Cara Delevingne’s Avant-Garde Gown Was Stunning, But Her Stuart Weitzman Platforms Saved the Night

On August 21, 2019, Cara Delevingne attended the premiere of Carnival Row at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood wearing one of the most visually striking couture looks of the year: the “Poiesis” cape gown from Iris van Herpen’s Fall 2019 Haute Couture “Hypnosis” collection.

Cara Delevingne strikes a pose on the black carpet with her co-star Orlando Bloom at the premiere of Carnival Row at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California, on August 21, 2019 (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)

The choice felt especially fitting for the fantasy series, which explores a world shared by humans and mythological creatures.

Rather than relying on traditional red-carpet glamour, Delevingne embraced Iris van Herpen’s signature fusion of art, technology, and nature, stepping onto the black carpet in a look that seemed to shift with every angle.

Graphic purple-and-orange eye makeup mirrored the color palette of Cara Delevingne’s Iris van Herpen couture gown

Featuring layers of sheer organza printed with swirling ochre, purple, pink, orange, and iridescent patterns, the gown created a wing-like effect that echoed both butterflies and kinetic sculpture.

The design was part of van Herpen’s “Hypnosis” collection, inspired by the wind-powered works of American sculptor Anthony Howe and the mesmerizing patterns found throughout the natural world.

The “Poiesis” cape gown from Iris van Herpen’s Fall 2019 Haute Couture collection created a dramatic wing-like silhouette

Katy Perry joined Bloom and his co-star Cara Delevingne on the red carpet, turning the Carnival Row premiere into a stylish date night for the newly engaged couple.

Katy Perry wears a blush-pink Tom Ford Fall 2019 gown with sculptural chain-link straps alongside Orlando Bloom in a navy Tom Ford suit at the Carnival Row premiere in Hollywood on August 21, 2019

To keep the focus on the couture, Delevingne paired the dramatic gown with black Stuart Weitzman platform heels, while stylists Mariel Haenn and Rob Zangardi completed the look with graphic purple-and-orange eye makeup, a sleek low ponytail, and understated jewelry from Akillis, Le Vian, and Borgioni.

While Cara Delevingne’s Iris van Herpen couture gown dominated the conversation, the appearance was part of a longer history of wearing Stuart Weitzman on the red carpet. At the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, she paired a Saint Laurent fringe dress with Stuart Weitzman “Nudist” sandals, using the minimalist heels to balance one of her most embellished looks.

She returned to the brand years later at the 2023 Met Gala, wearing black Stuart Weitzman “Nudist” sandals beneath a dramatic Karl Lagerfeld-inspired ensemble. Together with the Disco Platform sandals she chose for the Carnival Row premiere, the appearances illustrate how Stuart Weitzman designs have repeatedly served as understated foundations for some of her most visually ambitious fashion moments.

Cara Delevingne lets her sculptural Iris van Herpen “Poiesis” cape gown sweep over black Stuart Weitzman Disco Platform sandals, grounding the rippling pink, purple, and ochre couture with towering heels at the Carnival Row premiere

Why Stuart Weitzman Platforms Remain a Red-Carpet Staple

Her black Stuart Weitzman Disco Platform sandals gave the airy Iris van Herpen gown a strong, streamlined base without competing with its swirling print and wing-like volume.

It’s a styling formula that has worked with very different statement dresses: Madison Beer paired black Stuart Weitzman Disco platforms with a daring Nensi Dojaka look, while Amanda Seyfried grounded her dramatic Jason Wu gown with black patent Discoplatform sandals.

The style has also proved surprisingly enduring. As of August 2026, Farfetch lists the Disco Platform sandals, originally $682, on final sale for $230. Other elevated options include the 120mm Nudist Disco sandals for $333 and the Nudist Platform sandals for $524, showing that the towering ankle-strap silhouette Delevingne wore in 2019 remains part of Stuart Weitzman’s footwear vocabulary.