Red-carpet gold & tin
Awards-show red carpets are indispensable snapshots into the state of celebrity fashion of the moment: Who’s taking risks? Who’s playing it safe? Who’s killing it and who’s ... um, DOA? USA TODAY’s Maria Puente takes a look at some of the more graphic ris
ANNIE PARISSE
She let the pattern do all the talking. Can’t get much more bold than her column halter gown with black-and-brick-red leafshaped splotches on a light blue background and few unnecessary embellishments.
KIERNAN SHIPKA
Her strapless midnight Erdem gown splattered with shimmering, pale green dandelion-like flowers underscored the point that subtle patterns are best. And the ribbed bodice added delightful edge.
LILY RABE
v Her Lela Rose gown combined eye-popping – the bright yellow color, plunging V-neck – and the subtle – the low-key floral-and-palms pattern over a sheer silver skirt.
PRIYANKA CHOPRA
You can never go wrong with a mermaid dress, especially one by Monique Lhuillier with the unusual pattern of pink-andwhite lace designs over beige background spilling below the knees into a beige tulle flare.
RACHEL MCADAMS
For a richly embellished statement dress that worked, you can’t beat her Elie Saab nude-and-black gown with a full train, covered in black mesh studded with sparkly black floral embroidery and Swiss dots. Not too busy, not too much, just right.
MELORA HARDIN
Her blue strapless mullet dress (short in front, long in back) had an indisputably unique pattern of florals combined with leopard skin, but it was just too ... poofy/busy to be elegant.
SARAH PAULSON
Her black Armani Privé gown was perfect from the waist down, but the bright pink, black and turquoise fluff on top was maybe a
risk too far.
ALICIA VIKANDER
Her long-sleeved Louis Vuitton gown shimmered with metallic sequins, but it was the patchwork, almost Mondrian-like pattern that really gleamed.
NICOLE KIDMAN
It was all ruffles and flourishes for her in a floor-brushing Gucci gown with a pattern of pink, rose and lavender stripes, in tiers, plus embellishments and a belt, and a plunging neckline, and an overall sheen. Maybe it would have been less busy without
the tiers?
KRISTEN WIIG
She was in a black-and-cream Roland Mouret jumpsuit, so she was bucking tradition from the get-go. But notice the single-strap top, half embellished with sparkling geometric and floral jewel-like medallions.
ELLIE KEMPER
Medallions played a different role in her strapless Peter Pilotto gown, filling the full skirt with huge blue, green and white geometrics that might have been mistaken for heraldic shields.