Naomi Watts wears Marchesa for Paris ‘Diana’ premiere: the worst dress ever?

As we discussed on Friday, Naomi Watts’ turn as Princess Diana in Diana is being met with the worst reviews of Naomi’s career. Naomi has always been something of a critical darling, even when she turned in some not-so-great performances in “artsy” movies. So this has to hurt. Not only does Naomi have to face down a wall of criticism, she still has to trot out and promote the damn thing all over the world. These are photos of Naomi at the Paris premiere.

Do you think she’s given up? I think she’s given up. This dress says “f—k it, say whatever you want, my bad.” Obviously, it’s Marchesa. You can tell it’s Marchesa because A) it’s fugly and B) it looks like a negligee re-purposed as an ice skater’s costume. Poor Naomi. Maybe this is her way of making us feel sorry for her. I always feel sorry for the poor actress who wears Marchesa.

What else? Poor Naomi was asked by Reuters what she would do if William or Harry saw the film and she said: “If they do I hope they feel that we have been respectful and upheld her memories in the best possible way.” Meanwhile, we’ll never know. All of the royal sources and such have reacted by clamming up and refusing to comment. Considering all of the shenanigans that are still taking place around Diana’s memory, this film seems more stupid than offensive. Even worse though is that the director is openly comparing the film to Roman Holiday and Dr. Zhivago. UGH.

But it’s not all bad news for Naomi – she just scored a new role in a feature called Holland, Michigan, which will be directed by Errol Morris. No, it’s not a documentary. It’s being called a “Fargo-esque black comedy”. Blah.

One more nice thing – Naomi looks gorgeous from the neck up. Great skin and I’ll buy that she’s aging naturally too.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

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99 Responses to “Naomi Watts wears Marchesa for Paris ‘Diana’ premiere: the worst dress ever?”

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  1. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    Oh, dear. This is an emergency. Who let her out of the house in that dress??

    • lisa says:

      it’s like she feels so terrible about the movie, she feels the need to show up looking terrible

      • Belle Epoch says:

        Yes – like let’s just match a heinously bad movie with a hideous red carpet appearance. It’s like the little turkey timer just popped up on her career.

    • Beatrice says:

      Who tells celebs that they will look good in some of the terrible dresses selected for the red carpet? Can’t they look in the mirror and see the truth? Naomi–it’s an awful baby doll nightie.

    • Ama says:

      I think its (quirky) Paris chic! Its a little Vanessa P.

      I like it! Nice legs.

  2. cr says:

    Oh, Naomi, what in the name of the holy hand grenade of Antioch are you wearing?

    The clutch is nice, though. At least in comparison.

    • phlyfiremama says:

      Monty Python reference FTW!! It looks like Naomi forgot her robe, that goes along with the ice skater nightgown she threw on. Ouch!

  3. Deb says:

    The shoes are awful too.

  4. erika says:

    I like it reminds me of my moms 1962 honeymoon lingerie…dont freak im 41 and love 60s vintage

    • Eleonor says:

      Oh God you’re right. This seems one of Betty Draper lost nightgown.

    • j.eyre says:

      I was going to say, as lingerie, it’s not bad.

      • Anna says:

        For lingerie, there’s far too much of it.

      • j.eyre says:

        Well, I am Victorian, remember. We are rather prim.

        You ready for tonight?

      • EscapedConvent says:

        The first thing I thought of was the bridal lingerie I see on websites.

        There is an awful lot of fabric for a wedding night, though. But it’s Marquesa so you probably wouldn’t want to wear it again.

      • Anna says:

        Miss Jane, I feel like I’ve been waiting for tonight for the last year.

      • j.eyre says:

        EsCon – well, if done correctly, you shouldn’t be able to wear your wedding night lingerie again.

        Anna – we need a cocktail to drink for it. What shall it be? I am trying to make something agreeable that encompasses all of us here so bear with me…

        1 oz Vodka (you)
        1 oz Dark Rum (Australia – when I looked it up, most people’s first response was rum)
        Float of Baileys (for Marty, ‘cuz she’s so sweet)
        served over ice (because it should be but let’s say because Daniel is so cool)
        In a tall thin glass (which is suppose to be an F1 car tip but sounds like CHem)
        Garnished with an orange slice (me – California)

      • T.Fanty says:

        Chiming in to say that I will raise a Pervy Tombanger on Chemboy’s behalf.

        Unless that infringes on Miss Jane’s fantasies.

      • j.eyre says:

        Pervy Tom raising anything to CHemboy plays right into Miss Jane’s fantasies. If I’m lucky, my Bruhl Compact will get in on this.

  5. Inconceivable! says:

    I am terrified that I will love the movie when it comes on cable…

  6. LAK says:

    Has Naomi worked in a Harvey production? Is this dress a secret signal that she’s now ready to work for him??!!

    • Turtle Dove says:

      My first thought was that she owes Harvey a favor, as this can be the only excuse for this nightmare doily, curtain dress

    • Bridget says:

      Naomi doesn’t really wear a ton of Marchesa (at least off the top of my head, but it’s not really her aesthetic) so all i could think is that she’s being nice to Harvey so this bomb doesn’t get totally out of control. Which stinks, because all it really is is one bad movie, but unfortunately the subject matter makes it a spectacle.

    • LAK says:

      The odd thing is that Georgina Chapman always looks good in her own creations which are always made specifically for her.

      Making these actresses wear the worst of her creations makes me think she’s simultaneously trolling them and hates them too.

      • Shannon1972 says:

        +1. Total jealousy dresses. I actually feel sorry for the actresses who have to wear those ridiculous “creations”.

      • Bridget says:

        I like maybe one Marchasa dress a year, and it’s not usually one that Georgina is wearing. The Marchesa look was always kind of chintsy, but she had the benefit of not only Harvey’s backing (duh) but she also came on the scene right when the drapey, ragg-y style was popular (I always think of Jessica Alba’s plum colored maternity gown, and Anne Hathaway’s red gown back in the Follieri era, both being Oscar presenter gowns).

        Strangely, the last gown I actually liked was Stacy Kiebler’s gold Oscar gown. Go figure.

  7. Cleveland Girl says:

    Omg. I love it. Shoot me.

    • Shauna says:

      Me too! I must be sick because I want that dress so damned bad.

    • emmie_a says:

      Ok, I sort of love it too. I’m not crazy about the heart-shaped detail on the bodice but overall, I think it’s a fun piece. Like someone above mentioned, it has a 60’s vibe and I love anything from the 60’s. Plus the color looks great on Naomi.

      And I think Naomi is aging naturally, minus the botox in her forehead. But she does look good.

    • UghInsomnia says:

      You’re not alone! I think it’s lovely and I covet covet covet it!

    • Lauren says:

      I know it’s so bad but I love it. The 60’s, man.

      But it’s Marchesa so yeah I have to hate it.

  8. Mon says:

    This dress is so bad I don’t even know where to start….

    • Peep says:

      It looks like something a dead Victorian child would be wearing in a creepy memento mori photograph.

  9. Feebee says:

    Oh come on, it’s not the WORST EVER.

    • mia girl says:

      Plenty of worse looking Marchesa dresses for sure.

      The deconstructed black Rorschach abomination that Kristen Stewart once wore (shudders) as well as a frilly mess of a dress Olivia Wilde wore to the Emmys one year.

      Marchesa is the stuff of fashion nightmares.

    • Stef Leppard says:

      Yes, yes it is.

  10. Eleonor says:

    Baby doll mess.

  11. bns says:

    I like the idea of it, but the execution is awful. I don’t expect anything more from Marchesa, though.

    • Cirque28 says:

      THIS. Super fun idea. Terrible execution of the super fun idea.

      It is extremely Marchesa. It’s the dress that when people say, “But what’s wrong with Marchesa?” you can just wordlessly pull this thing out and they’ll say, “Ohhhh, now I see.”

  12. Nya says:

    It would be a really beautiful dress if the sleeves stopped at the lace part without the pirate part.

  13. The Original Mia says:

    I thought this title might be an over-exaggeration. No…it was directly on-point. Good Lord is that bad!

  14. DanaG says:

    It’s an awful dress maybe Naomi was trying to divert interest from the pathetic movie she chose to do. LOL

  15. MrsBPitt says:

    pretty, pretty, pretty bad!!! I think she is going for what she thinks is a princessy look for these premieres, but turn the lights on and look in the mirror, girl! YUCK! Her face does look lovely and natural, though!

  16. Tig says:

    Since the movie is turning out to be barking dog bad, maybe she’s wearing dresses like this to distract from the movie? Just a thought- ha!

  17. TG says:

    I know I am not supposed to like this dress and I love to make fun of actresses wearing Marchesa but I love this. I am a sucker for tulle. It is a frothy confection. Isn’t it weird that both Naomi and her BFF Nicole are both playing princesses in upcoming movies? I wonder if the Diana thing isn’t working because it is too soon to make a movie of her life. Maybe in another 20 years or so.

    • LAK says:

      It’s the production and the script.

      They managed to make a film, THE QUEEN, about Diana’s funeral that lifted all participants and subject matter, so we can’t really blame this on time.

      Ditto THE IRON LADY about Maggie, and SHE was still alive with equally obsessed fans/detractors.

      Neither film had the family/friends’ participation, and were thought to be in extremely poor taste when they were announced.

      If the production/script is bad, as this one is, no amount of time will ever rectify it.

  18. the other Kate says:

    Oh, I was waiting when you’ll write about this awful dress 😀
    I’ts amazing, that Marchesa does such a fugly evening wear and soooo beautifull bridal gowns

  19. Dirty Martini says:

    Oh my. Count me in the minority — i don’t think it’s the worst ever.

    Cut the sleeve thing. Would love it minus those sleeves.

    Different shoes and clutch too please.

  20. homegrrl says:

    She looks beautiful, although I abhor baby doll dresses ; not into pedophile-ish fashion.

  21. PrairieGirl says:

    Why is she wearing my mother’s 1970’s era negligee? Granted, it’s ivory instead of pink…

  22. Dawn says:

    Well….I find it a mess but I like the concept of the dress for younger people. I think this would look great on anyone between the ages of 12-18. She has great legs doesn’t she? And I keep hearing awful reviews about this movie and how much it is a bomb.

  23. Bella says:

    Wow.
    She looks like a toilet tissue cover dolly.
    Sorry.

  24. Mabs says:

    Awwww, it’s my mom’s lingerie from the 60’s! I played dress-up in those things, they’re awesome. The only thing that’s missing is a pair of poofy pom-pom slipper heels.

  25. Cody says:

    The dress looks like a dress my daughter wore in her dance recital. It is not a bad dress, although she has great legs, I think the dress is not appropriate for a woman in her 40s, especially for the red carpet. If she owed Harvey a favor, there are plenty of other ugly Marchesa dresses she could have wore. Where was Ray Donovan to tell her not to wear that dress to the premiere.

  26. gatinha523 says:

    I actually kind of love it, but I know nothing about fashion.

  27. Her indoors says:

    I think she looks beautiful.

  28. Kiddo says:

    Looks like lingerie, but I’ve seen worse dresses or outfits. Think Kardashian. What makes the dress terrible are those shoes. I can’t think of anything that they would look good with.

  29. Renee says:

    I like the dress but not the shoes.

  30. Janet says:

    Is she trying to impersonate a wedding cake?

  31. Diane says:

    Only to be paired with some of the ugliest shoes ever!

  32. LadyAnne says:

    Those sleeves… I can’t.

  33. chloe says:

    My Mom had nighties like this when I was a little girl, ugh. I kind of figured from the moment I heard they were shooting this movie that is was going to suck, I hate to hear that for Naomi, she’s one of my favorite actresses and I feel she got robbed last year at awards time for the Impossible, I thought she was great in that movie.

  34. Anon says:

    I guess I’m the only one who likes the dress and marchesa. I feel like the Herve lager dresses are worse…

  35. mslewis says:

    I actually love the top lacy part. It’s the rest of it that’s awful, especially those sleeves. Would look really great on a pretty, little 10 year old.

  36. taxi says:

    She needs a “feeder” if she tries to eat in that mess. The sleeves will drag in the plate.

  37. Lucy2 says:

    Poor Naomi, she’s in a hole and decided to keep digging by wearing Marchesa. A shame, she really killed it last award season.

  38. Denise says:

    Celebrities: please stop wearing Marchesa. If you stop, they will go away and stop raping our eyeballs.

    I swear the only reason any actress wears them is because they get some kind of perk from Harvey Weinstein (for those who don’t know, his wife is half of Marchesa, Georgina Chapman, and she’s as gorgeous as Harvey is repulsive.)

  39. Claudia says:

    When I saw these pictures on another website, I was like, “Oh geez, I bet that’s a Marchesa!” Glad to see everyone else agrees. God, Marchesa has no imagination or creativity. It’s the same diarrhea every time.

    I really feel for Naomi right now. She’s always made such solid choices in the past, this is her first real misstep. It’s even worse because I heard she turned down this role three times before finally being persuaded to do it. She should have stuck to her gut feeling.

  40. Emily C. says:

    It is a bad dress, but I’ve definitely seen worse. Whatever Lainey loves this week, for instance. And Jennifer Aniston’s blue patterned little girl dress — that was one of the worst. Kim Kardashian’s upholstery at the Met Ball. This is just a Marchesa blip.

  41. ValinFL says:

    I like it – it’s different from everything else out there and definitely has a retro feel to it. I am sick of looking at people in the same old looks.

  42. Amy says:

    People only wear Marchesa because of Harvey Weinstein. Naomi shouldn’t even bother. Critics are panning her Diana movie and she won’t get a nomination even if Harvey tries to buy one.

  43. Meggin says:

    Ugh that dress.. I agree on a ten year old, it would probably be cute. But not on a grown woman. Augh.

  44. WendyNerd says:

    Can someone please explain to me the connection between Marchesa and Harvey Weinstein? I keep hearing about it but no explanations.

    • FingerBinger says:

      Georgina Chapman, Weinstein’s wife, is a co founder of Marchesa.

    • LAK says:

      What Fingerbinger said.

      All actresses working, or hoping to work, on Harvey’s productions, whether he is directly producing them or simply distributing wear Marchesa for the red carpet. It’s seems to have become an obligation to wear the clothing.

      Even Madonna was forced into a Marchesa creation when she was doing press for W.E because Harvey distributed it. Very few have resisted eg Jennifer Lawrence last year, though she had her DIOR contract as the excuse not to do so.

      He is super successful at buying (am kidding,but not really) Oscars for his productions especially for the actresses, so many are willing to humiliate themselves this way.

      And of course he is an alleged enthusiast of the casting couch, so an actress in Marchesa immediately receives a side eye from everyone, whether it’s true or not.

  45. MeowuiRose says:

    I think the real reason she doesn’t care is because she has Liev to go home to every night!

  46. Jill says:

    It’s still better looking than Lake Bell’s wedding dress.

  47. GiGi says:

    Dear Lord. I live quite near Holland, Michigan… hmmm…

  48. A says:

    This dress ages her.
    It looks like an older woman who wants to look like an ingenue.

  49. Lotta says:

    I like the dress and the shoes, I would love to have them.

  50. Bijlee says:

    She looks ridiculous she should sue!

  51. Malificent says:

    Holy Green Acres! It looks like something Lisa Douglas would wear to slop the pigs….

  52. Zizi says:

    I love this dress…. But then again, I am an ex ballerina and I love fufu whimsical stuff…SHe looks happy in it… Am i the only one that likes it?

  53. Grant says:

    Am I insane for kind of liking this? Also, great legs and I like the shoes!

  54. snark says:

    Betty Draper meets Barry Manilow. Oh, my Lord honey NO.

  55. eliza says:

    That DRESS! Looks like a negligee from The Valley of the Dolls!

    I love Naomi but this movie looks like a big fat fail.

    Girlfriend has some gnarled looking toes in a few pictures there.

    Is Harvey producing this film? That has to be the reason for Watts being in this dress atrocity1

  56. Serena says:

    I’m in the minority, but I love this dress!

  57. I Choose Me says:

    Clearly what this outfit needs is a pair of fluffy kitten heels. Then it’d be the perfect ensemble for one’s Honeymoon trousseau.

  58. Mel says:

    I don’t think it’s the “worst dress ever” – not by a long shot, but it absolutely does not suit Naomi. It is a 19-year-old’s dress (for a quirky 19-year-old), and she just looks ridiculous in this. Instead of making her look… whatever she wanted it to make her look, the effect is mumsy-wants-to-be-quirky.
    Not good.