Sunday 15th March saw the arrival of a slew of well-dressed stars onto the red carpet for the Academy Awards. It is not just the achievements of the Oscars that go down in history, but who and what attendees are styled in. The paparazzi’s flashy photos get released online, and suddenly a new wave of trends come crashing into the fashion market, just in time for summer. Although there is no Oscar for best dressed, there should be — arguably their outfits are just as memorable as their new awards.
Without further ado, here are the best and worst dressed from this year’s red carpet:
For Best Dressed Woman, no one could contend with actress Shayna McHayle and her stunning black dress from Ukrainian label Lever Couture. This sculptural piece is fluid, shiny, and weightless, while cinching and flourishing in all the right places. I hate to say it, but Sigourney Weaver’s floor-length, high-necked, cuffed dress, places her as this year’s Worst Dressed Woman. Its only saving grace is the semi-transparent mesh, which alleviates some of the heaviness from the dress’ shape. Law Roach, famously Zendaya’s stylist, is totally deserving of the Best Dressed Man award, as he sported his Alexander McQueen AW97 coat. The rich gold brocade against the satiny black material was complemented nicely by his heeled Loubutin boots. Contrastingly, all the men wearing plain tuxes and suits should be titled Worst Dressed for being predictably boring (I’m looking at you, DiCaprio).
Having said all this, there were so many outstanding outfits sharing similarities — there are some new trends emerging. The most prominent trend that stars exhibited this year was dresses in a bridal style, prominently exemplified by Mia Goth in Dior and Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton. Goth’s dress is the perfect example of a classy and romantic Boho style gown, while Stone’s is far more sleek and elegant. What really strikes me is how while they both fall into this bridal genre, they also give off entirely separate vibes, and even influence the emergence of different trends. As seen in current ready-to-wear trends, sleek minimalism is in, à la Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy; Emma Stone’s sequinned dress is ushering in a new era of maintaining elegance through neutrals and unassuming shapes. However, Goth’s hi-low skirt and flower appliqués will fortify the 2016 renaissance that has emerged over the past couple of months. These appliqués were also seen on many other stars’ dresses in large, shiny embroidery. I cannot help but think that this may be an upcoming trend, especially with DIY hobbies like crocheting making a comeback among young people. I foresee this combination of bridal and embroidery ushering in monochrome florals, with thick appliqués for texture – especially in the summer when floaty cotton is always a staple.
Stars and their stylists act as the deciders of the normal person’s shopping sprees, even if filtered down and slightly changed – the essence can always be tracked back to red carpets and catwalks.
Image by Mick De Paola on Unsplash