5 Of Honor Blackman’s Best Looks As Bond Girl Pussy Galore
The showbiz community is mourning the loss of Honor Blackman, who died this week at the age of 94. Blackman was best known for playing perhaps the most preposterously named Bond girl in the film franchise’s near 60-year history – generations of fans will remember her introducing herself to 007 on Auric Goldfinger’s private jet with the immortal line: “My name is Pussy Galore.” (To which Sean Connery replies: “I must be dreaming.”)
As well as that memorable moniker, Blackman’s character was also notable for having a little more chutzpah than one might expect of a Bond girl in 1964. Women falling at 007’s feet is as established a James Bond trope as his preferred cocktail, but when Connery makes a suggestive remark in Goldfinger about Galore’s role as a “personal pilot”, she swiftly shuts him down. “You can turn off the charm,” she says, before shutting the cockpit door in his face. “I’m immune.”
Read more: Billie Eilish Will Be The Youngest Artist Ever To Sing The Bond Theme Tune
Here, British Vogue looks back at five of the iconic Bond girl’s most memorable looks.
Herbert Dorfman1/5The gold waistcoat
Galore’s pilot uniform famously incorporated a gold leather waistcoat, which she liked to accessorise with a handgun. The waistcoat was originally going to be leopard print, but it was decided the now iconic metallic iteration worked better on screen.
Keystone-France2/5The white suit
Long before Hillary Clinton set her sights on the Oval Office, Blackman had adopted the white pantsuit as her personal power uniform in Goldfinger.
Sunset Boulevard3/5The blazer
Bond girls are typically associated with slinky dresses, but Blackman’s character had a penchant for masculine tailoring. The leader of the all-female team of pilots known as Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus favoured smart trousers, demure polo necks, and blazers sharp enough to rival Bond’s.
ullstein bild Dtl.4/5The wrap blouse
A decade before Diane Von Fürstenberg put her indelible stamp on the wrap dress, Blackman made an unforgettable on-screen appearance in a purple wrap blouse, teamed with her signature trousers. Galore is in the lilac look when she uses her Judo skills on the amorous Bond in an attempt to fend off his advances in a barn. Somewhat inevitably, it all ends in a literal roll in the hay.
Archive Photos5/5The bikini moment
Galore was fleetingly separated from her trousers for an Ursula Andress-style beach scene in a blue bikini. But hers is not actually the most memorable swimwear look in Goldfinger. That honour belongs to Sean Connery’s baby-blue towelling playsuit.
