Gothic, sexy and in their 60s – Monica Bellucci and Tim Burton are a match made in fashion heaven
He is an acclaimed American director, producer, writer and illustrator with a slew of hit films under his belt and a cabinet (or downstairs toilet) full of awards to prove it. She is a revered Italian actress, former Bond Girl, model and muse who has acted as a brand ambassador for Cartier, Dior and Dolce & Gabbana.
Together, Tim Burton and Monica Bellucci have a combined net worth estimated conservatively at $150m. But no amount of money in the world can buy you love. For that, you need an elusive little thing called chemistry. Happily for them, it appears that they have it in spades.
Those lamenting the sad if inevitable demise of Bennifer – or in some cases, still lamenting the demise of Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter – will be heartened to learn that Hollywood has a new couple on which to pin their vicarious romantic hopes; one that still appears to be going strong after an entire twelve months.
While they confirmed their relationship last summer, Monica and Tim have very sensibly kept it on the low-down – until now. Appearing on the red carpet together at the Venice Film Festival to promote Burton’s new film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (in which Bellucci stars alongside Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega), Burton, 66, and Bellucci, 59, looked happy, relaxed – and very stylishly coordinated.
Bellucci has always been stylish, of course, in that particularly “molto sexy” Italian way that has its genesis in Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren. For her first outing in Venice, she chose a calf-length black and white Dolce & Gabbana dress in this season’s fashionable polka dot print, in a flattering off-shoulder style. Worn with black velvet platform sandals and black cats-eye shades, she looked as elegant as ever.
While he certainly has his own equally defined sense of style, “elegant” is not a descriptor anyone would have tended to apply to Tim Burton even five years ago.
‘Exhumed from a shallow grave’ would perhaps be more apposite. Burton has been “method dressing” decades before it became a Hollywood trend, his personal style very much in accord with the aesthetic of his films.
So revered is this filmic style that it has its own name, “Burtonesque”, his childhood interest in the grotesque morphing into a career-long obsession with unearthly, dystopian realms populated by freaks, goths and weirdos, as seen in well-loved films such as Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd and Corpse Bride. Catwalk trends may come and go, but for Burton, the gothic look is less a fad than a way of life.
Or at least, it was – certainly throughout his 13 year relationship with the British actress Helena Bonham Carter. Beloved for her eccentric English style, Bonham Carter would think nothing of wearing frilly white Victorian bloomers to her local yoga class (I know: I’ve seen her), and imbued every Vivienne Westwood dress she wore with her disarming brand of gothic charm.
Burton mirrored her to a tee. Never knowingly overly acquainted with a hairbrush, the two would roam the streets of north west London with delightfully disheveled hair, she in a tea dress and bovver boots, he in a black shirt, well-loved cardigan and scruffy shoes.
Fast forward to August 2024, and there are no scuffed shoes on Burton’s feet: like the rest of him, they’re now more polished. While he’s never going to look as pristine as Tom Ford, Burton has definitely finessed his look. When you’re dating a woman as glamorous as Bellucci, you trim your hair and wear a tailored black jacket and a subtly printed shirt.
But the deference to each other’s style cuts both ways. Burton’s films are known for their avoidance of saturated colour and their dramatic use of black and white. Bellucci has always worn a lot of black: could the black and white polka dots on her Dolce & Gabbana dress be in homage to Burton’s favourite colour palette? Arriving in Venice, she wore a white wide-legged trouser suit with a black shirt, in yet more evidence of their matchy-matchy monochrome dressing.
Only time will tell whether Hollywood’s latest power couple will make “la Dolce Vita Goth” their trademark look, but if they do, they won’t be the first to dress in similar ways. From Bogart and Bacall to Pitt and Paltrow, the savviest duos have always pandered to the public’s fascination with “couple style”, dressing in harmony with each other in a way that enhances their standing.
When you are famous, being scrutinized for your fashion choices comes with the territory. When you are both famous, the scrutiny is even more intense: just ask the Beckhams or the Carters.
While neither Burton nor Bellucci need the extra money, couples dressing can be a lucrative business. Get it right, and you can command twice the attention and double the reach.
“Instacouples” such as the Italian influencers Chiara Ferragni and Fedez Lucia (now divorced) have made millions in branding and sponsorship deals, simply by looking good together. Two more recent examples include the actors Tom Holland and Zendaya (combined estimated worth: ￡16m), and the singer Dua Lipa and actor boyfriend, Callum Turner (combined estimated worth: ￡50m).
While twinning might not always mean winning, so far it seems that Burton and Bellucci could go the distance. For as long as they’re together, we plan to enjoy their gothic fashion romance.
