Two decades ago, Angelina Jolie stepped onto the red carpet for Mr. and Mrs. Smith in a black leather Versace gown that would redefine celebrity fashion. Sleek, daring, and unforgettable, the look became a cultural touchstone — setting the tone for an era of power dressing that still resonates across runways and award shows today.
A moment that changed the red carpet
It was June 2005 in Los Angeles. The tabloids were in a frenzy, rumors of a real-life affair between Jolie and her co-star Brad Pitt swirled, and the premiere of Mr. and Mrs. Smith promised more fireworks on-screen and off. Then came the moment: Angelina Jolie stepping out of a limousine in a body-skimming black leather Versace gown, complete with a thigh-high slit, open back, and delicate sheer neckline trim. It wasn’t just a red carpet appearance — it was a statement.
While Pitt showed up in jeans and a bomber jacket, Jolie exuded pure cinema. Her voluminous hair, understated jewelry, and tailored silhouette marked a turning point in her style evolution. No longer just the edgy rebel in muscle tees and gothic gowns, she had entered her glamorous, high-fashion phase — and this dress signaled her arrival. It was a perfect blend of bombshell and elegance, of leather-clad edge and minimalistic restraint.
The design that became a blueprint
Designed by Versace, the dress stood out not just for its material but for its architectural lines: long vertical seams that elongated the figure, a sharply tailored silhouette, and two crisscross straps that exposed the back while keeping the gown anchored. It was bold yet balanced — sexy without being excessive, refined without being boring.
This wasn’t Jolie’s first flirtation with leather. Just a few years earlier, she had turned heads at the Tomb Raider premiere in a leather belt-slung look, and again at the Gone in Sixty Seconds premiere in 2000 with then-husband Billy Bob Thornton, who famously made headlines for oversharing about their limo ride. But in 2005, the leather aesthetic had matured. It was no longer just about shock — it was about silhouette, sophistication, and control.
Her red carpet look for Mr. and Mrs. Smith also felt like an extension of the character she played — Jane Smith, a deadly assassin with a wardrobe full of sultry black dresses and high-stakes glamour. Long before “method dressing” became a fashion industry buzzword, Jolie was blurring the lines between role and reality with effortless flair.
A long romance with Versace
That Versace moment in 2005 was just one chapter in Jolie’s enduring relationship with the Italian fashion house. Over the years, she’s continued to collaborate with Versace for many of her most talked-about red carpet moments: the glittering green gown at the 2011 Golden Globes, the structured metal mesh masterpiece worn in Rome for the 2021 premiere of The Eternals, and of course, the velvet high-slit dress at the 2012 Oscars — infamous for how she posed her right leg, instantly becoming a meme.
Unlike many stars whose style ebbs and flows with trends, Jolie’s fashion journey has been one of evolution, not reinvention. The Versace leather dress from 2005 was a bridge between her early-2000s bad-girl image and the sleek, minimalist elegance that would come to define her later red carpet presence.
An enduring influence
Today, the echoes of Jolie’s leather look can be seen all over the red carpet. From Louis Vuitton’s sculpted leather gowns to Ayo Edebiri’s Emmy-winning moment, the structured, noir aesthetic Jolie championed is thriving. At the 2024 Brit Awards, Dua Lipa paid homage with her own black leather Versace gown — bold, beautiful, and unmistakably Jolie-esque.
Miley Cyrus’s crisscross cutout leather gown at the Grammys channeled the same energy, as did Florence Pugh’s figure-hugging midi dresses during the press tour for Thunderbolts. And the BDSM-adjacent influence that Jolie hinted at? It’s now front-and-center in the collections of Ludovic de Saint Sernin, whose leather-studded creations have been worn by Olivia Rodrigo and Kim Kardashian alike.
Jolie may not have invented leather on the red carpet — Victoria Beckham and Lenny Kravitz both made early statements with the look — but she gave it narrative weight. Her leather Versace gown told a story: of danger, desire, sophistication, and transformation. It was fashion as character development, as cinematic as it was sartorial.
A dress that defined an era
Two decades later, Angelina Jolie’s 2005 red carpet appearance is remembered not just for the tabloid drama or the blockbuster buzz, but for its fashion legacy. The dress became more than a garment — it became a reference point. A blueprint. A reminder that the right look, at the right moment, can ripple through time and culture far beyond a single premiere.
In an age of viral red carpet moments and algorithm-approved outfits, Jolie’s Versace gown remains a masterclass in timeless provocation — controlled, iconic, and unmistakably her.
