The fashion at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Award ceremony didn’t feature much of the controversial looks seen in years past. Tuesday’s broadcast of the awards show, which saw Steven Spielberg and Martin McDonagh win big, was the first to air on NBC in two years, during which the dark dealings of the insular, 87-person body of foreign journalists that doles out the gold statues came to view.
Quickly after a damning Los Angeles Times investigation was published in early 2021, the body that hands out the pre-Oscar awards was being called corrupt, racist, and “rife with ethical conflicts.” and the swirling controversies led to the broadcast being nixed.
However, as the first awards show out of the gate every year, and one that’s sans forced formality, Globes fashion history is full of the wild and wacko. The vibe of the event is looser than the Oscars (and alcohol is served), so why not? This year, though, the lack of outrageous red carpet-looks is a good thing. We need some new normal, don’t we? Still, we’ve been desperate to see some real fashion–trend predictions for spring 2023 or haute couture–directional looks that will point out where fashion’s heading.
And we got them on Tuesday night.
We saw corset gowns aplenty—boning that holds (pushes) in the ribs, accentuating the waist and hips. They sure aren’t comfortable but they sure are flattering. Daisy Edgar Jones’s strapless saloon-gal style boned gown, in black and silver with a voluminous ruffle skirt, was in my opinion, the sexiest look of the night. It figures it was Gucci.
Shine on, you crazy diamonds: There were several hues that brought the bounce-off-the-walls glitter. One was a shiny pale pink—let’s call it “rose champagne.” Jennifer Hudson’s brighter-than-bright CD Greene skin-tight gown-with-a-keyhole made great use of the hue.
Golden champagne was another trend. Jessica Chastain in Oscar de la Renta, Jenna Ortega in a latte-laced chiffon Grecian cape gown and Michelle Williams in Gucci latte froth ruffles were a great use of what’s often perceived as, well, beige. Chastain’s gold net gown was the most naked of the evening…but it wasn’t that naked.
Silver was the tone of Best Supporting Actress winner Angela Bassett’s skintight Pamella Roland shiny shimmy gown. There was so much metallic thread, metallic palettes, and metallic beading, light bouncing off the faces and figures of almost all the actresses made it feel like a thousand klieg lights were burning. Shine is the new sheer. You heard it here first.
Instead of overdone red carpet red, the color palette was much more diverse, particularly for the peacocking Globes guys. In the female department, Anya Taylor-Joy donned a strapless butter-yellow Dior two-piece that matched her ultra-long buttery locks. Julia Garner never looked better than in her rich Gucci ruffle gown pink. Margot Robbie was glorious in her pink Chanel Haute Couture 1920s-style ice-pink chevron gown. Icy Light blue was the choice of Ayo Edebiri in Rosie Assouline. Their stylists clearly knew that icy pastels are the biggest spring 2023 trend heading our way. Elizabeth Debicki, with her long wavy locks, looked like a long pink rose in her strapless pink/coral Dior gown. Viola Davis’s electric blue draped Grecian asymmetrical Jason Wu gown suited her perfectly. And Niecy Nash-Betts’ deep burgundy Dolce & Gabbana was the night’s richest jewel tone.
E! hosts were losing it over Lily James’ red Atelier Versace with a crop top and giant strips of wrapped fabric skirt. But I didn’t get it. Apparently, her stylist Rebecca Corbin-Murray wanted Lily to model her newly chic brunette lob (long bob) and cliché’ “old Hollywood” look, but I found it just old hat. Of course, she’s gorgeous. But red ball gown skirts and old Hollywood are cliché’s to let go of in 2023.
One of the great dresses of the night—a true standout—was Severance’s Britt Lower’s pre-spring collection 1950s strapless black Bach Mai, with fuschia full skirt and long black opera gloves. It’s part of what we imagine the soon-to-be-shown fall collections will be filled with: 1950s formal gowns with tight waists and flared skirts that could have shown up on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar in 1953. Congrats to her stylist. She could well be a new fashion icon in the making.
Long-sleeved gowns—mostly in stately black—were the choice of the classy ladies. Pure class Jamie Lee Curtis was in black lace cape-covered Valentino. Jean Smart in a black tuxedo gown, Sigourney Weaver in Saint Laurent, and Natasha Lyonne in a very subtle (particularly for her) black long-sleeved Givenchy. Jennifer Coolidge’s off-shoulder sequin black clingy Dolce & Gabbana, which apparently was whipped up by a portable atelier courtesy of Dolce’s Milan staff, was sexy, slinky, shiny, and even classy, with those sleeves. Her big 80s style bouffant hair was a la Jessica Rabbit—but with her breathy voice and va-va-voom bod, it totally worked.
Strapless was ubiquitous: Ana de Armas in a custom black strapless Louis Vuitton bustier gown with a white printed placket down the center, with LV diamond earrings and a diamond and emerald LV bracelet; Letitia Wright in a strapless red and white Prada gown that looked like it was hand-painted in an art class; Hannah Einbinder in a perfect 1950s style strapless Carolina Herrera fit n flare dress with a white bow over the bust that looked like it was out of Harper’s Bazaar in 1952. Stephanie Hsu’s Giambattista Valli Haute Couture had an elaborate pointed bustier. Anya Taylor-Joy in strapless butter Dior, matching her hair. Selena Gomez wore a perfect black strapless Valentino haute couture gown. But we wish she had lost that unnecessary purple ruffle wrap. Michelle Yeoh was simply perfect in her strapless black beaded/sequined/and all manner of shiny things Armani Prive’s silver threads, and that 1950s comeback trend —yes, again—a peplum ruffle over the waist.
Our fast take on Golden Globe beauty trends: loose hair down, wavy, or super straight. More natural makeup. Skin loaded with shine. And then there was Jennifer Coolidge’s 1980s-style big, big blonde hair. That was a lotta hairspray, girl.
As for the men, there were so many standouts in terms of shape and color. Donald Glover’s Saint Laurent black robe coat with a long white shirt was just crazy cool. Eddie Redmayne’s Valentino brown tux look (with a t-shirt, no shirt) came with a big rosette flower—there’s a man secure in his masculinity. Billy Porter…I mean, what can we say? He sets a whole new standard. The Banshees of Inisherin’s Barry Keoghan donned a three-piece double-breasted light blue Louis Vuitton tux with a cropped jacket. And Jerrod Carmichael, let us count the ways you changed looks, every one of them perfectly fitted and fabric-ed.
Here’s LAMag’s list of awards we’re handing out tonight:
Classiest at the Globes: Sigourney Weaver in Saint Laurent
Can’t Say a Bad Word (aka Best Dressed): Jenna Ortega (Gucci), Margot Robbie (Chanel), Julia Garner (Gucci), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Gucci). Margot Robbie in Chanel Haute Couture.
Best Hair Transformation—in Fact, Best Transformation Altogether: Natasha Lyonne in Givenchy. Who could expect our favorite funny girl to step out in a simple long black gown with sleeves and absolutely stick straight red hair elegantly pulled back? Give this woman a golden flat iron!!
Dressed Least Like Her TV Character: Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega, with her auburn flip, natural makeup, and light frothy gown.
Making Best Use of Pink: Julia Garner (Gucci). Runner Up: Elizabeth Debicki (Dior)
Best–No, Most, Cleavage: Salma Hayek (Gucci)
Best Dress-Matches-Her-Hair: Anya Taylor-Joy (Dior)
Best Dresses: Gucci created four of my favorite gowns of the night: Michelle Williams, Jenna Ortega, Michelle Williams and Julia Garner. I also adored Britt Lower’s fifties style Bach Mai, the most fashion-forward gown of the night.
King of the Carpet: Billy Porter in Christian Siriano and Pantone’s Viva Magenta is the color of the year.
Most Amount of Fabric on Any Outfit: Niecy Nash-Betts (Dolce & Gabbana).
Coolest Goth Look of the Night: Emma D’Arcy in an Acne black suit over a skirt over trousers.
Hottest Couple at the Golden Globes: Banshees of Inisherin writer/director Martin McDonough and Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Sexiest Looks: Jennifer Coolidge in Dolce & Gabbana, Daisy Edgar-Jones in Gucci, Donald Glover in Saint Laurent
Best Mom-to-Be Look: Kaley Cuoco in Vera Wang
New Fashion Icon: Host Jerod Carmichael changed outfits, colors, and shapes, all night long; all of them were perfectly fitted, and cut, with great fabrics. A new fashion icon is born.
Wish I Had Seen More: Whatever Rihanna was wearing—black, off the shoulder, stunning. Of course.
We Missed You Madly Award: Winner Cate Blanchett, who was shooting and deprived us of another killer red carpet moment.
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