Helen Mirren Reveals Her Red Carpet Secret: ‘Stripper Heels’

Dame Helen Mirren, 80, shared the origin story of her love for platform heels, revealing she first turned to “stripper shops” on Hollywood Boulevard to find the height she desired for red carpet events. The revelation came during an interview with British Vogue from the front row of Erdem’s fall 2026 London Fashion Week show.

Finding Confidence in Height

Mirren explained that she felt dwarfed by taller actresses like Nicole Kidman during awards shows in her early days in Los Angeles. “I’d be this dumpy little five-foot-four thing amongst them,” she told the outlet.

At the time, comfortable yet sky-high heels weren’t readily available. “Platform heels were not in fashion. So the only place I could find a platform heel was in the stripper shops on Hollywood Boulevard,” she recalled. She purchased her first pair for $39.99, and they “worked like magic,” allowing her to stand “eye to eye with [five foot 11] Nicole Kidman.”

A Longtime Preference

Mirren has spoken about her preference for platform heels for years. In 2010, she told Woman & Home magazine that four-inch platforms “give you great height and make your legs look unbelievably long.” She noted at the time that while they were once only available in stripper shops, they had develop into more widely available – and more popular.

A ‘Secret Weapon’ and Barbie Recognition

The actress has called the shoes her “secret weapon” on red carpets, providing an extra six inches of height. She has also previously praised Pleasers, a brand popular with pole dancers and club performers.

Her dedication to the look was even recognized by Mattel in 2024, which created a Barbie doll in her likeness, modeled after her 2023 Cannes Film Festival look – complete with a periwinkle Del Core gown, matching blue hair, and signature platform shoes. “Bless the Mattel team, because they got my f—k-me pump shoes right,” Mirren told British Vogue. “Enormous platform Pleasers have always been my secret weapon on red carpets: they give you six inches of height on your legs, and because they’re made for strippers, they’re quite stable, too.”

At Erdem London Fashion Week

At Erdem’s 20th anniversary show at London Fashion Week, Mirren sat front row alongside Glenn Close, Keira Knightley, Lily James, and Rashida Jones. She opted for a navy knit cardigan with a crocheted shawl, a white botanical-printed skirt, and Mary Jane flats for the occasion, foregoing her usual Pleaser pumps.