VANITY’S STILL A WINNER
Stars are going all out to be camera ready from home
72ND PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS Sunday, 9 P.M. ABC
CELEBS, they’re just like us. Even the most gorgeous, normally tanned and toned stars in the world have let themselves go during lockdown and fallen prey to the dreaded “COVID 15” — as in the number of pounds packed on. “Whatever your addiction — ice cream, pasta — they say it’s tenfold now,” said superstar trainer Dion Jackson, known for shaping the physiques of Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey and others. “Lots of my clients have bought Pelotons because the gyms aren’t open. I’ve been working out with many of them outside recently, at Runyan Canyon, on the beach.” There is, he added, one big upside: “Nobody knows who they are because all the celebs are wearing masks.” It’s all part of Hollywood’s prep for the beginning of an especially weird awards season. On Sunday, there will be no red carpet for the 2020 Emmys, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. Instead of gathering with their peers in one starry room, nominees and presenters will be on call at home: One hundred and thirty cameras and small crews have been set up from New York to Los Angeles, London to Tel Aviv. No matter where they are, it’s a little bit Wild West — there is no official dress code, and no one seems to be in agreement on what’s appropriate evening wear.
Tony Shalhoub’s stylist revealed to The Post that “it might be smoking jackets and ascots” this weekend for the “Mrs. Maisel” nominee (Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series).
“From what I’ve seen this week, style will be all over the map,” said Jill Chayet, whose LA-based PR company, BluPrint, handles jewelry, beauty and fashion brands. “Stylists were looking for ‘at-home gowns’ and ‘chic evening pajamas.’ ”
A rep for one of the world’s top red-carpet designers confided to The Post: “Our requests have been all across the board this week — for gowns, for sweats, for sweaters. But definitely there will be less tuxes and gowns than normal years.”
Some stars refuse to let the party-from-home circumstances ruin an opportunity to go all out, however.
Stylist Andrew Gelwicks has been doing fittings with client Catherine O’Hara — nominated for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series — via Zoom and intends to go as glam as ever with the “Schitt’s Creek” star.
Nominee Zendaya (Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for “Euphoria”) told guest host Ben Platt on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” last week that she’s dressing to the max, too.
“I still want to have that experience,” she said. “I’ll probably be with just my family over there, but I definitely want to pull a look and maybe just walk my living-room carpet.” And while you can surely count on nominee Billy Porter (Lead Actor in a Drama Series, “Pose”) — known for sporting hotpink capes and car-length trains on the red carpet — to deliver a dose of escapism, other stars are taking a more subdued cue from these troubled times.
Stylist Chloe Hartstein, who did socially-distanced fittings with “Glow” actress Betty Gilpin (Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series) in person, at first wasn’t sure what to concentrate on: jewelry near the face for close-up shots? A dress with
‘ Nobody knows who they are because all the celebsare wearing masks.
— Trainer Dion Jackson on his celeb clients’ secret outdoor workouts
bedroom slippers since feet probably won’t show?
“So we went for a little more pared down,” she said. “There are a lot of people who will be watching the show who are maybe unemployed or have been furloughed. Obviously, our job in the fashion industry and entertainment industry is to make people dream, but I think we can also create something like ‘we get what’s going on, we understand you.’ ”
Chayet agreed that sociallyconscious dressing is a trend.
“I’ve heard actors will be making very mindful choices as it pertains to black-owned businesses, brands and designers,” she explained. “And they’re highly aware many viewers are struggling financially right now. That might be why no one seems to want jewelry for their clients.”
AND while some insiders predict more casual hair and makeup to prevail, just don’t expect stars to take it easy on their moneymakers: their faces.
Like many Americans, celebs are “horrified” by what the reality of seeing their faces on their laptop screens, said top Beverly Hills dermatologist Dr. Peter Kopelson. “Zoom has brought many people in who wouldn’t ordinarily come in for treatments, including celebs. What’s really in vogue now is cheekbones. People really like the look of high cheekbones, and shadowing the image of high cheekbones with filler projects well on Zoom. Also popular now are microdermabrasions and oxygen facials. They give a more even, smooth look to the skin when projected digitally.”
Dr. Harold Lancer, a Beverly Hills derm who counts celebrities including Beyoncé and Michelle Williams as clients, is also seeing big changes this awards season.
“Normally, I treat people head to toe: When people are stepping on the red carpet, they’re even concerned about their feet,” he told The Post. “But now, they’re asking about their neck and décolletage, the backs of their arms, hands and elbows — anything you can see on camera.”
(Trainer Jackson is taking a similar approach: “To speed up the process for something like an awards show, we might just focus on arms or back, the features that will be in the shot.”)
Dr. Lancer also revealed that COVID-19 has changed attitudes toward plastic surgery.
“They don’t want to risk any potential health issues during COVID, they don’t want anything with a healing component,” he said. So instead of going under the knife, patients are plumping for Accent Prime, a machine that combines ultrasound and radio frequency and tightens skin with zero downtime.
However stars end up looking, and whatever ends up happening on Sunday, it’s sure to be an improvement over last year’s no-host show — the lowest rated Emmys of all time.
Ian Stewart, one of the 2020 show’s executive producers, has admitted that some celebs are “apprehensive” about doing this at home, but that one participant did tell him: “I can bring my dog to the Emmys!”
And at least one star is thrilled by the lack of a red carpet. “I’m very relieved I won’t have to spend an evening in heels this year,” said “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star Alex Borstein, a nominee for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. “It’s fun to get dressed up — but four hours in heels is just four too many.”