Look of the Week: Nicole Kidman, in witchy splendor, hints at Versace’s next chapter

For the past week, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Maisie Williams and Joey King have ushered in the season of the witch as their coven has assembled for the “Practical Magic 2” press tour. Each have had their standout looks, from King’s sheer Miu Miu florals to Williams’ crimson throwback ode to Bullock, but the asymmetrical drop-waist lacy gown Kidman wore to the Los Angeles premiere on Monday teased more than just the film. The enchanting look was fitting for a free-spirited witch lounging around her candlelit home sanctuary, as Kidman’s character Gillian might do. (Fans will also be happy to hear the “Practical Magic” house, which has gained its own cult following, was reportedly rebuilt for the sequel). Completed with a wide lace choker and tousled hair, the romantic dress was also the first glimpse into Versace’s next chapter. Since taking the creative helm in February, designer Pieter Mulier has not yet had the opportunity to send a collection down the runway — and he won’t until early next year, skipping the Spring-Summer 2027 shows next month. Dressing Kidman is the only hint, for now, of how he’ll steer the famed Italian luxury house since Dario Vitale’s divisive 1980s-saturated one-and-done collection. Kidman’s red carpet look teases what we might see from Mulier’s much-anticipated debut collection for the Italian luxury house. The timing of this sneak peek is also interesting: To make that big of a statement during the premiere of “Practical Magic 2” shows just how far the cult-classic film has come since its poor critical reviews and fast box-office drop-off. “We thought, ‘This is going to be such an amazing film. People are going to love it,’” Bullock told Variety at the sequel’s premiere. “And then it got quiet.” The original premiere wasn’t a headlining moment, either, though it was well attended by the likes of Heath Ledger, LeeAnn Rimes and Matthew McConaughey. Premieres back then were much more casual affairs, not vehicles for major fashion moments. Because she was onstage in London at the time, Kidman didn’t even attend, leaving Bullock to promote it with her other castmates. And when, earlier in the week, Williams paid tribute to Bullock with a throwback look, it wasn’t to the little black dress from the 1998 premiere, but instead, an all-red look the actor wore the following year for a different film, “Forces of Nature.” The fact that “Practical Magic” got a sequel at all is a testament to the brewing nostalgia built over three decades. Kidman and Bullock’s sisterly chemistry, the nearly all-female cast, the camp value, and the film’s lore trickling out over the years have also contributed to a recent resurgence of interest. And despite the fact that “Practical Magic” was never a fashion film, it has become a kind of holy grail for witchy aura and autumnal mood boards, the kind of feeling you hope to have by wearing a slip dress or slouchy cardigan, listening to Stevie Nicks during the hour of the wolf — in your beautiful, botanical-filled, Roman & Williams designed house. That’s a mood that Versace seems to be happy to capitalize on. It’s a blueprint the luxury house and others have followed before by trickling out a new designer’s vision ahead of the official debut. Vitale’s collection was preempted with a blazer and jeans combo worn by both Julia Roberts and Amanda Seyfied that went viral, and Ayo Edebiri also generated buzz when she test-drove Mathieu Blazy’s first Chanel looks in Venice last year. That Mulier would want to tap into the type of divine feminine energy that “Practical Magic 2” is offering makes sense, in the hopes that his version of Versace will likewise cast an early spell.