She’s an acclaimed American director, producer, writer, and illustrator with a string of blockbusters under her belt and a closet (or downstairs bathroom) full of awards to prove it. She’s a respected Italian actress, former Bond Girl, model, and muse who’s served as a brand ambassador for Cartier, Dior, and Dolce & Gabbana.
Tim Burton and Monica Bellucci have a combined net worth that is conservatively estimated at $150 million. But no amount of money in the world can buy you love. You need that elusive thing called chemistry. Luckily for them, it looks like they have it in spades.
Those who mourned the sad but inevitable death of Bennifer — or, in some cases, those who still mourn the deaths of Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter — will be heartened to learn that Hollywood has a new couple to pin their indirect romantic hopes on, one that’s still going strong a full twelve months later.
Despite confirming their relationship last summer, Monica and Tim have wisely kept it under wraps — until now. They appeared together on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival to promote Burton’s new film, Beetle juice Beetle juice Burton, 66, and Bellucci, 59, (whom Bellucci stars alongside Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega) looked happy, relaxed and very stylish.
Bellucci has always been stylish, of course, in that particularly “very sexy” Italian style that has been seen on Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Lauren. For her Venice debut, she chose a sweet, calf-length black and white Dolce & Gabbana dress with this season’s trendy polka dot pattern, off the shoulder. She looked elegant as ever when she wore it with black velvet platform sandals and black cat-eye glasses.
Although he has a distinct sense of style, the word “elegant” was an unused description of Tim Burton even five years ago.
Perhaps ‘raised from a shallow grave’ would be more apt. Burton practiced “method dressing” decades before it became a Hollywood trend, and his personal style was very much in line with the aesthetics of his films.
This style of cinema is so revered that it even has its own name: “Burtonesque.” His childhood fascination with the grotesque blossomed into a career-long obsession with otherworldly, dystopian realms filled with freaks, goths and oddballs, as seen in these beloved films: Edward Scissorhands, Sweet Todd And Corpse BrideRunway trends may come and go, but for Burton, the gothic look is more of a lifestyle than a fad.
Or at least it was—especially during his 13-year relationship with British actress Helena Bonham Carter. Beloved for her eccentric British style, Bonham Carter had no qualms about wearing frilly white Victorian trousers to her local yoga class (I know: I’ve seen her) and would bring disarming gothic glamour to every Vivienne Westwood dress she wore.
Burton nailed it. Never knowingly overly familiar with the hairbrush, the pair strolled through the streets of north-west London with their hair pleasantly tousled, she in a tea dress and bower boots, he in a black shirt, a much-loved cardigan and battered shoes.
Fast forward to August 2024, and Burton’s feet are no longer wearing worn-out shoes: like the rest of him, they’re more polished now. While he won’t look as flawless as Tom Ford, Burton has certainly improved his look. When you’re dating a woman as glamorous as Bellucci, you fix your hair and wear a tailored black jacket and a lightly printed shirt.
But the respect for each other’s style shines through on both sides. Burton’s films are known for their avoidance of saturated colours and their dramatic use of black and white. Bellucci has always worn a lot of black: could the black and white polka dots on her Dolce & Gabbana dress be a nod to Burton’s favourite colour palette? When she arrived in Venice, she wore a black shirt and white wide-leg trouser suit, further evidence of their harmonious monochrome attire.
Only time will tell if Hollywood’s latest power couple will make “la Dolce Vita Goth” their signature look, but if they do, they won’t be the first to dress similarly. From Bogart and Bacall to Pitt and Paltrow, the savviest duos have always appealed to the public’s fascination with “couple style,” dressing in ways that enhance their reputations.
When you’re famous, it’s natural to be scrutinized for your fashion choices. When you’re both famous, the scrutiny is even more intense: Just ask the Beckhams or the Carters.
While neither Burton nor Bellucci need the extra cash, double dressing can be a lucrative business. If you do it right, you can get twice the attention and twice the reach.
“Instacouples” such as Italian influencers Chiara Ferragni and Fedez Lucia (now divorced) have made millions from branding and endorsement deals simply by looking good together. Two more recent examples include actors Tom Holland and Zendaya (total estimated worth: £16m) and singer Dua Lipa and her actor boyfriend Callum Turner (total estimated worth: £50m).
While being twins doesn’t always mean winning, so far it looks like Burton and Bellucci can go the distance. As long as they’re together, we plan on enjoying their gothic fashion romance.