Zoe Saldana attends the Academy Gala in Los Angeles. Photo: Reuters
Once upon a time, there was the Oscars: the most star-spangled red carpet event of the year. Then the Met Gala became the “Oscars of the East Coast”, an even more eye-popping entrance outfit event.
And now there is the Academy Museum Gala, which only four years in is starting to look a lot like... well, the Met Gala of the West Coast.
Like the Met Gala, it is a fundraiser for a cultural institution. In this case, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Like the Met, it raises a significant amount of money. This year’s take was US$11mil (approximately RM47.8mil).
Like the Met Gala, the event itself is not televised, so what happens inside stays inside (there are honourees – this year Paul Mescal, Quentin Tarantino and Rita Moreno – and a performance). And like the Met, it had a red carpet to reckon with.
But while the Met itself has started to look increasingly like a competition of costume one-ups-manship, thanks to the party dress codes that change according to the exhibit being celebrated, the Academy gala seems to inspire fashion that is an ode to Old Hollywood.
Cynthia Erivo, the evening’s featured entertainment, crooning “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” in emerald green set the tone.
As a theme – even an unofficial one – it turned out to be a winner.
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This kind of glamour, which hearkens back to the golden age of movies, has been missing from red carpets for awhile now, as big, celebrity-studded events became marketing exercises for fashion brands.
Ones where the wildest outfits usually win the night and the crazier the look, the higher the earned media value, thanks to what has turned into the fun social media sport of judging famous people looking ridiculous.
Perhaps we were due for a realignment. Perhaps it’s because the Academy gala functions as a sort of warm-up to awards season, when potential nominees can begin to position themselves as serious contenders for serious consideration.
Perhaps it’s because this is a night for celebrating the films, especially the ones that become classics, so classic dress is the obvious choice. But whatever the reason, the result was practically a Rorschach test for the films that once defined the fabulousness for the watching world.
And an alternative proposition for how to dress to impress.
Kaia Gerber led the way in an archival Givenchy dress by Alexander McQueen from a 1997 collection inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s My Fair Lady ballgown, complete with beaded cap sleeves and empire waist.
Also in vintage: Kim Kardashian, who channelled Jayne Mansfield in a white Thierry Mugler corset from 1998; and Ariana Grande in strapless polka dot Balmain resurfaced from a 1963 design with a Grace Kelly air.
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Polka dots were a general throwback thing, thanks to Eddie Redmayne’s spotted jacket, Carrie Coon’s halter neck Patou and Awkwafina’s pearl-dotted Monique Lhuillier.
But that was just the beginning of the silver screen Easter eggs.
Kendall Jenner arrived in a Marilyn Monroe blond 'do and black velvet Schiaparelli; Andra Day in epic Cecil B DeMille-worthy hooded gold chain mail; and honouree Rita Moreno in a Fred-and-Ginger-worthy Dior white tuxedo.
Not to mention all the statuesque gowns that called to mind statuettes, like Selena Gomez’s sapphire Alaïa and Demi Moore’s silver Prada.
Together, the clothes were a long overdue reminder that elegance can be as, well, starry a statement as sartorial extremism.
In case anyone missed it, Margaret Qualley even had a bejewelled orb on her Chanel diadem. A sign, perhaps, of where all of this is – ahem – headed. – ©2024 The New York Times Company
