This interminable awards season is almost over, with a triple-header of awards shows occurring over the weekend consisting of the SAG Awards (winners here), the Film Independent Spirit Awards (winners here), and the Producers Guild Awards (winners here). Between these three events, people were BUSY, and some had to choose between the two Sunday events, such as Da’Vine Joy Randolph. She had a big weekend, winning at both the SAGs and the Indies, continuing her path to Oscar uninterrupted, and crushing it in two spectacular looks (the SAG gown is by Valdrin Sahiti).
She and Robert Downey, Jr.—who also won at the SAGs—are your surest picks for your office Oscar pool. It was also nice to see Dominic Sessa, breakout star of The Holdovers, finally pick up some hardware for his performance, too, as he won Best Breakthrough Performance at the Indies. Past Lives was a big winner at the Indies as well, with Celine Song winning for directing, and the film also picked up Best Feature. As with Sessa, it’s nice to see Song and Past Lives get a little recognition, as they will not be a factor at the Oscars (unfortunately, but holy sh-t 2023 really was a GOOD year for film).
One person who had a MONSTER weekend, though, is Lily Gladstone. First, she won for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role at the SAGs while wearing a SPECTACULAR red fringe halter gown by Armani Prive and incredible beaded earrings by Molly Murphy Adams, who is of Oglala Lakota descent and, like Lily, hails from Montana.
Lily’s big weekend continued, though, with a double-header appearance on Sunday as she hit up both the Indies, in a patterned orange and black dress and towering heels, and the PGAs in an embroidered green gown.
I’m torn because we need to talk about what this busy weekend means for the Oscars, which are finally in sight on the horizon in two weeks, but THE FASHION, MY GOD, THE FASHION. On the one hand, Lainey messaged me to once again point out how badly actors obviously missed red carpet events during the pandemic because they are STILL serving major looks at the opening of an envelope, but also…I am so beyond hyped for Oscars fashion. If Lily Gladstone wore THAT dress to the SAGs, what could she have up her sleeve for the Oscars?!
So let’s do this quickly—Oppenheimer is unstoppable. It won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the SAGs and collected the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures at the PGAs. The actors represent the largest voting body in the Academy—though recent shifts in membership have seen other branches, such as directors, executives, marketing/PR, animation, and, weirdly, documentary close the gap—and producers have about half as much pull as the actors. Together, they represent almost 20% of the voting body of the Academy, so when they have the same favorites, it can literally hand people Oscars.
Christopher Nolan will win Best Director, though his Best Adapted Screenplay odds are less assured. Cord Jefferson picked up that award at the Indies (where Oppenheimer was not nominated), and Barbie has some momentum in that race, too, as some feel the script is the best place to acknowledge that film’s unlikely surrealism and success. But Oppy’s Best Picture win is almost a sure thing, and Cillian Murphy takes the lead in the Best Actor race, too, after picking up the SAG. Lily Gladstone also now has the momentum going into the last days of Oscar voting (which ends tomorrow), and she gave another wonderful speech to tell voters about herself and what her wins mean in a larger, historical sense, too.
And now for THE FASHION.
Greta Lee wore a fun sort of folded-paper look to the Indies, which is much better than her SAG dress, which is no way flattering and the gloves do not go with that dress at all. (Lainey disagrees and was obsessed with the SAG dress – it was The Row.)
Emma Stone has been going for classy-slinky dresses, and she wore a great silver embroidered Louis Vuitton gown with lavender and pearl detailing to the SAGs, and SAG President Fran Drescher showed up in a red sequin gown that would make Fran Fine proud (she also gave an amazing speech about union solidarity which, funnily enough, Netflix, who streamed the telecast, has not excerpted online).
Emily Blunt’s style has been a bit train wrecky of late, but she also wore Louis Vuitton, hers being a sleek red gown with a plunging neckline and Tiffany jewelry to the SAGs, though I wish she had done something with her hair (she wore her hair up with a blue tea-length dress to the PGAs). She was part of a reunion moment on stage with Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway for The Devil Wears Prada, and I assume Emily and Anne’s stylists coordinated, as they both wore solid primary colors with boobs out and hair down. Anne’s dress (archival Versace) is, appropriately, cerulean.
The absolutely outrageous crush I have on Anne Hathaway these days! Speaking of crushes, though, another on-stage reunion was Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, who dated waaay back in the day and formative Sarah had a crush on both because of Earth Girls Are Easy. Then there’s Brie Larson, still in her body era, rocking a custom pink two-piece Versace gown that is abs for days at the SAGs, and a fire engine red fit-and-flare gown at the PGAs, which I hate because of the stupid boob bow. Take that bow away, and the red dress is classic and hot.
Also doing double duty between those events was Margot Robbie. She pulled out Barbie pink with a Schiaparelli mini-dress with a big satin train embellishment that is sort of crazy, and a comparatively tame black-and-white mini dress at the PGAs that gives me “Eighties power suit, but make it fashion” vibes.
America Ferrera went the other way, wearing a tame black gown with a white sleeve detail to the SAGs, and a black dress with some kind of embellishment that looks super cheap on camera at the PGAs.
Ariana Greenblatt, meanwhile, wore a great crimson velvet gown by Vera Wang, but once again, I am wishing she did something with her hair. The “undone” look really doesn’t work with black tie dress codes, no matter how much everyone wants it to. You just look half-dressed. Team Barbie has come so far and fashioned so hard, I fear they are starting to lose the plot.
Gaining the plot: Taraji P. Henson in a classic black gown by Giambattista Valli with a dramatic train styled to PERFECTION. This is how you make solid black sing—great hair, great jewelry, great styling.
Similarly, Carey Mulligan looked amazing in custom gold Armani Prive. Maestro is the also-ran of Oscar season, but Carey has not stepped dressing to win. But no, I do not give her a pass on not doing her hair just because she has a bob, Florence Pugh has been styling her very short hair for every appearance! And Halle Bailey eschewed purple for maroon in a mermaid gown—appropriate—which looks incredible on her but is, unfortunately, by Dolce & Gabbana. Sigh.
Finally, let’s talk about the men. We have a name for those fellas who dress somewhere between “standard tux” and “outright fashionista”. On The Squawk, Sherry suggested “chrysalids”, a fun scientific way of indicating their middle-phase status in fashion, but then Jessie emailed with the absolutely perfect term—middle men. Duh! They’re literally in the middle of the fashion spectrum. The middle men of the weekend include Brendan Fraser, in a navy patterned jacket, Ryan Gosling, who toned it down in a pale blue suit, and Cillian Murphy, who wore striped Yves Saint Laurent made a little bit edgy with a fancy boy tie.
On the high side of men’s fashion is, of course, Colman Domingo, delivering once again in a pink suit by Off-White at the SAGs, and a tweed suit by Versace at the Indies.
Also at the SAGs, William Belleau from Killers of the Flower Moon stood out in a bright red suit, bolo tie, and braids, and at the Indies, Andrew Scott rocked a fun lemon yellow suit. And I am giving the high fashion edge to Glen Powell’s SAG suit. I like the combo of cummerbund and wide lapels, and the color story is perfectly matched to his tan. HOW did he not play a Ken?! I’m also giving an edge to Dominic Sessa, who wore the same white suit and sheer shirt combo to the Indies and the PGAs. Well dressed, on point, AND saving time. We stan a man with a plan!
