JULIA IN FOCUS

She’s one of the biggest movie stars of all time, with the most iconic smile on the planet. Julia Roberts gives us one of her trademark grins and lets us into her world

- ALLEY PASCOE

Julia Roberts knows how to make a fashion statement. Who can forget the 1999 Notting Hill premiere when she threw her arms in the air and waved enthusiastically at the crowd, revealing – gasp – underarm hair? Or in 2016 at the Cannes Film Festival when she slipped off her heels to go barefoot up the forbidding flight of crimson-carpeted stairs lined with photographers and media? At her recent appearance at the iconic film festival in 2022, Roberts wore a headline-stealing pear-shaped yellow diamond necklace, designed by Chopard co-president Caroline Scheufele and set in Fairminedcertified ethical white and yellow gold. You could be forgiven for seeing these red-carpet choices as political statements about unrealistic beauty standards, sexist dress codes and the importance of ethical fashion. Here’s the real story …

In the first instance, Roberts just hadn’t shaved. No big deal. Women have underarm hair, it’s entirely natural, get over it. What about the bare feet? Roberts insists she just didn’t want to trip going up the stairs. Understandable. As for the priceless yellow diamond, well, that fashion choice needs no explanation. “You can tell a lot about a person by their jewellery. It’s a fun way to show your spirit and your sense of style,” Roberts tells marie claire. “The pear-shaped yellow diamond necklace I wore at Cannes [was] breathtaking!”