During the red carpet shows, I thought Janelle Monae would easily be at the top of everyone’s Best Dressed lists. But… after her opening musical number, didn’t it feel like people were like “oh we forgot that she killed it on the carpet.” Regarding the musical number… as I said in the recap, it wasn’t great. That’s not Janelle’s fault. It wasn’t the right energy, it was too early in the night to try to get audience engagement with snapping and clapping and singing, and the “dancing characters” bit was especially… odd.
Still, Janelle’s Ralph Lauren gown on the red carpet was gorgeous. It reminded me strongly of another famous Ralph Lauren look – Anne Hathaway’s 2015 Met Gala look in gold. Remember that? Ralph Lauren can design some really great gowns with built-in hoods, who knew. My biggest complaint with Janelle’s look was the skirt was way too stiff-looking.
I just want to say some words about Antonio Banderas, who is lovely. Antonio was there because for the first time in his career, he was Oscar-nominated. It was for Pain and Glory, and honestly, he was worlds better in P&G than Joaquin Phoenix was in Joker. I’m just saying this so more people will seek out Pain and Glory – if anyone should have gotten an Oscar for their performance PLUS their body of work, it should have been Antonio. He wore Dior, his daughter Stella wore Gucci and his girlfriend Nicole Kimpel wore Pronovias.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and WENN.
For me, the stiffness of Janelle’s skirt detracts from the overall (biblical) look of the gown, which I think is initially quite striking. I really want to love it, but don’t because of that stiffness.
I agree. It was just too stiff. I don’t like fashion that looks uncomfortable, and I’ll bet that dress was a bitch to sit comfortably in. Compared to Hathaway’s golden number, Hathaway hits it out of the park. I thought Antonio and his ladies looked beautiful. I always enjoy his acting and I love Almodóvar, so I will search out Pain and Glory.
Stunning! Possibly best dressed.
I LOVE Janelle’s look, though I think it’d be even better if the skirt didn’t go out so far, but at the same time, it wouldn’t have the same oomph to it.
Antonio looks very good here as well.
I love it! I usually like sparkly/silvery anyway, but this is different and interesting.
Same. I thought I wouldn’t like it but man was it stunning. I did wonder whether it would have looked better without the necklace. That necklace was beautiful but a little more skin for contrast might have been nice, especially since she has amazing skin.
Guests wanted to be on Vogues best dress, or People’s. Which left us with bizarre fashion moments (like Janelle, although it would have been beautiful with a skirt that wasn’t a cone), and lots of boring safe looks that have been done to death.
I’ll take bizarre over boring so she was on my top by default.
I hate the top of Janelle’s dress. It is too tight and looks sheer.
Yes, I thought so, too.
My thoughts exactly, looks like her breasts are smushed with areola’s displayed, not a fan because of that and that stiffness.
I like Janelle’s hood, but the top is sheer and the skirt is horrible.
I think Janelle looks fabulous from the waist up (I love a hooded gown) but I hate the skirt. I really like her music but that opening number was atrocious. I was cringing the whole time.
J’s look is hysterical. RL completely missed half the mark any way you slice it. Top half needed a different skirt to flow with the hood and tight bodice. Bottom half needed a different top to balance a stark and stiff cone shape, an architectural cohesion is missing.
The stiffness of the gown is what makes this work for me. It was probably my favorite look last night, except it looks like it may be ever so see through on top, like I can see just a hint of areola? Lol.
Oh god, THE SCANDAL! No one has ever seen a nipple before!!
Antonio and Melanie’s daughter is gorgeous!
I think Janelle was my Best Dressed. I could spot her in the audience constantly because she was so sparkly! Love the hood.
She wins! My favorite look of the night!
I liked Janelle’s opening! Thought it was fun and a nice wink to some movies that should have been nominated like Us and Midsommar.
When someone was on stage later in the show, her gown was out of focus and STILL stole the show from behind. Photos don’t do it justice, truly.
Janelle looked AMAZING and I love the whole look, then I saw that the back was COMPLETELY OPEN and I about died. Such an interesting look. Her, Scar Jo, and Brie Larson were my best dressed.
It’s that fine line between “costume” and “couture”. Janelle’s was the latter (sadly). She’s such a gorgeous canvas to work with that it’s tragic to wear this.
I am very happy about all of the looks and people in this post.
Best dressed for sure!
Also, her dancers weren’t just random characters. They were characters from movies that were snubbed by the Oscars. Every single thing Janelle does is deliberate. She was the trying time make a point and she wanted folks to feel uncomfortable.
Janelle’s is a favorite look of mine that was rocked a LOT in the 40s…but the dresses were always form fitting at the bottom…that A-line skirt is distracting…
I like Janelle’s skirt. Looks like a deliberate quatrefoil.
I love it! I just wish you couldn’t see the horizontal stripes from the “bones” of the skirt. But it’s great.
Janelle is always a stunner.
Pain and Glory is my new favorite Almodóvar movie. Antonio just broke my heart in that role. I’ve seen him so many movies, and he definitely should have won the Oscar for this, because it was so raw, so perfect. Penelope Cruz was also wonderful playing his mother in memory flashbacks. Just a beautiful, beautiful film!
I love Janelle’s look. The skirt is a bit stiff, but the whole hood thing feels like Grace Jones to me (in a good way).
Love her look, best dressed for sure!
Janelle rocking it.
Janelle never puts a foot wrong. I think everything she wears is always interesting and well thought out.
She’s copying Prince’s Oscar look from 1985. He did it first and he did it better, as usual.
I love everything about Janelle’s dress, including the weird stiffness. Such a look! And it made her look gorgeous, even if the dress was wearing her.
I agree with Kaiser about Janelle’s dress. She looks gorgeous of course, but just not perfect. Antonio, daughter and girlfriend look amazing!!