First, there was Gwyneth Paltrow's Sleeping Beauty-esque pale pink Ralph Lauren gown at the 1999 Academy Awards. Then came Zendaya's Cinderella-inspired light-up blue gown at the 2019 Met Gala. And now Clara Amfo has become the latest fashion star turning to Disney to inspire her most recent premiere look. And we must say, we think it's her best yet.
Earlier this week the broadcaster, podcaster and television presenter graced the aqua-hued carpet to host the London premiere for the The Little Mermaid and opted to wear a design emblematic of the magic and beauty viewers can expect to see on screen from stars such as Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King and Melissa McCarthy.
'Every premiere should be like the Met Gala, in the sense of people sticking to theme,' Amfo exclusively told ELLE UK following the event.
Her mermaid-esque gown, which took a week to perfect, was a custom-made creation by Robert Wun, who launched his eponymous label in 2014, and has since dressed the likes of Celine Dion, Florence Pugh, Cardi B and Lizzo. Amfo admitted that she's had her eye on Wun 'for a while’ given his reputation for creating avant-garde designs that celebrate a woman's silhouette.
On walking into Wun's design studio ahead of the premiere, Amfo recalled feeling like 'a kid in a candy shop' and spotting some of his 'greatest hits hanging up on the wall'. Such 'hits' included a red peplum dress that Florence Pugh wore to the 2023 London Critic's Film Awards.
As for the inspiration behind her The Little Mermaid premiere dress, Amfo told us: 'My joke with Robert was that it was "like Ursula, but make it fashion",’ referencing the fictional villain in the film. The Little Mermaid fans should note the dark purple and black shades of Amfo's dress, as well as the ruched bodice detailing which is reminiscent of crashing waves – or 'a croissant when it's been cut', according to the presenter.
‘I'm not a villain in real life,' she joked when asked whether she'd considered wearing an outfit inspired by the fictional mermaid, adding: 'There can only be one Ariel – Halle Bailey. She's that girl. I wasn’t going to rock up wearing the colours of [Ariel’s] fishtail. I thought purple in this silhouette would look really fun.’
In a similar vein to Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story's Arséma Thomas, who recently told us about her love of a corset's 'revolutionary' power, Amfo said a corset's structure has the ability to empower its wearer, both emotionally and physically. ‘I'm like, “corset me up. Suck it up",' she told us.
'I love the feeling [of a corset]. It makes you walk taller, especially when you have to stand in front of important producers, directors, actors. You want to be able to hold yourself in a particular way. There's something about great corseting that forces you physically and emotionally to stand up. To have a certain posture, and be a bit more forthright. This dress made me feel really powerful.'
As for her accessories on the night, with the help of her stylist Shirley Amartey, Amfo teamed her fishtail dress with diamond and pearl drop earrings, a Joy BC gold cuff and a matching ring, and a pair of classic strappy Christian Louboutin stilettos with diamanté detailing on the heels. ‘I knew they'd catch the light really nicely,’ she said of the shoes, which she noted were chosen given they sparkled like the sea. 'Again, always trying to think on theme,' she joked.
Hairstylist Dionne Smith was the mastermind behind her glamorous half-up half-down, ringlet curl hairstyle, which Amfo said was inspired by ‘big haired Disney princesses’. Her make-up, meanwhile, saw make-up artist Yasmina Bentaieb use purple-toned eyeshadow which coordinated with her custom dress.
On the subject of hair, Amfo told us of Bailey's hairstyle in the film: 'What I love in [The Little Mermaid] is that [Disney] didn't make Hallie [Bailey] get rid of her locs. If anything, they celebrated them. It's like, well, look, she's a little mermaid swimming around the Caribbean. Of course the girl has got locs.’
Discussing the importance of representation on screen, months after the film's trailer went viral in September 2022 for racist backlash towards Disney's casting of Bailey, Amfo said of the leading actor: 'She's making people feel seen. I would have loved to have had a Black Ariel when I was growing up.'
At the premiere, Amfo said she noticed ‘little black girls when they saw [Halle Bailey] for the first time. You could see they were just like, "She's real.”’ She is a black Ariel, but she's also universal – she’s for everybody.'
As for her message to critics who criticised Disney for casting a Black actor in the titular role, Amfo added: 'Fight with the wall because no one is listening, and no one cares. Because she's here in cinematic history. She’s glorious. She's perfect.’
The Little Mermaid is due for release in the UK on May 26.
Photography: Jade Reynolds-Hemmings
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