A good red-carpet look should make you look twice. Naomi Watts ensured that all eyes did a double take when she arrived at the New York premiere of The Friend on March 24. That’s because she wasn’t alone — by her side was her four-legged co-star, Bing, a Great Dane with a coat so striking it could have been plucked straight from a couture mood board.Forged in fur Watts wore a white backless halter top with a matching circle skirt sprouting inky black tufts — an unmistakable nod at Bing’s signature spots. The look, dubbed ‘Domino,’ from Jacquemus’ Spring-Summer 2025 couture collection, was impish, polished, and also a touch unruly. Styled by Jeanann Williams, the outfit was accessorised with just white pointed-toe pumps, letting the clothes (and the canine by her side) do the talking. Bing, on the other hand, kept things simple — no tailoring, no embellishments — just a bright red collar and leash; sometimes the best accessories are the ones you don’t overthink on. It was over and above a gimmick. Watts and Bing had built a relationship worthy of the screen. In The Friend, Watts plays a writing instructor who inherits a student’s Great Dane after his death. Offscreen, the actress spent weeks forging a connection with Bing, meeting him twice a day for 20-minute sessions. “He’s so gentle, but if he were to run abruptly in one direction, it could pull your arm out of its socket,” she told Variety. Hollywood’s longstanding love for dogs Watts and Bing’s red-carpet pairing wasn’t the first time a furry friend has upstaged their human counterpart. Demi Moore’s pint-sized Chihuahua, Pilaf, has been a mainstay on her arm at premieres and even courtroom sketches. And Messi, the adept border collie from Anatomy of a Fall, commanded the Cannes red carpet last year. The last time a canine of Bing’s stature graced a red carpet with such presence was likely Chris, the 200-lb St. Bernard from the Beethoven franchise. Method dressing as a fun exercise Actors dressing ‘in character’ for premieres has become both expected and exhausting (see: the Barbie press tour, the Wicked cast drowning in green and pink). Watts’ pick was whimsical, yes, but it didn’t feel forced – just a marketing move celebrating the film’s heart. Spectacle is indeed expected of red-carpet fashion but sustainability is scrutinised too. Watts and Bing’s coordinated appearance is peak method dressing, as it offers the lesson that fashion can be theatrical without being wasteful. And, most importantly, it can be fun. The Great Dane in the spotlight teaches us that style is at its best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Rohit Mehra, actor, weighs in, saying, “My roots and first love are in the theatre. So I’m all for this. I don’t think it’s just a passing trend — I believe it’s here to stay. It makes the outfit and event so much more unique and memorable. I can already foresee some of these outfits ending up in archives or even museums as a tribute to the film, occasion or event. Even the process of designing something like this would be far more creative and exciting for fashion designers, as well as for the privileged few who get to wear it.”
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