The Golden Globes marks the opening of awards season, a key time for film, of course, but also fashion. Historically a place for scrutiny, the red carpet has become less a soapbox for headline-grabbing designs and more an exercise in securing the correct sort of self-promotion, key particularly in a year in which Jennifer Lawrence called out inequality in male and female paychecks and Carrie Fisher decried sexism in Hollywood. It’s thought press were requested to not ask too many questions about who was wearing what.
Pale, demure and eco-chic were the most universal themes in what otherwise was a quiet, unfleshy and sober display of red carpet stye. Whether because of west coast tans or the actual red carpet (some ceremonies are phasing them out in favour of blue), white often prevails at the Globes and this year was no different. There was Alicia Vikander in a white bibbed-front Louis Vuitton dress, Cate Blanchett in Art Deco-inspired Givenchy and Rooney Mara in feathery Alexander McQueen and a punch of red lipstick. Jane Fonda went the whole hog in an exquisite Yves Saint Laurent Couture dress by Hedi Slimane while Laverne Cox’s Elizabeth Kennedy column dress which puddled out at the bottom, was another winner.
Kate Hudson, Rachel McAdams, Lady Gaga in Atelier Versace and Kate Bosworth provided the only other theme of the night – strapless – which Hudson paired with a choker in the same fabric. Flesh was flashed but in a very PG sense, with necklines relatively staid save a few 1970s Halston-style plunging necklines, as seen on Olivia Wilde and Kirsten Dunst. Those with 20/20 vision would have spotted the other trend – eco-friendly fashion. See Eddie Redmayne’s bee-embellished tux and Corinne Foxx sparrow-dotted dress; both presumably were a nod to endangered animals.
Jennifer Lawrence – perhaps the winner of the night – continued to show how successful a marriage between designer and star can be in an artfully cut-out Dior gown. Ditto Julianne Moore in metallic Tom Ford. Some stars went off-piste, by which they eschewed stylists. Melissa McCarthy wore her own Studio 54-inspired design and Bryce Dallas Howard admitted – gasp – she bought her Jenny Packham dress from a department store.
Hair was a mixed bag, slicked down on Malin Akerman, quiffed on Rachel Mcadams and pumped up with a bumpit on Katy Perry. It’s generally warmer on this red carpet than most, which may explain the flurry of up-dos (humidity does not lend itself well to ungelled hair). Elsewhere, the accessories were relatively low key: Van Cleef & Arpels had a stellar year, particluarly on Emmy Rossum’s sparkly choker.
Photograph: Paul Buck/EPA
As per, most of the men went classic in black or midnight blue, save Kevin Hart’s metallic tux with a bronze rosette pin and David Oyelowo’s shimmering mauve three-piece easy—but still deserving—standout
Some stars made a bid for meme glory by jutting out a leg, in the style of Angelina Jolie, most successfully on Jada Pinkett-Smith and Jennifer Lopez in canary yellow draped waist Giambattisa Valli. Along with Regina King, Lopez also wore a superhero cape, so there should be plenty for the Photoshop wizards to have fun with on Instagram.
