It’s the 5th of January and you have to body oil your way into a ballgown after weeks spent languishing on the sofa in the name of Christmas spirit–except that this is Hollywood: a land where Quality Street does not exist and reformer Pilates stops for no one. Last night at Palm Springs International Film Festival, normal service resumed as awards season 2024’s leading ladies–Emma Stone, Carey Mulligan, Margot Robbie and Lily Gladstone–buckled in for weeks’ worth of ceremonies, parties and press junkets.
The warm-up act for the Golden Globes gave some signifiers of what to expect on the fashion front. Margot Robbie, dressed in prom-ready, pink polka-dot Balmain, showed that – unfathomably – she is not ready to ditch Barbiecore yet. After an endless press trail that saw the life-sized replica of the doll herself moonlight as Totally Hair Barbie and Day-To-Night Barbie in the name of method red-carpet dressing, one would have assumed she never wanted to see that particular shade of bubblegum again. Wrong! Presumably stylist Andrew Mukamal had leftover looks from his rigorous deep dive into rose-colored fashion, which will come to light this January. And if Robbie gets the ick for pink, then girlish accents–like the corsages on her sweet Balmain–will still evoke her character nicely. We’re a long way from Robbie’s directional Chanel looks, Toto.
Another win for Olivier Rousteing at Balmain came via Carey Mulligan (also dressed by Mukamal), who wore a gown adaptation of a spring/summer 2024 short suit, featuring a Gaultier-esque silk bodice, power shoulders and a dramatic black peplum. It was a commanding start from the Maestro nominee, who has made easy tailoring and classic gowns with a twist her thing. A personal favorite (that Valentino pink cape at the 2021 Met Gala!), our money is on Mulligan or Greta Lee quietly taking home Best Dressed of awards season 2024.
Emma Stone is never predictable because, as a Louis Vuitton ambassador, she models the work of Nicolas Ghesquière, who is never predictable. Last night’s pajama-esque take on the suit, replete with printed dressing gown jacket and jaunty neck tie, showed Stone flexing her special relationship with one of the top French houses. And if the atelier fashioned a custom look for Palm Springs, we can expect much more bespoke to come. Silk slips with quirky Ghesquière-isms seem probable.
Killers of the Flower Moon actor Lily Gladstone played the sequin card early on in custom emerald Rodarte–a brand known for its dark romanticism. With a run of high-shine metallics, block-colors and caped gowns behind her, we see Gladstone leaning into full movie star glamour this season, perhaps with thoughtful touches reminiscent of her British Vogue shoot, which featured jewelry by Indigenous designers.
Upping the glamour quotient at the Globes will be Dior girls Jennifer Lawrence, Rosamund Pike and Natalie Portman; Loewe campaign star Greta Lee; seasoned and safe red-carpet dressers Jodie Foster, Julianne Moore and Emily Blunt; and Hollywood up-and-comers Cailee Spaeny and Danielle Brooks. Not to mention the guys. With Barry Keoghan carving out space as an alternative tailoring enthusiast and Timothée Chalamet never knowingly underdressed by anyone, fashion press column inches will be filled with exciting plot twists. Finally, glamour!