One day after Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, and their co-stars brought full red-carpet glamour to the European premiere of Practical Magic 2 at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, the cast shifted into a more intimate press-tour mode for an August 27, 2026 photocall inside The Ballroom at Claridge’s in London.
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman stun in black-and-white looks from Erdem and Chanel at the photocall for their movie, Practical Magic 2, at Claridge’s Hotel in London on August 27, 2026 (Credit: Ian West / PA Images / INSTARimages)
The change of setting brought a noticeable shift in fashion. Bullock traded her dramatic leopard-print Givenchy premiere gown for darkly romantic tailoring from Erdem’s Resort 2027 collection, while Kidman followed her shimmering custom Chanel premiere gown with a pared-back Chanel LBD and the house’s unmistakable two-tone slingback pumps. Rather than repeating the previous night’s spectacle, both looks showed how the actresses adapted their footwear and silhouettes for a daytime press appearance.
Sandra Bullock Goes Darkly Romantic in Erdem and Minimalist Black Stiletto Sandals
Sandra Bullock gave the supernatural mood of Practical Magic 2 a more sophisticated daytime interpretation. Styled by Leslie Fremar, the tall American actress shifted from the bold Givenchy look she wore to the film’s European premiere to a black-and-ivory ensemble from Erdem’s Resort 2027 collection, pairing sharp, menswear-inspired tailoring with romantic lace and fluid asymmetry.
Her heels were understated, but that restraint worked with such an intricate Erdem ensemble. Made from smooth matte black leather, the sandals featured a wide strap running straight across the toes, revealing her black pedicure, while a slim ankle strap fastened with a polished silver-tone buckle. It is a footwear formula Bullock has returned to before: she previously grounded a heavily embellished Zuhair Murad look with black Stuart Weitzman Nudist sandals, showing how a barely-there black heel can provide height without competing with statement clothing.
I especially liked the closed heel counter, which gave the minimalist sandals a more structured, architectural shape. These sandals also featured open sides that exposed the arch of Bullock’s foot for a sultry touch, while slim stiletto heels gave them a sleek finish.
Sandra Bullock displays her black pedicure in timeless black sandals with sculptural heel counters, wide toe straps, ankle straps, and high heels (Credit: Ian West / PA Images / INSTARimages)
Bullock paired the minimalist heels with a tailored black blazer and asymmetrical ivory skirt from Erdem’s Resort 2027 collection. The combination captured the collection’s darkly romantic mood through contrast rather than obvious costume references: structured shoulders, notched lapels, and a sharply defined waist gave the single-breasted jacket a menswear-inspired severity, while lace and fluid ivory fabric softened the silhouette below.
A softer, gathered panel extended from one side of the jacket, decorated with floral lace embroidery and finished with an asymmetrical scalloped lace hem. I liked how the delicate lace softened the sharp tailoring, adding a romantic touch to the structured black blazer.
The black tailoring then transitioned into an ivory skirt with a fluid drape and dramatically asymmetrical hem that fell diagonally around her legs. I loved the layered black-and-white effect, which gave the outfit a gothic, romantic edge.
Sandra Bullock teams her simple sandals with a more dramatic outfit from Erdem, featuring a black blazer with floral lace accents and hem, an ivory white asymmetrical skirt, and a matching scarf (Credit: Ian West / PA Images / INSTARimages)
A wide white satin scarf wrapped around her neck added another striking detail, with long ribbon-like ends cascading down her back and toward the floor.
Bullock kept the beauty styling deliberately softer than the structured Erdem tailoring, wearing her long brunette hair half-up in loose, lived-in waves. Softly defined eyes, rosy cheeks, and a neutral lip continued that restrained approach, allowing the black lace, asymmetrical skirt, and architectural sandals to remain the focus.
Nicole Kidman Reworks a Chanel Classic in Two-Tone Slingback Pumps and a Pearl-Strap LBD
Nicole Kidman, meanwhile, returned to a footwear formula that works especially well with her statuesque frame: a streamlined dress with an elegant, relatively low-profile heel. At around 5’10½” to 5’11” with a reported US shoe size 11, Kidman has long used everything from kitten heels to towering stilettos to control red-carpet proportion. For the Claridge’s photocall, she kept things classic in a Chanel LBD and the fashion house’s two-tone slingback pumps.
She chose a modern variation on Chanel’s familiar two-tone shoe, with white lambskin uppers contrasted by glossy black patent leather running low around the front instead of forming a traditional cap toe. A slim buckled slingback and slightly tapered black heels completed the streamlined design.
The restrained heel height also fits a pattern in Kidman’s wardrobe: she has previously used lower Giuseppe Zanotti heels to balance her naturally tall proportions rather than treating maximum height as the goal of every red-carpet shoe.
Nicole Kidman keeps things elegant in a pair of Chanel two-tone slingback pumps, featuring white uppers with a strip of black patent around the lower front of the shoe and black heels (Credit: Ian West / PA Images / INSTARimages)
Kidman paired the timeless shoes with a custom LBD, marking her second Chanel look for the press tour. The dress had a simple, relaxed silhouette that fell just above her knees, with a slightly fitted bodice flowing into a softly flared A-line skirt. A deep V-shaped neckline added a sultry touch, drawing attention to her décolletage.
What I loved most were the double pearl-embellished shoulder straps, which gave the simple LBD a distinct Chanel touch. They also served as built-in jewelry, adding a little extra sparkle to the look.
Styled by Jason Bolden, Kidman kept the rest of the look deliberately restrained, allowing Chanel’s pearl shoulder straps and two-tone shoes to provide the recognizable house signatures. Hair stylist Sam McKnight swept her long blonde hair into loose, side-parted waves, while softly smoky eyes, rosy cheeks, and a natural pink lip maintained the photocall’s quieter daytime mood.
Nicole Kidman looks striking in her minimalist Chanel LBD that features a plunging neckline, a knee-length hem, and double pearl-embellished shoulder straps (Credit: Ian West / PA Images / INSTARimages)
Why Chanel’s Two-Tone Slingback Pumps Have Endured Since 1957
Kidman’s pumps also show why Chanel’s two-tone shoe has endured since Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel introduced the original beige-and-black design with shoemaker Massaro in 1957. The color blocking was as practical as it was elegant: a beige upper visually extended the leg, while the contrasting black toe made the foot appear shorter. A modest heel and open slingback construction offered an easier alternative to more restrictive high heels, creating a shoe that could move comfortably between daytime and evening dressing.
That versatility has given Chanel plenty of room to reinterpret the idea without losing its identity. While Kidman’s white lambskin and black patent pair replaces the traditional beige upper and cap toe with sharper graphic color blocking, the visual language remains unmistakably Chanel. Modern versions have experimented with pointed toes, d’Orsay cutouts, different heel shapes, and even sculptural details, while celebrities continue to wear them with everything from tailoring and denim to couture. For a closer look at the craftsmanship, markings, soles, and construction behind the house’s footwear, see our guide to how to identify authentic Chanel shoes.
Kidman is hardly alone in returning to the formula. From classic beige-and-black slingbacks to sharply pointed, color-blocked updates, these celebrity looks show how far Chanel has stretched its signature two-tone idea.
👠 Explore Chanel’s Iconic Two-Tone Slingbacks in Celebrity Style:
- 🖤 Margaret Qualley modernizes Chanel’s signature two-tone slingbacks with white leather uppers, pointed black cap toes, half d’Orsay cutouts, and tapered heels at the house’s Spring 2026 couture show.
- ✨ Sarah Pidgeon gives the Chanel slingback an architectural update, wearing white lambskin pumps with glossy black patent cap toes and sculptural flared heels, while Lupita Nyong’o offers another graphic interpretation of the house’s two-tone pump.
- 🤍 Lupita Nyong’o pairs Chanel’s black-and-white Métiers d’Art slingbacks with matching monochrome dressing, showing how the classic cap-toe formula can feel distinctly modern with a half d’Orsay silhouette and geometric cutouts.
- ❤️ Tilda Swinton reworks Chanel’s two-tone tradition in cream and red at Cannes, choosing slingbacks with contrasting dipped-effect toes, side cutouts, and tapered heels to complement her sculptural red Chanel dress.
- 🎬 Kirsten Dunst and Lily Allen show two sides of Chanel’s contrasting pump tradition, from two-tone red-trimmed heels to pointed satin slingbacks styled with polished pre-BAFTA looks.
- 🏛️ Nicky Hilton wears the enduring beige-and-black Chanel slingback formula, pairing leather uppers and black suede cap toes with the low squared heel that helped make the house’s two-tone shoe an enduring classic.
- 🤎 Selena Gomez demonstrates the wider appeal of the two-tone slingback beyond Chanel, repeatedly styling cream-and-black Celine pumps with tailoring, patterned separates, and a midi dress during her London press tour.