The BAFTAs – the biggest night on the British film calendar. The red carpet may not be as formal as the Oscars, but the slightly relaxed vibe still provides a number of fashion moments worth savouring.
First and foremost: Angelina Jolie. It was a pleasant surprise to have both halves of Brangelina – the first and last time I refer to the couple as such – on the red carpet last night, especially surprising when both of them stepped out in tuxedos. Of course the world expects Mr. Pitt to look exceedingly handsome and dashing in his tuxedo but Angelina just proved that she can do it better. She wore a sublime tailor-made tux by Saint-Laurent which she carried off effortlessly, her relaxed poise epitomized by the unbuttoned collar and undone bow-tie. Her make-up was mostly natural save for a dark eye-liner embellishment which perfectly complimented her understated look. This is how women in tuxedos should look on the red carpet, here’s looking at you Diane Keaton.
As for Brad, he was sporting a Valentino tuxedo that may not have garnered much attention, but it was his hair that caught the eye. Gone are the long, golden locks tinged with a distinguished gentlemanly grey and in comes a military style buzzcut required for his latest role in a World War Two film; though I imagine standard military issue clippers were nowhere to be seen. Short, sharp and at first jarring, I’ve no doubt that many men of all ages, including myself, will be debating whether or not they can pull off the same look.
As cool as Brad Pitt looked, for me the best dressed man was David Gandy. Despite all the male Hollywood eye-candy on show, no-one looked as cool as Mr. Dolce and Gabbana himself. If you’re a young man searching for how to wear a tuxedo properly, this is where you start.
Other highlights include the red carpet rookie, Lupita Nyong’o, who for me is the winner of the red carpet season so far. She is a beautiful woman who looks divine in almost anything she wears at the moment. BAFTAs night was no different as she wore an enchanting green Dior couture gown. The colour of the dress – much like the red, caped Ralph Lauren gown at the Golden Globes – complimented her amazing skin and the cut emphasized her enviable figure. The jewellery was understated, choosing to go with Ana Khouri bangles and nothing near the neck; which I loved as it allowed us to focus on the flawless collarbones.
Cate Blanchett always looks bedazzling on the carpet. For BAFTA night she wore a simple black Alexander McQueen gown. Its high neckline and short sleeves evoked a sense of a woman who no longer needs to exclaim her presence on the red carpet, but her near unrivalled class and elegance makes her shine brightly nonetheless. The necklace by Chopin provided a sparkle on the top half of the dress which flowed into some sumptuous detail around the hips. She wore her hair tied up, which let us all fawn over those cheekbones you just want to pinch.
Two other winners for me were a pair of former models in Olga Kurylenko and Uma Thurman. Kurylenko was wearing a Burberry Prorsum gown which transformed her into a mermaid and Uma Thurman let her stunning figure do all the talking in a simple blue Atelier Versace gown, something Reese Witherspoon struggled to pull off at the Golden Globes.
Unfortunately, there were a few misses. For me, Maggie Gyllenhall couldn’t quite pull off the delicate black lace and pearl embroidered gown, instead only reminding me of how amazing Cate Blanchett looked in her similarly styled Armani Prive dress at the Golden Globes. Ruth Wilson of Luther fame looked to be unsuccessfully channelling her inner Ziggy Stardust in a silver Antonio Beradi suit which seemed a little too flashy, bordering on garish. Gillian Anderson’s vintage Balmain gown didn’t seem to quite fit her around the bust as well as it should have, which is a real shame because it was an amazing piece and finally, Fearne Cotton wore a gown that was simply too old for her though there is no fault with the dress.
All in all, a good red carpet showing with no clear disasters. I imagine Angelina will be best remembered but for me, Lupita Nyong’o was the best dressed. However, the award for Best Dressed Celeb is a mere consolation seeing as how she was unceremoniously snubbed for Best Supporting Actress.
