"Great gowns. Beautiful gowns
-Aretha Franklin
Let's talk BAFTA glamour, the last major movie awards show prior to the Oscars. Who turned it out? We picked these 20, in roughly ascending order, as the best looks. What'cha think?
Michelle Rodriguez's gown is perhaps a bit summer but there's an elegance and femininity to it and the color choice is a beaut. Mahershala Ali works the textures so his tux isn't remotely boring. Olga Kurylenko has an odd color combo but it works - metallic and somehow both vertical and horizontal at the same time. Thandie Newton & Margot Robbie take risks which work from some angles better than the others. Regina King and Lily Collins go with vibrant colors perfect for them, while Salma Hayek has that cool lizard detail - chameleon, with a look that's more refined than look-at-me sexy. This is the most sensational Yalitza Aparicio has looked yet on her long campaign trail with Roma. The color is so extroverted for such a quiet newbie.
Sandy Powell, always her own woman. Oooh, and this fuschia on Zawe Ashton is attention-grabbing while not the least bit ostentatious. By the way you've screened the Netflix series Wanderlust by now, right? Ashton is quite good in it and Toni Collette's husband's new girlfriend (if you don't know about the show it's a married couple exploring an open marriage. Timothée Chalamet, always out there showing the older men up by being adventurous and fun, but still sophisticated and event appropriate.
In total love with this detailed bodice and silhouette for Danai Gurira and of course Elizabeth Debicki will never not be glamorous with her innate style and 6'2' frame.
Cynthia Erivo went with a elaborate princess look and the color is so cool (somehow making tan and purple together non-ugly? It also goes with her very time consuming lilac hair (so much detail in the braiding when you see it up close). Meanwhile Laura Harrier goes for something simpler but the casual style isnt too casual (with the peekaboo cleavage) and the orange pops.
And, our favourites. Viola Davis, a gift to the world. Michelle Yeoh doing regal but making it fun with that blue wrap, Olivia Colman keeping it very much within The Favourite's costume palette and ultra sophisticated (that lining detail gives the dress such a great curve in its silhouette).
And finally there's Cate Blanchett who is probably mandatory to have as #1 on all fashion lists for years now. We don't make the rules. It's an eyeful. Slightly weird but sexy but camp but casual but justright given that it's also a gauntlet-full while celebrating the films of 2018.
Or, rather, to borrow a joke from Twitter:
Cate Blanchett trolling Thanos #baftas pic.twitter.com/V9xWMlL3q9
— Declan Cashin (@Tweet_Dec) February 10, 2019