The Costume Designer’s Institute Awards were last night and there was so much fun fashion there. As Kaiser pointed out to me the makeup was bad overall though. You can see the list of winners on Variety and they include some of my favorites. Crazy Rich Asians won for contemporary film, Black Panther won for scifi/fantasy, and The Favourite got the award for period film. Kaiser/Chandra and I are going to talk about that on the podcast that’s out next Monday. (It’s an episode with bonus content as it’s coming out the day after the Oscars.) We both loved the costuming in The Favourite, and Chandra especially loved the film.
Marisa Tomei was in a green Dundas gown with a deep v-neck, puffy sleeves, a giant brooch-like detail at the waist and a crazy green and purple floral bird print with gold jagged stripes over it. My god I love this. It’s so wonderfully 80s and while it is tacky I would wear the hell out of this. She looks amazing.
Look at Judith Light! She has been killing it this awards season, or maybe forever and I haven’t noticed until now. I don’t have a designer on this gown but check out how she’s working it. It fits her like a glove and I love the intricate design with the heart-like bodice.
Presenter Halle Berry was in a structured Ruth E. Carter gown featuring incredible detailing and a pencil skirt that flared out at the sides and waist. I love this, it’s so dramatic. The look calls for bolder styling though. Ruth E. Carter is the fashion designer for Black Panther, which so expertly combined futuristic and traditional African design. This reminds me a little of the scifi show Halle was on a few years ago, Extant. I really enjoyed that and the fashion was fun too. (Different designers worked on that though, I checked.)
Danai Gurira was in Lowe. She should have scored a Ruth E. Carter gown too as she usually looks more fashion forward. This is a very 20s dress and I feel like we’ve seen it before. I love her hair though.
Sarah Paulson was in Chanel, probably in homage to Karl Lagerfeld. This is a giant quilt-like dress that she’s swimming in, but I guess if anyone can wear this it’s Sarah. I wish she would have done something different with her hair, but her makeup is pretty. The blush needs blending though.
Ooh and Glenn Close got the Spotlight Award. She has kept all her fashion from her movies since the beginning of her career! She has 700 pieces and they’re at Indiana University. In an interview last year she said that costumes are part of “putting a character together. A great costume designer [is] as important to me as a director.” Glenn looked badass in a bronze Max Mara suit with a loose tuxedo jacket.
Sonequa Martin-Green is so pretty but Simone Rocha put her in something that looks like an unfinished Project Runway dress. It’s a sack with a sheer backwards cape over it.
I love Kate Walsh, I just covered her yesterday, but this entire look is a no. Still she’s having fun with it and there’s a lot of drama in this crazy gown. Look at those layers of tulle my god.
Photos credit: WENN
Nice post, so many great looks here. Halle’s is actually my least favorite. Reminds me of the gold spray painted macaroni projects of my childhood in the 70s.
Marissa looks unbelievably fantastic, she absolutely rocks that dress, as does Judith. Danai’s might be my favorite, she’s like a breath of fresh air. So lovely.
Agree, they are all great looks! I really like Halle’s dress but not sure if her hair is the best color on her.
Marissa is swoon-worthy. Always has been.
She’s 55 and could pass for 45. Very beautiful woman.
I’ve just been watching her in Lincoln Lawyer and she is just so incredibly beautiful. I love her dress here, and Judith’s as well.
I normally loathe puffy sleeves and fussiness but somehow this silhouette with that beautiful fabric on Tomei’s frame looks really lovely.
Danai looks great but I wish her dress was a color other than white. Her hair is fantastic though.
Halle looks incredible. That dress is art and the bronze color with her skin tone is just incredible. What a beautiful woman she is.
Judith Light killing it as always. The rest of the dresses I’m pretty ambivalent about.
Swooning over Marisa Tomei’s whole look-she’s so pretty. Her hair=goals.
Plus, I will always remember her LOL portrayal as the ghosted one night stand in Crazy, Stupid, Love. She’s the best!
Love Halle’s dress but her hair and makeup are wrong for that look. Also love Marisa’s dress. And Judith has been dominating the red carpet for the past few years. She’s a life goal for me!
Halle’s dress looks exactly like one of the outfits Jane Jetson’s automatic dress machine put her in when she had to go to some party, but she ended up choosing her everyday dress instead. I have no idea why I remember that.
Marisa Tomei needs to be in all the things
Yes. Yes she does.
Most of them look like the beasts from Predator ate them. In a fun way!
Look, I really can appreciate some good puffy sleeves and padded shoulders. I am a Golden Girls and Dynasty fan. 😊 So I love the Marisa’s dress. And I love that the women here look real. Lots of makeup but still real. Maybe they do botox but I don’t see it here. It’s refreshing.. Especially since I live in a city where the women think botox is a status symbol and walk around looking like they are in a wind tunnel. 🌬️🌬️🌬️Nice line up here in this post. 👌
The only looks I like are Marissa’s and Glenn’s. They look fabulous. Halle’s dress is simply stupid looking. I love Judith Light and the dress isn’t hideous but it has a bit of Little Mermaid vibe to it which is a bit odd.
I’m just not a fan of that green.
I don’t love love her dress, it looks like camouflage to me. However, they are all beautiful women and Marisa works it so well, it’s just my own thing about any fashion that is camouflage-y.
Marisa’s dress is a yes for me except for the puffy sleeves. And a definite no on Sarah Paulson’s old-fashioned granny dressing gown and on whatever it is that Glenn Close is wearing, too.