Lily James is unrecognisable in new Versace campaign

The actor has said that she finds the process of transformation ‘liberating’

Lily James is unrecognisable in a series of new photographs shared as part of the new Versace campaign.

Swapping her wavy brown locks for a poker-straight, jet-black cut with a blunt fringe, the 33-year-old actor can be seen posing in dark purple lipstick and red and black latex gloves.

In an image shared to her Instagram, the Baby Driver actor can be seen wearing a black low-cut corset, elbow-length gloves and holding a black Versace handbag from the luxury fashion house’s Fall/Winter 2022 collection.

“Thank you @donatella_versace for setting me free with your Greca Goddess bag”, she captioned the post. “In Italy. In @versace. I live for this. Love you @mertalas and @macpiggott unbelievable to work with you. Doesn’t get any better than this.”

Both fans and celebrity friends flocked to comment on the radical transformation.

Poppy Delevingne wrote: “Oh LILS. 🔥.” Lily Collins wrote: “😍😍😍😍😍🔥🔥🔥🔥 yes girl!” while Lashana Lynch simply wrote: “YOU WHAT?!! 🔥🔥🔥.”

Donatella Versace added: “You are perfection! Absolutely STUNNING.”

In another picture shared to the designer’s Instagram page, James can be seen wearing an ankle-length red dress with ruching detail and red pointed boots, posing next to the 67-year-old.

“When @lilyjamesofficial got in front of the camera she transformed!”, she wrote in the accompanying caption.

“Wearing the collection unlocked her own personal attitude and she took on a new energy and power. That’s exactly how you should feel when wearing Versace! Here are some behind-the-scenes images from when we shot the campaign in the most incredible location in Rome 🇮🇹✨”

The images are just the latest in a series of recent transformations by the London-born actor.

James, who recently portrayed Pamela Anderson in Disney+ 's Pam & Tommy, revealed earlier this year that she spent around four hours each day in hair and makeup in order to transform herself into the Baywatch star.

Speaking to Porter, the actor, who had to wear a prosthetic bodysuit for filming, said: “I’ve never done anything where I look very different from myself before.

“Slowly, our incredible team found a balance where I resembled Pamela but also felt like I could act through it.”

She added that she found the transformative element of the job “liberating”.

She said: “I’d really like to continue in this vein, because I felt there was something very freeing and liberating in it. There was a bravery that came from that. A courage that came from… disappearing.”