Ncuti Gatwa’s “Punky” Red Carpet Look Nods to Doctor Who “Stepping into the Modern Era”

“How do I say this in a PG way?” asks Ncuti Gatwa, with a mischievous smile, ahead of the Los Angeles premiere of Doctor Who, which streams on Disney+ on May 10. Gatwa, who assumes command of the time and space-traveling TARDIS as the Fifteenth Doctor, takes a pause before thoughtfully conveying his distinctive approach to expressive, headline-making style to The Hollywood Reporter.

“I’m someone that very much wears my heart on my sleeve. My emotions are very clear for everyone to see, so I like pieces that have a mixture of strength and vulnerability,” says Gatwa, who stole scenes as a Ken in Barbie, as well as on the film’s London premiere red carpet stunting in custom Valentino silver sequin short-shorts, a billowing cut-out cape and jaunty cowboy hat. “I always like something a little sexy, sensual.”

Through his close collaboration with stylist Felicity Kay, the Sex Education fan favorite also enjoys incorporating clever nods to his notable roles. “How can I tie in the character or the show with me in a ‘fashion’ way?” says Gatwa, who immediately hit it off with Kay during an editorial shoot in 2019.

For the red carpet of the Hollywood premiere of Doctor Who, Kay looked specifically to a navy double-breasted pinstripe suit that Gatwa’s Doctor dons for a jaunt to the not-so-swinging 1963 London music scene in episode three. During his fitting, Gatwa “absolutely fell in love,” as he says, with a power-shouldered black suit, accented with a silver grommet belt, from Achilles Ion Gabriel’s debut collection. 

“It just had this really cool, punky, rocker element, which I love because the show feels quite punk, as well as nerdy,” says Gatwa. “I just thought it was so different from anything I’ve done before. It was more … clothed.”

Selecting the Paris-based Finnish designer, who’s also the creative director of Camper, speaks to the duo’s ongoing efforts to highlight emerging designers — especially for “big moments,” like this premiere, per Kay.

“It speaks to my journey as an actor, as well,” says Gatwa. “It’s worthwhile to support emerging artists because they are the ones that are pushing the narrative, and then pushing us forward.”

Accessorized with pointy-square-toe Christian Louboutin boots, Gatwa’s Doctor Who premiere look feels subversively bold and unexpected — with a cropped and slightly nipped-waist jacket and calf-baring slits up the sides of the flared trousers — and it sends a deeper message.

“It’s a twist on traditionalism, which is like everything that we’re doing with this show,” says Gatwa, about the upcoming season that promises to tackle race in “interesting” ways. “There’s a twist to this traditional, institutional show that’s stepping into the modern era. So the suit is a bit of an ode to that.”

Expect to see more riveting looks over the next week or two. To pay homage to the pantheon of Time Lords — as well as Gatwa’s history-making turn as the first openly queer Black Doctor — Kay prepared a series of 12 ensembles for his monster round of Doctor Who appearances.

“We talked a lot about the Doctor and there’s a lot of parallels between the Doctor’s wardrobe and their eccentricity as a character,” says Kay, who “riffed” on Doctor Who costume designer Pam Downe’s winks back at preceding Time Lords. “Ncuti also authentically embraces the eccentric side of fashion anyway, so there’s so much parallel between him and his Doctor.”

See more looks that the rising star style has worn in recent months, from last summer’s Barbie premiere in L.A. to the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar party.