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Ella Purnell attends the Netflix Arcane LA Premiere at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on October 30, 2024 in Los Angeles.
circa 1920:  Marion Davies (1897 - 1961), American actress and protege of William Randolph Hearst, with her new car.  (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
high heels, 1920s
Ella Purnell Does Steampunk Dressing for 'Arcane' in Slingback Shoes
5th October 1931:  A fashionable woman examining shoes made from various reptile skins at the Shoe and Leather Fair, in London.  (Photo by J. A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)
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Fresh off of producing the dark comedy “Sweetpea,” Ella Purnell is promoting the steampunk action series “Arcane.” The Netflix series features her voice alongside that of Hailee Steinfeld. To promote the show’s second season, the star appeared at the project’s Los Angeles premiere in her own steampunk-esque effect.

Ella Purnell attends the Netflix Arcane LA Premiere at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on October 30, 2024 in Los Angeles.
Ella Purnell attends the Netflix Arcane LA Premiere at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on October 30, 2024 in Los Angeles.

Purnell’s version of steampunk was decidedly feminine. For shoes, the actress went with a trending silhouette: the slingback. Specifically she wore Christian Dior‘s J’adior slingback shoe. It features a patent leather toe box with a pointed toe. The vamp of the shoe is square.

The Made in Italy shoes includes an embroidered cotton ribbon as the slingback. It loops from the front of the shoe, around the ankle and to the other side. It ties with a flat ribbon.

Christian Dior J'adior Ribbon Slingbacks in Patent Leather
Christian Dior J’adior Ribbon Slingbacks in Patent LeatherDior

The shoe sits on top of the company’s four-inch comma heel. That heel features a sculpted silhouette, starting from the back of the foot and then concaving in partially, towards the center of foot before flaring back out and meeting the ground. The silhouette of the comma heel is often most pronounced in shorter styles where the curvature becomes more pronounced. The original comma shoe was designed by Roger Vivier and is often viewed as a sort of lead-up to the stiletto. Vivier became known for this “Virgule” after leaving Christian Dior and opening his own shop in 1963 and re-introduced it in 2013.

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The J’adior slingback was introduced by Maria Grazia Chiuri in the spring 2017 Dior show.

Ella Purnell attends the Netflix Arcane LA Premiere at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on October 30, 2024 in Los Angeles.

Slingback shoes, alongside mules, are a major trend for 2024. Celebrities have been wearing them at all heights, from many brands, and for all types of events throughout the year. They made a major impression at the Cannes International Film Festival in May but have been persistently visible from brands like Miu Miu, Gianvito Rossi and Christian Louboutin.

Ella Purnell and Hailee Steinfeld attend the Netflix Arcane LA Premiere at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on October 30, 2024 in Los Angeles,
Ella Purnell and Hailee Steinfeld attend the Netflix Arcane LA Premiere at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on October 30, 2024 in Los Angeles,

Amongst the most ppoular are the Gianvito Rossi Ribbon stiletto and a strappy option from Miu Miu

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Ella Purnell Does Steampunk Dressing for 'Arcane' in Slingback Shoes
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