Madonna and Andrea Riseborough
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage

Was there a memo sent out in Hollywood about the masses of Baywatch babe hairdos (Reese, Salma, Elle, Madonna, Heidi, Kristen) at the Golden Globes? And did an alternative memo go out for the ballerina knot at the nape (Angelina, Natalie, Claire, Emma)? And where were the unexpected surprises on the red carpet? Instead, a sweep of strapless dresses with dramatic caboose trains ruled the evening. I kept wanting to see those moments of shock and awe, but there were none. I kept wanting to see someone in a short dress, but there were none. I will say thank you, Meryl Streep (Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama for The Iron Lady), for the dignity of your words in relation to all the women working in your industry and your ability to look soigné in what looked like a Temple Grandin shirt while seated, until you were onstage and revealed the dramatic cut of your skirt and lace-insert shirtwaist. Your choice of Alessandra Rich was original, to say the least. Score for Lanvin with Natalie Portman looking great in ruby duchesse satin with dramatic side draping, and Emma Stone just as wonderful in a two-toned Grecian dress with eagle-buckled belt.

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4 months ago  |  247 notes

#Vogue#Fashion#Style#Red Carpet#Golden Globes#Andre Leon Talley

by André Leon Talley

“Is it a flash? Is it a flash?” Those are the words Mae West asks her maids in I’m No Angel. She is asking if her imported embroidered gown, just delivered, will make an impact. That’s what counts at the Golden Globes.

If it takes days of prep and three to four hours of makeup, better make sure your dress has fireworks—great fabric, elegant lines, or wow detail. Someone should have told Helena Bonham Carter, nominated for her brilliant portrayal of a royal wife in The King’s Speech, to nix the idea of one green shoe and one pink shoe. Her Vivienne Westwood lamé and a haze of tulle and point d’esprit and James Dean-style sunglasses, was the evening’s train wreck.

Otherwise, there was a return to what people want to see: full-frontal glamour. The top honor goes to Nicole Kidman, a veteran red-carpet influential, wearing elegant white sequin Prada. That simple grosgrain waist defined with a flat bow was the best point of her refinement. Olivia Wilde was in a superb Marchesa: a bustier bombast of tulle and sparkle and perfectly combed hair.Natalie Portman (Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama, for Black Swan) surprised with a strapless, draped Empire Viktor & Rolf, spiked with a huge sparkling red rose. Her dress-up French twist and her bib-like necklace were perfect for the expectant mother. She called her look the way she always wants to dress, which translates to comfortable, modern elegance. Loved it. Julianne Moore’s modernist ponytail and almost-not-there makeup was the correct balance for her fuchsia one-shouldered/one-long-sleeved Lanvin by Alber Elbaz. The poufy sleeve was overkill, though, kind of like the padded shoulders of Anne Hathaway’s otherwise beautiful Armani Privé sparkler. Angelina Jolie’s long-sleeved emerald-green paillette Versace was a bit of a matronly choice, and the slightly extended shoulders didn’t help. Why would arguably the sexiest star in Hollywood go for something that looked as if it had been recycled from the back lots where Adrians or Orry-Kellys might have been discovered at the last minute? Tina Fey said she spent three-and-a-half hours in makeup to go with her gorgeous midnight-in-Paris blue L’Wren Scott velvet column. Void of flash, the dress was exciting in its simplicity. Sandra Bullock in Jenny Packham tulle and spangles looked super sixties cool. January Jones has the cool factor to pull off a red-fringe Versace that took its hues and lines from Madame Grès. It’s obvious she is involved in her choices, and after the blue Versace that she wore at the Emmys last spring, this choice puts her in a league of some of the best dresses ever seen on the red carpet. Less is definitely more: Claire Danes (winner of Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, for her role in HBO’s Temple Grandin) in a backless pink column by Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein Collection with a neat ballerina chignon and one simple gold bangle; and Sabrina-like cropped Michelle Williams in a nude daisy-chain appliqué Valentino—such an original choice. I have worked with Tilda Swinton in Paris, and she usually rings you from her car in Scotland, having dropped her children off at school. Her Jil Sander duchesse-satin evening skirt and simple white shirt, is exactly the way you think a practical mother juggling children, career, and life might opt to dress at night, even in Hollywood. What saved her from being a fashion blooper? Her impeccable glide and beautiful posture.

1 year ago  |  191 notes

#Fashion#Golden Globes#Red Carpet#Vogue#Andre Leon Talley