At the Golden Globes, a smooth return to the red carpet

“It never rains in LA — except at the Golden Globes,” designer Ilaria Urbinati said hours before the 80th Golden Globe Awards kicked off on Tuesday night.

This year, however, the torrential rain that fell in Los Angeles struck a stark contrast to the feeling around the actual event, which according to industry sources, had been unusually quiet compared to past awards seasons, with fewer pre-show events. . The fact that the show aired on a Tuesday rather than the usual Sunday also contributed to the lower energy.

Urbinati, who had five nominated clients including Donald Glover, Adam Scott and Diego Calva, added that the relaxed nature of this year’s awards allowed her to focus solely on the clothes. This comes after a two-year red carpet hiatus for the Golden Globes: Last year’s ceremony was canceled due to controversy surrounding the lack of diversity at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the governing body and host of the Golden Globes, and Covid-19 held a virtual ceremony in 2021.

The less hectic run of course came in the creative, fun and fashion-heavy ensembles seen on the red carpet. Sequins, as well as anything bright and reflective, was the overwhelming trend of the evening, including Sheryl Lee Ralph in a shimmering purple Aliétte, Angela Bassett in a high-neck Pamella Roland gown with silver accents, and Jessica Chastain in an Oscar de la Renta adorned. with a shiny silver crystal and a spider web-like design.

When it came to designers, Margot Robbie put to rest rumors that her relationship with Chanel is over by wearing a custom pink Chanel Couture themed dress. Dolce and Gabbana continued their steady presence on the red carpet, dressing Niecy Nash and Jennifer Coolidge, who took home a trophy for her role in “The White Lotus” and awarded the Italian house during the presentation. Louis Vuitton created custom looks for nominee Barry Keoghan, who wore a powder blue tuxedo, and Ana de Armas, who wore a strapless black gown encrusted with crystal.

Gucci outfitted several women, including “Wednesday” actress Jenna Ortega in a purple cut-out dress, Michelle Williams in a white pleated dress and trophy winner Julia Garner in a sweet pink one-piece number. detailed crystal body. Armani, which is usually a big presence on award show carpets, dressed significantly fewer celebrities this year, although Michelle Yeoh, who won best actress in a comedy/musical, wore a blue dress deep strapless Armani Privé.

Men took more fashion risks than in years past. In addition to Keoghan, Seth Rogen wore a monochromatic Pepto-pink tuxedo and Eddie Redmayne wore a chocolate brown Valentino tuxedo with a silk rose emblazoned on the jacket. Glover wore a white YSL robe under a black tuxedo jacket citing “comfort” as his priority for the evening.

It was a fitting return for the Globes, which are known for their party atmosphere and have historically had an upbeat, upbeat tone with looks that veer into editorial territory. Consider the strapless black Lanvin trouser suit covered in silver beading worn by Emma Stone in 2015, Lady Gaga in a voluminous Valentino bodice, or Cynthia Erivo in a structured green Valentino dress in 2021.

While the Golden Globes may pale in comparison to the Oscars in terms of viewership and prestige, its red carpet has long been a platform for both rising stars and established celebrity style stars to cement their status. in the public eye as well as for fashion. home to discover their next campaign star. Zendaya and Jennifer Lawrence, for example, both landed big fashion deals after proving they are on the red carpet.

In 2018, the Globes red carpet also became a stage for activism, when most of the female attendees, including A-list actresses Reese Witherspoon, Issa Rae, Amy Poehler, Tracee Ellis Ross and Michelle Williams, wore black in solidarity with Time’s Up and their work. combating gender-based discrimination. Several men, including Ewan McGregor and host Seth Meyers, also showed their support by wearing Time’s Up pins. Actress Connie Britton took a more casual approach, wearing a Lingua Franca sweater emblazoned with the words “Poverty is sexist.”

Shortly after the statement-making red carpet of 2018, the Golden Globes garnered headlines due to allegations of questionable practices and a lack of diversity within the HFPA, which is made up of journalists and photographers for publications outside the US.

The controversy came as viewership for the Golden Globes was declining. Only 6.9 million viewers attended the virtual ceremony in 2021, compared to 18.4 million in 2020, according to Nielsen data. (However, all awards shows have seen viewership declines over the past decade, and saw lower numbers in 2021 for ceremonies hampered by the pandemic.) The HFPA’s problems ultimately led to NBC not airing the ceremony in 2022, which which effectively canceled the event of the year.

This year, as the Golden Globes are back, it’s something of a cautious comeback. Although the fashion shined, the events held by brands, publications and film studios both before and after the ceremony, were dramatically weakened.

“We didn’t have one person going to a party,” Urbinati said. “Which has been much better because the stress of award season is the occasional holiday. Brands don’t really get excited about party wear because there’s not as much coverage.”

Tu Tran, owner of Lit Agency, a celebrity showroom and VIP PR based in West Hollywood, added that he has fielded few or no requests for party wear in previous years. Tran speculates that the lack of pre- and post-show events is likely a side effect of the backlash.

“People are waiting to see how things go,” Tran said. “It’s probably a combination of the first year coming back, and brands saving their budget to see how the show shapes up going forward.”