We’re officially in the homestretch of awards season and today film and music shared a double bill. The British contingent represented at the BAFTA Awards in London with demure evening frocks and fanciful jewels, but where red-carpet wins are concerned, the night belonged to the Grammys.
Italian design took the spotlight with Atelier Versace providing high-wattage looks for chart-toppers including Ariana Grande and Gwen Stefani. Opting for a sleeker aesthetic than her usual pop princess image, Grande smoldered in an optic white dress with sparkling metallic fringe, while Stefani shone in a jumpsuit look with sculptural accents.
But it was the ladies in noir who truly captivated the evening. First up, Nicki Minaj who proved that her Rainbow Brite kawaii days are a thing of the past in a streamlined Tom Ford dress with flapper-era tassels. Then came Ciara, who showed restraint with a floor-length dress that was elegant and flattering all at once, and Beyoncé followed suit in a long-sleeved Proenza Schouler dress that alluded to the skin in subtle ways.
Of course there were those ladies who made their mark by borrowing from the boys, like Danielle Haim in a snow white Stella McCartney and Charli XCX in Jeremy Scott for Moschino. Taking a more subdued route was Anna Kendrick who made a case for the classic black tux.
That s not to say that there wasn’t eye-catching fashion drama to be seen on the carpet too. From Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell to Madonna in Givenchy Haute Couture, theatrical dressing was de rigeur. Kim Kardashian West provided a sparkling high note to the night in a Jean Paul Gaultier dress that recalled the excesses of the Dynasty era, andRita Ora took the opportunity to debut her new cropped hair in a shimmering custom Prada look. Fresh off her Super Bowl performance, Katy Perry went short and sweet in a Zuhair Murad fringed number.
In a league all of her own though, was Rihanna who radiated star quality in a Giambattista Valli Haute Couture dress that was part Disney princess, part Audrey Hepburn. The graceful empire waist was the perfect antidote to the many trussed-up corseted ensembles of the evening. With the Oscars less than two weeks away, let s hope that Hollywood s A-list brings an equally magical sensibility to the red carpet.
See Kim Kardashian West, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and more, on the Grammys 2015 red carpet
