Flo and Julia: Two Madonnas

Last night was the first time Florence Pugh has been to the Emmys. We have, of course, seen her on award show red carpets before, but always in a film capacity. And we will see her again on the red carpet in a film capacity before the end of the year because she’s in the holiday box office spectacle known as Dunesday – that is, she stars in both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3… but before that, it’s a series, East of Eden, releasing on Netflix in a couple of weeks for which she could, possibly, return to the Emmys next year as a nominee, and not only a presenter. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Florence was in one of the more popular colour trends on the Emmys red carpet: violet, lavender, whatever shade of purple you want to call it. We saw it on Sarah Pidgeon, Emilia Clarke, Jessica Williams, and Allison Janney had light purple feathers attached to her black column dress. Out of all the purples, for me Flo’s was the best. This is Vivienne Westwood, custom, tiny sequins that look liquid all over the body, and it’s quite good at the back with the alternating tones in the train.

@vanityfairitalia

#FlorencePugh #Emmys

♬ original sound - Izzy

The problem, of course, is that the design and the colour scheme of the actual red carpet was so sh-t, no dress was properly highlighted except for Zendaya and Nicole Kidman who are operating at a whole other level than everyone else.

But Flo’s fashion wasn’t my top thought where her Emmys appearance is concerned. She presented with Julia Garner, in a halter Loewe, and it didn’t occur to me until later when I saw it online that this is an MCU pair-up. It’s Yelena and Silver Surfer who, to be honest, I barely remember in Fantastic Four. Superheroes weren’t on my mind, it was popstars instead. Or, rather, one popstar.

Julia, as we know, was long attached to the Madonna biopic before it fell through, though we might get to see what it could have been since she and Madonna will be featured in season two of The Studio. But if there’s an opportunity to revisit the project, maybe they can figure out a way to cast two Madonnas in two stages of her career. Because that’s what I immediately imagined the moment Flo and Julia walked out together.

florence pugh and julia garner presenting at the emmys pic.twitter.com/dFWcBiS9aZ

— Best of Florence Pugh (@bestofpugh) September 15, 2026

Florence Pugh is Madonna from her self-titled debut album, think “Lucky Star”, “Borderline”, and “Holiday”, through to the end of the Like A Virgin album cycle – and that would be the title track – plus “Material Girl”, “Into the Groove”, and “Dress You Up”.

Then Flo hands it over to Julia for the “True Blue” and “Like a Prayer” albums, and right up to the Dick Tracy era to include “Vogue”. In other words, Flo the scrappy and grimy NYC club girl Madonna, who scandalises and elevates MTV while writhing around in a wedding dress; and Julia as power femme Madonna with blonde ambition shooting out of her cone bra.

Not unlike Todd Haynes’s high concept film I’m Not There with six different actors (including Cate Blanchett) playing the various personas of Bob Dylan. Madonna is the Mother of Reinvention, why should she be limited to one acting talent to play her?!