaking on the phone from her hotel room in Soho. “Linda can be a meltdown, but I want to be as elegant, beautiful and festive as possible.” So the chiffon pleated Miu Miu gown she wore tonight at the Royal Festival Hall was entirely embroidered with gradient crystals in an almost antique champagne hue. “This was my first BAFTA, so the look had to be memorable. While Miuccia Prada’s influence is unparalleled,” she continued, “bringing intelligence and rigor to the clothes, Miu Miu also has something fun and fresh.”
Byrne was introduced to clothing at a young age in Australia, and the act of owning a fashion company was far removed from her early experiences with clothing – even if she did grow up in the suburb of Balmain. At the time, her wardrobe consisted mostly of hand-me-downs from her sister Alice, who was a vintage junkie, and handmade clothes from her mother, a talented seamstress who could make her own wedding dress. “But then I started buying fashion magazines,” she said. “It was the 90s and my favorite work was by Kate Moss and Linda Evangelista Fashion cover. “
Gareth Cattermole/British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Getty Images
She will continue to grace the covers of Australian magazines Fashion In October 2003, twenty years later in October 2025, Byrne once again felt that he could enjoy the “story and fantasy” brought by fashion. That’s largely thanks to stylist Kate Young — whose client list also includes Dakota Johnson, Julianne Moore and Scarlett Johansson — who dressed Byrne in a spaghetti-strap sequined Calvin Klein number for the Governors Awards; a leopard-print Céline for the Academy Museum Gala; and for her 2026 win Atonement green Chanel silk dress chosen for the 2016 Golden Globe Awards. “The costumes are starting to blur,” Byrne added with a laugh. “But I will say this: a red carpet dress has to be flattering because you have to feel comfortable in the public eye, but it should also be fun — you can’t take the clothes too seriously.”
While Byrne readily admits to admiring Young’s “extraordinary taste and chic,” there was another collaborator: Bronstein. “She loves fashion,” Byrne said of the director. “We’re always adjusting and coordinating what we’re going to wear. But that’s not always the case when working with male directors.” It has become a much-needed source of joy during a grueling press tour that kicked off at Sundance about 12 months ago. “This project makes a lot of sense,” Byrne said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. But I didn’t realize the perseverance it takes, especially so close to the finish line.” The audience reaction was almost as much about keeping her going as co-star Conan O’Brien’s famous quote: “There’s free booze.”
