Emma Watson, the current star for Beauty and the Beast, is now on an international promotional tour for the upcoming blockbuster movie. True to her reputation as a well-acclaimed style icon, she has combined her fashion game with the tour by launching a new Instagram account, The Press Tour, to showcase her latest tastes while on tour. Speaking about her new Instagram account, “I hope you enjoy seeing what goes on behind the scenes.”
Last weekend, during the premiere of Beauty and the Beast in Paris, Watson showcased the Fall 2017 collection by Oscar del la Renta. Designed by Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, the stain bustier and silk faille sash made a stunning statement. ‘The Press Tour’ Instagram account also gives a sneak peek inside the creation and tailoring of her outfits, starting from the mood board to swatches of fabric on samples and finally to the finished pieces in her hotel room.
Watson has been a vocal advocate of sustainable fashion since 2015, during which she wore dresses produced through ethical and eco-friendly methods at each promotional event of the film, Regression. The feminist campaigner’s personal Instagram account is also awash with pictures of her wearing Burberry, Stella McCartney and Swedish brand Filippa K, which are fashion houses adopting sustainable practices.
Fast forward to early this week during the Shanghai premiere, Watson absolutely stole the show in her champagne-coloured, embellished gown, designed by Elie Saab. Looking like a real-life princess at Shanghai Disneyland, the dress received praise from the media and fans. Audience at the Walt Disney Grand Theatre in Shanghai Disney Resort enjoyed a sneak peek of the film, as well as autograph and photo opportunities with Watson. Being especially fond of the Pirates of the Caribbean, she also managed to sneak some time out to try the ride and enjoy the outstanding visual effects.
Beauty and the Beast is very popular in the Greater China region, fans in China and Taiwan are highly anticipating the release of the latest film. A Chinese version of the theme song has also been produced for fans in the region, featuring popular Chinese artist Boran Jing and the critically acclaimed Taiwanese singer Hebe Tien. This Chinese rendition has been released garnered over 1.2 million views in less than a week.
Watson was approached for the role of Cinderella in Disney’s previous production. In an interview with the Guardian, Watson explained that she felt Cinderella had a relatively passive personality which did not resonate with her. . However she could relate with the inquisitive and strong personality of Belle, having played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series. Watson also told Total Film magazine that she put a lot of effort to push the character further from the traditional ‘fairy-tale’ stereotype, and focused on bringing out the resilience of Belle. “I feel even in the original animation, Belle was very progressive. She was kind of a departure from other princess characters and it was so fun to pad out her backstory.”It is very apparent that Watson had a good time playing the iconic Disney princess.
During the interviews, Watson chatted about almost everything – from feminism, Harry Potter, sustainable fashion, book club Shared Shelf and etc. However she kept mum on the identity of her date. Commenting on her absolute need for privacy in her love life to Vanity Fair, “I can’t talk about my boyfriend in an interview and then expect people not to take paparazzi pictures of me walking around outside my home. You can’t have it both ways.” She also added, “I’ve noticed in Hollywood, who you are dating gets tied up into your film promotion and becomes part of the performance and the circus. I would hate anyone that I were with to feel like they were in any way part of a show or an act.”
Being one of the most anticipated films of 2017, Beauty and the Beast has built up a large fan base since the release of its first trailer in November 2016. With over 127 million views on the first day of its release, the trailer has smashed previous record set by the trailers of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ and ‘Fifty Shades Darker’. Disney fans who grew up watching the original animation are excited for the release of the movie in their local cinemas. Watson said, “Pure joy this film, it’s unapologetically romantic and sometimes we need that. Particularly now we need that. You will come out fuller than when you went in.”
* Beauty and the Beast premieres in Singapore on 16 March 2017. Behind-the-scenes with Emma for your eyes!
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Photo courtesy of Michael Dumler
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