The Winners and Losers of the Oscars, Part 2!
Continued...
Let’s get right back into it:
Loser: Ariana Grande
More Wicked cosplay. I don’t know man…I think Grande made a misstep in dyeing her hair blonde - she’s trying to force her coloring to be something other than what it wants to be, and I want better for my Italian sister! I’m also kind of exhausted by her insistence in dressing like a fragile little so and so. On someone else I think I would like the drama of the silhouette, but this feels too on-the-nose.
I just love her, she always looks great. And they look like they have so much fun together. I want to smoke a cigarette with her and Justine Triet, and I don’t even smoke.
Meh: Carey Mulligan
I started tiring of Carey Mulligan’s super-serious Maestro awards show looks pretty early on, and I am similarly unimpressed by this Balenciaga, no matter how pretty it is. This gown is a replica of a famous gown by Cristobal Balenciaga from 1951; some people were saying it was the same one, but I don’t think so; there are some very subtle differences. It’s a gorgeous gown, but I wish there was something about it that deviated from the reference. If you look at a photo of the original gown, you’ll see that this one is styled exactly the same way. That don’t impress me much.
Loser: Danielle Brooks
This is almost good, but veers into bad territory because of the satin. Satin ruins 90% of evening wear - it rarely looks expensive, and hugs the body strangely. The train of this also looks crumpled in nearly every photo, instead of falling gracefully - another result of a heavy satin. The styling is solid, but overall the garment veers slightly off the path of its Old Hollywood reference.
Winner: Coleman Domingo
I’ll say it again: no other male celebrity is doing it like Coleman Domingo. The tailoring, the styling, the references, the rizz? He’s got it in droves. He dresses his silhouette spectacularly, and the risks he takes feel completely embodied and never contrived. Love.
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence
I love this look on JLaw. She does really well in classic silhouettes with a graphic edge. I will never forget her in Ralph Lauren at the 2011 Oscars - the picture of American glamour. This is perfectly alluring, yet simple.
Winner: Zendaya
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a Zendaya look I don’t like; this is gorgeous, although not one of my all-time favorites. I may do an article on all the Dune 2 press tour looks because…my god. That is FASHION. This is lovely (and I think would have been a nice Barbie-inspired look for Margot, shhh!), and feels classically Oscars.
Winner: Florence Pugh
I’m really happy that Flo is no longer wearing exclusively Valentino on the carpet, as I think many of those silhouettes did nothing for her frame. Del Core is great for a statement, and I think she enjoys making statements. This is such a great shape for her, and she really suits silver. She also seems to have figured out her hair, although I’m still not a fan of the roots. I don’t think we needed the raised straps, as the Bulgari necklace provides enough interest up top.
??? Andrea Riseborough
This is a very strange dress. I was asked specifically to comment on it, but it’s sort of incomprehensible to me. I don’t dislike it! I just think it’s wrong for the Oscars. It would be great for a Berlin or a Tribeca film festival. I also don’t like how she was just carrying sort of a large black purse on the carpet with her? That feels very wrong.
Meh: Lily Gladstone
This is almost a good look, but it doesn’t cross the line from blah to glamour for me. Her hair is not “done” enough for my taste, the balance of jewelry isn’t quite right, and the train is at once too much and not enough. I wish it was all a royal blue like the bust line, something to really elevate her loveliness.
Loser: Michelle Yeoh
It’s all too much. I am officially calling for the death of opera gloves on the red carpet, and the neckline embellishment is up too high and feels obscuring. The entire top half of the dress is too heavy.
Meh: Issa Rae
This is a silhouette Issa wears a lot, but the fit of the top is not perfect to me. I do like how the gown is actually a deep green, but it looks black in most photos. Overall, it’s a little boring.
That’s all for this recap! We’ll get back to our regularly scheduled programming with a post that’s just for paid subscribers later this week. If that’s something you’re interested in, feel free to upgrade your subscription below (it will also allow you to comment on any post). Ta!