I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this years “host-less” Oscars! Opening with a performance by Queen was a brilliant move, and following it up with Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Maya Rudolph kept the energy going. Without a host, the ceremony felt brisk and even clocked in at under 3.5 hours.
And best of all, most of the wins demonstrated that the Academy is looking forward, diversifying, and finally embracing women and people of color. Spike Lee FINALLY took home an Oscar for Adapted Screenplay; Hannah Beachler and Ruth Carter became the first women of color to take home the prizes for Set and Costume design respectively; and three of the four Best Actor/Actress winners were people of color! Progress!
Also…there was this:
Moral of the story: no host, no problem! And now, some gowns!
Olivia Colman in custom Prada
Embed from Getty ImagesI gasped when Olivia won, beating out front-runner Glenn Close (who is currently tied with Amy Adams as the two most nominated women without Oscars). She gave an utterly charming speech and seemed genuinely as surprised as the rest of us. This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I largely really like this! The emerald color is gorgeous and I love the grey embellished shawl/cape – although I am not sure those two colors belong together.
Lady Gaga in custom Alexander McQueen and Tiffany and Co.
Embed from Getty ImagesBefore we get to her look, let’s all just take a minute and appreciate the sheer FIRE that is her chemistry with Bradley Cooper. If they were trying to make me to go see “A Star is Born”, well…it worked. I’m sold.
As for her look, it’s fine but largely forgettable – with the exception of one very large, yellow, shiny diamond. I appreciate the way the dress plays into her more mature new aesthetic, while still maintaining some classic Gaga elements like the gloves and accentuated hips. Increasingly though, I find that all black on the red carpet bores me. I also think this particular hair style unnecessarily aging.
But. That diamond! Known as “The Tiffany Diamond”, it is a whopping 128 carats and has only been worn in public twice before: by Audrey Hepburn in a photo shoot for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and by Mrs. Sheldon Whitehouse at the 1957 Tiffany Ball. It’s absolutely incredible and I am so glad Gaga (and presumably MANY bodyguards courtesy of Tiffany’s) took it out for a spin!
Glenn Close in custom Carolina Herrera
Embed from Getty ImagesApparently this gown weighed 42 pounds and included 4 million beads.
Yes, BEADS! Joking aside, I think this is stunning and I also think that Glenn definitely thought she was going to win and chose to go BIG. She may have lost to Queen Anne, but she looks positively regal.
Melissa McCarthy in custom Brandon Maxwell
Embed from Getty ImagesBlack and white pants were the name of the game for Melissa last night! She rocked this fun, caped pantsuit from Brandon Maxwell on the red carpet, and then changed into matching Adidas tracksuits with husband Ben Falcone for the after parties!
Embed from Getty ImagesSeriously, how adorable are they?
Yalitza Aparicio in custom Rodarte
Embed from Getty ImagesBoth Yalitza and Rodarte continue to surprise me! I have thoroughly enjoyed watching her blossom into a red carpet star, and this blessedly restrained, princess-worthy look from the Sisters Mulleavy is a lovely cap to her first awards season.
Fashion Wonk 