Some dresses are hard to forget, and Naomi Ackie just wore one of them. At the I Love Boosters gala screening during the 2026 BFI London Film Festival on Friday, October 9, at the Royal Festival Hall, the actress wore a Marine Serre halter gown built from 850 makeup brushes. It was a beauty-world joke turned into couture, and she wore it without a hint of irony.
A gown made of brushes
The gown comes from Marine Serre's fall 2026 collection. As Red Carpet Fashion Awards founder Catherine Kallon wrote in a piece syndicated on Yahoo, it is composed of 850 makeup brushes, and the silver ferrules (the metal bands that hold the bristles) catch the light like embellishment. Up close it is clearly brushes. From a distance it reads like a shimmering metallic fringe.
The silhouette is a halter, which Kallon noted is a recurring favourite for Ackie. It shows off her shoulders and creates a long, lean line.
Its third red carpet outing
This was not the dress's debut. Kallon reported that it was first worn by Ester Expósito in March at Le Grand Dîner du Louvre, where an artistic, conceptual piece fit the setting perfectly, and that Taraji P. Henson wore it next. Ackie's version shows that the gown works outside a museum, too.
Repeat outings for a statement piece used to be rare on the red carpet, but brands now lend standout runway looks to several stars. When the styling changes each time, the dress tells a slightly different story.
Why slicked-back hair was the right call
With a dress this intricate, the beauty had one job: stay out of the way. Kallon pointed to Ackie's "signature slicked-back hair," which kept the halterneck and construction at the centre of the look, while her jewellery added just enough sparkle. Her stylist for the night was Nicky Yates.
The lesson works for any statement dress. If the clothes have texture, movement or a strong concept, pull the hair off the face and neck. A sleek, wet-look finish echoes the metallic shine without competing with it. Keep the jewellery small and in one metal.
Ackie's red carpet run
Ackie, a BAFTA Rising Star winner known for I May Destroy You and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, has been on a strong red carpet streak. Kallon wrote that Ackie "has been delivering exceptional red carpet looks for two straight years now," and argued she still does not get enough credit for it.
London has been full of standout looks this week. Scarlett Johansson wore red Hermès to the Ray Gunn premiere on Saturday, and the beauty-led looks we covered earlier, like "Julianne Moore's Magenta Lip at The Debut Premiere Is the Fall Pink Nobody Expected," show how much the conversation has moved from clothes to hair and makeup. Ackie managed to make a dress about makeup tools the beauty moment of the night.
Marine Serre, the French designer best known for her crescent-moon motif and her use of upcycled and repurposed materials, has made unexpected objects part of her design language. A gown made of makeup brushes fits that approach: a familiar everyday object turned into something that catches the light on a red carpet.
For fans who want a wearable version, look for fringed or tubular metallic embellishment on a simple halter shape. The effect in photos is similar: movement and shine without a busy print. Pair it with a slick bun or a low, wet-look ponytail, and a neutral lip, so the texture of the dress stays the focus.
FAQ
What was Naomi Ackie's makeup brush dress? A Marine Serre fall 2026 halter gown made from 850 makeup brushes, with the silver ferrules creating a shimmering effect.
Where did Naomi Ackie wear the dress? At the I Love Boosters gala screening during the BFI London Film Festival at the Royal Festival Hall on October 9, 2026.
Who else has worn the Marine Serre brush gown? Ester Expósito wore it first at Le Grand Dîner du Louvre in March, followed by Taraji P. Henson.
How did Naomi Ackie style her hair? In her signature slicked-back style, with minimal jewellery, styled by Nicky Yates.
Cover photo: Sara Komatsu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
