The Oscars was quite political this season. In their respective speeches, Common and John Legend spoke about the struggle for freedom justice faced by African Americans, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu spoke about the struggle for dignity and respect faced by Mexicans and first-generation Mexican Americans and Patricia Arquette spoke about the struggle for wage equality facing American women. Heavy. Plus, Emma Stone, Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern gave clever responses to gendered questions and comments put to them by reporters on the red carpet. “You look beautiful as always,“ said one to Emma Stone. “Oh thank you. That’s all that matters.” Well played, Emma. As Reece said, “We are more than just our dresses.” That being said, we do want to discuss these dresses. Knowing of course that the value of the women wearing them lies outside of said dresses and more generally, their appearance. Can I get an amen? In general, pearly shades seemed, from my stance anyway, to be in vogue – very literally in the case of Lupita N’yongo who wore a beautiful pearl-embroidered gown by Calvin Klein. Felicity Jones wore a similarly embroidered gown by Alexander McQueen and Julianne Moore wore a sleek ‘n’ chic sequined number by Chanel. Reese Witherspoon and Zendaya wore off-the-shoulder gowns, Reese a monochrome one by Dior, Zendaya another pearly one by Vivienne Westwood. Jessica Chastain and Nicole Kidman sparkled in Givenchy Couture and Louis Vuitton – crap, it’s hard to write about red-carpet dresses without sounding like the Daily Mail. I give up. Zoe Saldana displayed her incredible body in a nude dress by Atelier Versace and Marion Cotillard was a French fancy in Dior.
By Ted Stansfield