As Sarah just wrote in the post previous to this one about the actors who showed up at the Academy Museum Gala this weekend, at this stage in the season, it’s looking like it’s pretty wide open across the board in most of the major categories for the Oscars, including the four acting categories. Gladiator II has started screening, though, and early reactions are strong. There’s a lot of buzz about Denzel Washington’s performance coming out of those previews so if there is a favourite, it might actually be him in the supporting category and if he does win, it would be his second supporting actor Oscar, third overall.
Like I said, though, no one is running away with it, this could be a very competitive year, especially in the Best Actress category. And several of the women in contention showed up at the event this weekend. Stylist Jason Bolden has two clients who are in the best actress conversation: Nicole Kidman and Cynthia Erivo.
We’ll start with Nicole because her chances at a nomination for her performance in Babygirl are looking quite good. As I’ve been saying for over a year now, the Nicole + Jason Bolden partnership has not missed, and this black classic Balenciaga isn’t a miss either, although it is restrained. Appropriate to the occasion, for sure, but also, I think, strategic. Award season is long. Babygirl still hasn’t premiered yet. Nicole has a whole press tour ahead of her and the various campaign events and award shows that will be coming right after the other over the next few months. She doesn’t need to be blowing her load now, and she also doesn’t need to go about it in a super thirsty way.
As for Cynthia, she’s a Louis Vuitton ambassador and this is custom LV, in green sparkles, so we’re sticking with the Wicked theme, but do you recognise the shape?
Throw it back to the beginning of the year – the Emmys, Ayo Edebiri, only it was leather Louis Vuitton, and exceptional, one of the best dresses of the year:
Ayo was also at the Museum Gala, in a delightful pleated skirt, tiered and frayed, under a corset – Thom Browne, styled by Danielle Goldberg:
Danielle's other notable clients include Solange and Greta Lee but you know who she just added to her roster? Another internet girl crush: Saoirse Ronan. Saoirse has always been stylish but we’ve seen her take it to another level recently and Danielle is the reason. This is a relatively new collaboration, just in time for award season as Saoirse is campaigning in both the lead and supporting categories and I can’t wait to see how their partnership progresses.
Like Cynthia, Saoirse is a Louis Vuitton ambassador and is wearing LV. My favourite LV of the night, however, was also my favourite LV from Paris Fashion Week earlier this month. Remember Da’Vine Joy Randolph in that black and white lampshade dress? Nicolas Ghesquière customed her another one for the museum gala, this time in champagne. It’s incredible on her, she was meant for this silhouette and this silhouette was meant for her.
Da’Vine, of course, is the reigning Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for her work in The Holdovers. Which means she’ll likely be back at the Oscars and other award shows as a presenter, and we’ll see more examples of Wayman + Micah brilliant styling on her. Wayman + Micah also style Danielle Deadwyler who’s in contention for Best Supporting Actress this year for Malcolm Washington’s The Piano Lesson. You’ll recall, Danielle was one of the actresses whose Oscar campaign was derailed a couple of years ago when that grassroots campaign in support of Andrea Riseborough culminated in a nomination. A lot of experts are currently predicting that Danielle will be one of the five names called in January and if that happens, if this exquisite Ferragamo is any indication, we’re about to see Wayman + Micah really flex their powers with their client because WOWWWWW.
Right now, though, in the supporting actress category, if there is a frontrunner, it’s probably Zoe Saldana in Emilia Pérez. Zoe was in Reed Harris at the museum gala, made from upcycled lace, and it’s stunning. Go through the carousel on this IG post by her stylist, Petra Flannery, to see the detailing at the back and how it all comes together.
Both Zoe and Selena Gomez have a shot at a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination, and Selena was there too, wearing one of the most perfect Alaias we’ve seen in a while, as styled by Erin Walsh who just keeps killing it with these looks for Selena. Emilia Pérez is not losing any momentum on the awards circuit, so this Selena streak is just going to keep going and going and going.
As for the lead in Emilia Pérez, Karla Sofia Gascon, last week I mentioned that her stylist, Freddy Alonso has consistently had her in Saint Laurent during this press run and I wondered if we’d be seeing Karla again in Saint Laurent at the Academy Museum Gala. And this is exactly what happened.
Karla is one of the favourites for a nomination in what will be a tightly contested race for Best Actress. Right now, she, Angelina Jolie, and Mikey Madison (in Anora) are looking like strong possibilities. This is the first time both Karla and Mikey are participating in the Hollywood tradition of Oscar campaigning. And both have less name recognition than so many of the others. Karla seems to have developed a relationship with Saint Laurent for many of her appearances. Mikey is working with Jamie Mizrahi now (whose high profile clients include Adele, Riley Keough, Nicole Richie, and Jeremy Allen White). The museum gala is Jamie’s first major Oscar-related carpet. I like that she dipped her toe into it in this safe but sparkly Louis Vuitton.
You know who else was relatively safe? That is, until she turned around. Demi Moore in Prada, styled by Brad Goreski. From the front, it’s a standard sequined dress. From the back, the straps just stop. It’s an interesting design detail but we know that Demi can peacock more than this is giving. Demi is not one of the frontrunners for a Best Actress nomination (for The Substance) but she is definitely in this thing, by no means is it a longshot. So perhaps she’s intentionally not peacocking too aggressively so as to not give voters the impression she wants it too bad.
Right now, Demi’s chances are probably better than Pamela Anderson’s. But, again, we keep talking about how competitive the Best Actress race is and that’s because there are so many viable contenders. That includes Pam, for her performance in The Last Showgirl. So she too is out here campaigning at the museum gala and, perhaps, introducing the Oscar Academy to who she is now because, no doubt, even people in the industry remember her from the 90s. And this is not the same woman.
Finally, it’ll be interesting to see if multiple Oscar nominee Amy Adams can get in the final five when the names are called in January. How will the Academy respond to a film that’s called Nightbitch? And given the crowded field that is the Best Actress race… can Amy break through? Right now, my prediction is that she won’t. But so much changes over the season. And, obviously, given her attendance at this event, she and her campaign know there’s still a chance.
