William and Kate of Wales: strategic, 9
There is no story. Here it fits perfectly. Or rather, the story of a style intelligently and strategically built enough to exemplify: the story of the Princes of Wales. Here they are guests of honor at the Bafta ceremony held in London last night 19th February 2023 and if the Bafta is the pre-Oscars then William and Kate have already earned the style Oscar. Prince William in a double-breasted tuxedo in black velvet, a fabric he has chosen to wear multiple times, while his wife Kate in a crisp white Alexander McQueen gown. According to British media, it would be the same dress worn at all Baftas in 2019 but with some variations. Instead of the flowers she had on her shoulder last time, here she has opted for a curtain on her shoulder. More upcycling than that. To make Charles III happy, the greenest ruler the UK has ever had. And for her, the phrase matchy-matchy is becoming more common, it sounds like the name of a Chinese dish, in reality it means a couple creating looks that refer to each other (her black gloves and tuxedo are black than him). It’s that matchy matchy. Have seen the results.
Kate Princess of Wales: Diva, 9
Not only does Kate Middleton play with symmetries with her husband, Prince William, but she has also gone for it by adding a diva touch with very tall black gloves. They brought out the delicate drape of Alexander McQueen’s upcycled dress even more. And another boost is the clutch, a black Jimmy Choo but the model is called “Celeste” and macro fast fashion flower earrings: they are from Zara and can be bought online for around 25 euros. Actually huge flowers, spring is coming. Who knows whether Miranda Priestly would have commented succinctly on “Pure Avantgarde” as in the famous scene from “The Devil Wears Prada”?
Andreea Cristea: petrified 4/5
Andreea Cristea It’s unknown if her arms after the red carpet were able to lower her or if the fossil donut effect that forced her to pull up her sleeves kept her in that position throughout the evening. In fact, this Rahul Mishra creation, made entirely of floral embroidery – but from a distance they looked like fossil shells – made it look like one of those experimental sweets that Willy Wonka loves to make in his chocolate factory.
Frankie Bridge: basic knowledge, 6
Frankie Bridge was one of several divas who followed the example of the Princess of Wales in choosing white evening dresses. Which ended up leading to a kind of red wedding carpet. Very simple, she opted for a long train from last winter’s Saint Laurent. Tear up sufficiency with a smile.
Krishnendu Majumdar: faithful, 7
Keen to stay true to his Indian heritage, Bafta President Krishnendu Majumdar is shown here in a traditional gold suit, the color of the award, paired with a blue jacket. Even the hint of the scarf with tassels is there.
Jamie Lee Curtis: willing, 5
Jamie Lee Curtis said so. I settle down and choose a look that fits the red carpet trend: black and white. She made an effort, but the long satin skirt over the black jacket made of a different fabric and worn like this, without jewelry or accessories, makes one say: study, but don’t commit.
Vera Wang (73 years): Timeless, 6.5
Vera Wang, the 73-year-old designer, walked the BAFTA red carpet. The British media applauded her great form. And a timeless attitude. To allow her (perhaps she could have dared a little less) a white dress with a black bandeau crop top. Let’s put it this way, stylists are allowed (almost) everything.
Madeleine Arthur: Latecomer 5/6
We know it: everyone inside in front of the royals. Court protocol when representatives of the royal family are present at a public event. Madeleine Arthur must have been reminded of the presence of the Princes of Wales and wore this nightgown dress. And she came out. The result thus obtained loses all its seductive power.
Dylan Llewellyn: Strictly, 7
Dylan Llewellyn chose the austerity of a strict white tuxedo to follow the dictates of this red carpet where black and white ruled.
Richard E. Grant: careless, 5
He wanted to find an alternative touch Richard E. Grant: He said to himself, I wear a white tuxedo and I also wear a white tie. Instead strictly associated with the tailcoat. An alternative carelessness that brings him nothing.
Jodie Turner-Smith: Precious 7.5
Among the few choices from the all-white chorus was Jodie Turner-Smith’s lilac tones, embroidery and plumage (by Gucci).
Munroe Bergdorf: Why? 4
The need not to leave anything to the imagination is truly a question that seems to have no answer when it comes to appearance choices. Unless it’s the usual: I pretend to get dressed, I show everything, so I saved the photo. Likely consideration by Munroe Bergdorf. An example does not necessarily have to be followed.
Eddie Redmayne: no gender 7
Eddie Redmayne is reaffirmed as an actor of a thousand faces and unique expressiveness. So here he is wearing an Alexander McQueen tuxedo without gender proportions. Fitted jacket worn bare-chested over overly soft pants. The result is award-winning.
Julianne Moore: a single woman, 6/7
Julianne Moore seems to say: You don’t change anything about a perfect look. Thus, the black and white look worn in one of the most beautiful scenes of Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” is proposed here again, albeit in a different version of Saint Laurent and with excellent results.
Florence Pugh: knotted, 4/5
Tulle, tulle and more tulle. Florence Pugh seems to be saying it in her Harris Reed orange Nina Ricci. The maison reveals it was inspired by an archive piece from 1988. Excellent, but all that knotted tulle makes it look like a vitamin candy.
Naomi Ackie: Rider, 7th
Naomi Ackie presents herself as a kind of female Lancelot of the Lake. A more majestic Amazon. With a long white dress, with a sweetheart neckline and peplum attached like armor. Very seductive.
Michelle Yeoh: hieratic, 6.5
Her solemn expression made Michelle Yeoh famous on the big screen. So she opted for an equally monastic pantsuit by Dior Couture. It would have been perfect with a few less jewels and fewer “dragon” nails.
Anya Taylor-Joy: Alternative, 6.5
They either don’t know how to wear the stole or they don’t know how to put it on. Anya Taylor-Joy solved the problem with this Schiaparelli couture. And the stole has also become a cape. And the light of the fabric is also from Tiffany jewels.
Lily James: Locked Up, 4/5
The puzzle then is how they sit. Sounds like a joke, but it’s not. Lily James, also wearing a white creation by Tamara Ralph, wore a dress that was part mermaid and part graceful seclusion so as not to obscure the cleavage. Just so as not to miss anything, he anticipated Easter with a giant bow at the lower back. To envy the unshakable smile.
Sandy Powell: whimsical, 7.5
Sandy Powell is proud of her Bafta Fellowship award, the first ever to go to a costume designer. And he pulled it back with a whimsical dress, he also recalled the looks of David Bowie. But also a lot more. Double award: Bafta and for style.
Aimee Lou Wood: undecided, 5
The risk of trains (here we mean those of dresses) has always been that they have to be interpreted, otherwise they become an appendage. When Aimee Lou Wood decided on this look (by Valentino Haute Couture, Le Club Couture 2023 exact), she had to feel indecisive for a long time. The expression she wore on the red carpet confirms that the indecisiveness has remained.
Emma ThompsonSan Remo 4
If Emma Thompson is also inspired by it, it really means that whether popular nationally or not, the Sanremo Festival is visually trending. Even across the border. Here’s an undeniable desire to feel like Marco Mengoni on the part of the diva. On one of the evenings, Mengoni appeared on stage with a white smock slung over his shoulders, which he then threw on the floor, showing off his rounded shoulders. The actress, on the other hand, kept it all in a white tuxedo. Including wedges with eyelets.
Cate Blanchett: sustained, 6
Cate Blanchett’s choice suggests that the vintage/upcycled effect Kate Middleton promotes in many of her public appearances, including this one at the Bafta, is becoming the common denominator of the Divas’ looks. In Blanchett’s case, she wore (because she can: she doesn’t change her size) a dress created for her for the 2015 Academy Awards, a long black silk velvet that John Galliano sewed onto her skin for Maison Margiela. It turned out to be sustainable, maybe a little too chastised.
Jessica Henwick: minimal, 7
Jessica Henwick must have said to herself: “Small, precious and practical”. So a three-piece suit with skirt and bandeau top. jacket when it’s cold. And she certainly hit the red carpet at the Total Black Look by Brunello Cucinelli. The other face of the evening look. The gaze is almost the only “point of light”.