And the winner is… glamour. Who nailed the Golden Globes’ virtual red carpet?
This year’s Golden Globes took place on a virtual red carpet – which gave the A-list free rein to take risks and send a message, says Laura Antonia Jordan
after a year of leisurewear, the Golden Globes – the start of awards season – served as a rallying cry not just to get dressed, but to get dressed up again.
It’s one of Hollywood’s hottest tickets but, this year, guests didn’t need to be in Hollywood at all. Rather, held as a largely virtual ceremony, the A-list logged on from across the world. There they were in their hotel suites or on their sofas, sat next to their spouses or being photobombed by their dogs. And if you’ve suffered any
‘technical difficulties’ this year, take solace in knowing even the winners were not immune (see Best Supporting Actor winner Daniel Kaluuya forgetting to unmute).
So, in a way, celebrities are just like us. Except, of course, they’re not. A pair of earrings might cut it for when we want to make an effort on screen but, in Hollywood, you don’t need to be near a red carpet to dress like you were made to walk on one.
Like the actors, this awards season sees their stylists having to adapt their mindset. ‘I mentally shifted gear,’ says Elizabeth Saltzman, who dressed Julia Garner and Eiza González on the night. ‘My gear has always been towards building confidence on a red carpet and this one was more about “Who are you? What do you want to say?”’
‘It actually made life easier,’ says Aimee Croysdill, who gave Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan a major Molly Goddard moment. ‘You can pin and hide things that you can’t on a red carpet, like socks to keep feet warm!’
There were a few concessions to all-out comfort dressing: Jodie Foster in Prada PJS and Jason Sudeikis in a tie-dye hoodie. But others made the most of the waist-up moment. Rosamund Pike teamed her Molly Goddard dress with biker boots, Glenn Close wore her cherry Lafayette 148 New York trouser suit with distressed Golden Goose sneakers. On Zoom, nobody needs to know (and no one would have if the looks hadn’t been posted on Instagram).
But the night’s comfort dressers were in the minority. Rather, the Globes heralded the return of escapist glamour. Who managed to suppress a swoon over Anya Taylor-joy’s emerald Dior haute couture gown? Who
wouldn’t want to play the screen siren in Elle Fanning’s slinky aqua Gucci dress? Who didn’t want to be Best Actress winner Andra Day in her Chanel halterneck gown? Each of these looks reminded us of the transportive joy of fashion at its most fabulous.
However, none of this was to say that this year’s Globes was business as usual. A bolder spirit triumphed on the night. Styled by Jason Bolden, Cynthia Erivo’s neon green, sculptural Valentino couture dress and skyscraper silver platforms were an undiluted shot of optimism, while Sarah Paulson didn’t let an injured arm stand in her way. She teamed her black off-theshoulder Prada dress with a custom purple cast (complete with the brand’s triangle logo). It was inadvertently the most 2021 accessory of the night; you don’t have to reach far to find a metaphor there about making the best out of a bad situation.
Nor did newcomers feel the need to blend in. They went big (in personality and proportions), they went bold. Alongside Coughlan’s explosive Molly Goddard tulle, there was Emma Corrin, who won for her
role in The Crown. Working with her stylist Harry Lambert, she opted for custom Miu Miu. Inspired by a Pierrot costume it had an oversized ruffled collar (the ultimate Zoom trend – on steroids) and exaggerated sleeves. Was it elegant? Yes. Predictable? No way. She is set to be one of the most exciting presences on the virtual red carpet.
Indeed, the Globes might mark the start of an awards season where attendees are less shy about taking risks. Dressing away from the pressures of the red carpet emboldens stars. ‘You can do something bigger or less practical,’ says Croysdill. ‘People’s natural flare comes out.’ Indeed, this is one place where it might be preferable not to see normality resume. Awards season dressing can often feel like a cynical, overly manufactured exercise – attendees being commercially tied to brands and clamouring for column inches – but the return of a more personal expression of style feels refreshing and timely. After this year, shouldn’t we all learn to take ourselves a little less seriously?
Being pretty or sexy alone won’t cut it any more. The re-emergence of personal style means also conveying a message, aligning yourself with causes that matter and people you care about. It’s something Viola Davis pulled off perfectly. She opted for a striking mermaid gown with an African print from Cameroonian designer Claude Kameni. ‘Viola wanted a designer that spoke to her as a Black woman,’ wrote her stylist Elizabeth Stewart on Instagram. ‘So how do you define glamour in a new era striving for more diversity and inclusivity? In the world of fashion, that still has a way to go, this is a fabulous start.’
Elsewhere, Saltzman dressed Garner in Prada, as it was one of the first brands to support her when she was starting out. ‘The mindset was “let’s honour those who have believed in you”,’ she says. ‘Isn’t that what the world needs – honesty and loyalty?’
So, with awards season underway, the question is – after everything we’ve been through, does the red carpet still matter? Well, yes and no. No in that, this year, we’ve seen what really matters. But yes, because it also provides a welcome escape from that. For a night you are granted permission to dream. What a relief ! And don’t forget, the red carpet is a business too. As Saltzman points out, ‘It’s important to celebrate all the work people have done. It’s one thing if you’re a movie star, it’s another if you’re a writer or a lighting technician. It can open doors for designers, hair and make-up brands, a lot of talent.’
For emerging talent, the right red-carpet moment can catapult them into the big league. But, if you want a look that summed up the spirit of the new red carpet, look to a veteran. Accepting her Cecil B Demille Award, Jane Fonda wore a 25-year-old white suit she already owned. It ticked all the boxes: glamorous yet comfortable, conscious and statementmaking (not only because it was a re-wear, but because the white suit has become a symbol of women’s empowerment). But most of all, because it looked like her. This season for an outfit to get everyone talking, it will have to have something to say.