The 2018/2019 Awards Season came to a close with the 91st Academy Awards just a few days ago. As always, it provided us with countless column-inches worth of gossip, numerous spectacular performances, and some very inspirational speeches. But, of course, it also served us some pretty great looks, which can be used – in both theory or practice – when putting together our own outfits!
Julia Roberts
During this year’s Golden Globe Awards, actress Julia Roberts sported a pair of Stella McCartney tailored black trousers and a floor-length, one-shouldered, nude tulle dress. This look brought together the Yin and the Yang of the traditionally-feminine and the traditionally-masculine red-carpet looks and single-handedly reminded us how glamorous trousers can look even in such situations. So successful – and, we assume, comfortable – was this look, that less than a week later, Roberts recreated the look for the Critics’ Choice red carpet, with a long-tailed vest top, white trousers and black pumps.
Florence Welch
The Florence and the Machine-frontwoman wore a floor-length, lacy and frilly naked dress to this year’s BRIT Awards. In a way, the dress made her look almost spectral, but it was incredibly on-brand for the singer who chants out dramatic and eccentric songs which are sometimes reminiscent of gospel choirs. This was a great PR moment but also a greatly personal one for Welch, as it pushes the notion that character and clothes must go together well for an outfit – no matter how restrained or wacky – to work.
Lady Gaga
While she is one of the world’s most recognisable pop stars, there have been times when Gaga’s outfits threatened to eclipse her musical work; particularly when she attended the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards wearing a meat dress designed by Franc Fernandez, which even has its own Wikipedia Page. For this year’s Oscars, however, one of the dresses the Shallow-actress wore was a simple, satin full-gown by Brandon Maxwell, which she paired with a 128-carat Tiffany diamond necklace, a sculptural bun, and a tan. That, in a way, showed just how much Lady Gaga has evolved and grown since her early days, but it also made a very powerful statement: sometimes, you don’t need clothes to do the talking for you.
Billy Porter
Billy Porter wore a black velvet, tuxedo-gown by Christian Siriano to the Academy Awards, which got him lots of media attention and coverage. With this one simple-yet-bold move, Porter didn’t just break the Internet and gender norms on one of the most prestigious and important red carpet events anywhere but also placed the spotlight firmly on black gayness in a space that had, until very recently, been traditionally Caucasian and straight. For the stage performer, pop singer and actor, this was a moment of triumph after years of experiencing homophobia over his fashion choices, while it also paid homage to Hector Xtravaganza (an underground ballroom icon). Unlike Gaga’s choice, the lesson here was that clothes can be an extraordinarily powerful visual vehicle to make a point, start debates and raise awareness. Particularly, when done so beautifully and so meaningfully.
What other looks for the 2018/2019 Awards Season did you like?
