Angelina Jolie's Goddess White Gown Is a Sneaky Nod to Her Muse, Maria Callas

The resemblance is striking.

Angelina Jolie attends the "Maria" screening during the 62nd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on September 29, 2024 in New York City wearing a white pleated dress
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Throughout her Maria press tour, Angelina Jolie has continually found understated ways to represent her muse. She hasn't dressed in full-on Callas-core, instead using subtile winks in the form of well-chosen accessories or a vintage-inspired dresses.

Naturally, for a screening of the biopic in New York City, Jolie continued this dressing ethos. She wore the opera singer's signature color, head to toe, as a nod to Maria Callas.

On Sept. 29, Jolie walked the red carpet at the New York Film Festival wearing a vintage gown that very well could have come straight from her on-screen persona's personal closet. She wore an angelic Madame Grès maxi dress—first made in 1956— covered in micro pleats, which featured an asymmetrical bodice.

Angelina Jolie attends the "Maria" screening during the 62nd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on September 29, 2024 in New York City wearing a white pleated dress

Angelina Jolie attends a "Maria" screening wearing a white pleated gown.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jolie doubled down on the vintage aesthetic with an Old Hollywood glam look. She wore her blonde hair parted to the side, in elegant waves, and swiped on a glossy red lip. The actor skipped out on the brooches and fur this time around, wearing only a pair of diamond drop earrings.

The actor's gown was sourced from Mon Vintage, a destination for stars paying homage to the past on red carpets of the present. Previous clients of the luxury boutique include Rihanna and Amal Clooney.

Angelina Jolie attends the "Maria" screening during the 62nd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on September 29, 2024 in New York City wearing a white pleated dress

A closer look at Jolie's red carpet gown.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It wasn't the gown's Grecian-inspired silhouette or Jolie's Old Hollywood glam look, however, that recalled Callas. It was her dress's colorway. White-bright gowns were a favorite of the singer and she often sported them on the red carpet. In fact, she wore a similar design to the International Film Festival in Venice, Italy in 1956.

Maria Meneghini Callas, Italian Opera singer, arriving at International Film Festival in Venice, Italy. 9/29/56

Maria Callas wears white to the 1956 International Film Festival.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Fittingly, white dresses are also a Jolie specialty. Over the years, she has worn look-alike styles on many occasions. In 2019, for example, the actor wore a nearly identical gown to a Los Angeles premiere of Dumbo. It, too, featured a wrapped bodice and micro pleats.

Angelina Jolie attends the premiere of Disney's "Dumbo" at El Capitan Theatre on March 11, 2019 in Los Angeles, California wearing a white gown

Long before signing on for the biopic in her honor, Jolie wore a Maria Callas-esque gown for the 2019 premiere of "Dumbo."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Fifteen years prior, in 2009, she wore yet another iteration to the annual Academy Awards. This time, her look was all satin, with a matching shawl and a low-cut neckline.

Angelina Jolie during The 76th Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals by Jeff Kravitz at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, United States wearing a white satin dress

She wore a similar gown 15 years earlier, to the 2009 Oscars.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

She was born to play this role.

Kelsey Stiegman
Contributor

Kelsey (she/her) is a freelance fashion editor and writer, specializing in e-commerce and celebrity style content. With more than nine years of experience in digital media, Kelsey has a knack for turning top-performing content into top-selling content. Before taking her talents to Marie Claire, Kelsey was the Senior Fashion Editor at Bustle, where she oversaw the site’s fashion coverage and launched a successful luxury handbag series called Secure The Bag. Prior to Bustle, she came from a six-year stint at Seventeen, during which she managed the team’s fashion and beauty verticals and led e-commerce strategy. In addition to writing and editing, Kelsey also offers freelance creative consulting services, as well as content creation. Follow @klstieg on Instagram for 'fit pics and travel recommendations.