Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo surprisingly opened up the Oscars, singing a medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Home” and “Defying Gravity.” They both sang their asses off, but I did feel like it was a quick admission that Wicked was not going to win many Oscars – the film ended up winning for Costume Design and Production Design and nothing else. The one good thing that has come out of the years-long Wicked promotion is that Ariana and Cynthia are absolutely besties. You can’t fake that closeness for this long – they love each other dearly, and the shot of Ariana watching Cynthia sing is iconic.

Fashion-wise… well… much to say. Ari and Cynthia’s red carpet looks were not my taste. Ari wore Schiaparelli, a structural lampshade in a pale cream/pink, basically. Cynthia wore Louis Vuitton, a custom look in a rich, dark green velvet. I much preferred their performance ensembles – Cynthia wore a gorgeous Vivienne Westwood gown, and Ari wore a custom Schiaparelli in ruby-red, with a “ruby slipper” worked into the design at the back. As if Ariana’s whole dress was the ruby slipper. This was the first time Ariana has worn red or burgundy for anything involving Wicked, correct? Her awards season has been dominated by pinks and creams. The Westwood look was also a rare lighter ensemble for Cynthia.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.