Awards Season Style: The Best & Worst

Awards season is upon us. The period of the year in which the best of music, television and film are recognised and celebrated. Or, as I better understand it, the season where I sit at home and scrutinise the looks from the night as if I’m even remotely qualified to do so. Almost a month on from this year’s Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards, I’ve had time to ponder and process the hits and misses from the shows.

Awards season started off with a bang. The Golden Globes got everyone talking (and not only because of Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimz’s iconic red-carpet interview with Andrew Garfield). Overall, I enjoyed the majority of the looks, but there’s a few that have been living rent free in my head since January 11^th.

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say Jenna Ortega was the poster girl for the Golden Globes this year. All eyes were on the new Wednesday Addams as she dazzled in a nudeish, light brown Gucci dress. Connected by silver rings, the delicate pieces of fabric fell so perfectly. Ortega was the picture of elegance, with a little grunge Wednesday twist, adorning darker eye makeup to contrast the dress and Tiffany jewellery. 

Photo Credits: @jennaortega on Instagram

I would go as far as to name Lily James my favourite look of the night as she stunned in a bright red Versace gown: this is my definition of an amazing red-carpet look. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s bright, yet is beautifully elegant and glamorous at the same time. The dress was strapless with a perfectly crafted bodice and cut outs on the torso. It’s sexy, yet still maintains the element of class; demonstrating what Versace does best. The big puffy skirt and long train is the cherry on top. Just flawless.

Photo Credits: @lilyjamesofficial on Instagram

I can’t move on from talking about the highs of the Golden Globes without a quick mention of Daisy Edgar-Jones. I would usually consider a black dress of this sort too understated for a red-carpet, but this look took my breath away. Gucci was on a winning streak as the Normal People star shone in a black tightly-fitted dress formed of a combination of sequins and lace. This is the kind of dress which carries a persona, and I enjoyed seeing this less conservative, sexier side of Edgar-Jones that we haven’t really seen before. 

Unusual for me, but I don’t have many negative comments to make about the outfits at this show. However, I will ask the question everyone’s dying to ask: how and why do Chanel keep dressing Margot Robbie as if she’s attending her high school prom? Robbie is widely considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, yet Chanel decided to dress her in the most unflattering, oddly shaped, baby-pink dress. This is not the first time Chanel has done this, and I look forward to the day when Margot’s stylist chooses another fashion house to work with.

I want to briefly touch on the men’s looks at the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards. And it will be brief simply because, as usual, there’s not much to say. Constantly underwhelmed by pretty much all men on red carpets, besides a few individuals such as Harry Styles and Lil Nas X, this season has been no exception thus far. Austin Butler wore a classic black Gucci suit and bow-tie to the Golden Globes; he looked undeniably gorgeous, but painfully basic. Yes, it’s classic, but the red carpet is the ultimate opportunity to push the boundaries. Andrew Garfield wore Zegna suits to both shows. A muted orange with a black shirt and tie to the Golden globes and a full nude suit to Critics’ Choice. For me, Garfield fits into the category which we see so often on red carpets. The category consisting of men who, like Butler, keep it super basic with a plain suit, yet view themselves as different and perhaps adventurous due to the simple fact that it’s not black. 

The looks from the Critics’ Choice Awards were quite a rollercoaster; with some very high highs and even lower lows. Starting off strong with Elle Fanning in Alexander McQueen. One of my highlights of the night, I found myself admiring the stunning workmanship of this dress for a long time. The asymmetric off the shoulder sleeve, the fitted bodice, the looped layers of lace, the puffiness of the skirt: I love it all. For me though, there is a slight element of the dress wearing her rather than her wearing it. I was enchanted by the dress rather than her in it, necessarily. 

Amanda Seyfried wore Dior Haute Couture. I rarely have a bad word to say about Dior; historically they have been one of my favourite red-carpet designers. This look however, is not it. A bronze or off-gold colour, a shawl-like top and an ill-fitting skirt which resembles excess fabric. I love Dior for its beautiful bodices and structural elements, this is the opposite. Almost ageing her, this definitely was not one of my favourites.

Thank God for Anya Taylor-Joy. There are few people who I can say never fail on a red carpet, but for me she is one of them. Restoring my faith in Dior Haute Couture, she wore a beautiful ballerina-esque dress. A strappy nude dress scattered with silver diamonds, with a fitted top and an ankle length sheer skirt. Taylor-Joy embodied elegance and, as per usual, showed us how to dress for a red carpet.