Golden Globes 2017 Style
Ahhhh. It’s that time of year again. It’s awards season. The Hollywood Foreign Press' annual Golden Globes are just one stop on the train to the inevitable mack daddy that is the Academy Awards. As host Jimmy Fallon announced Sunday night, the Golden Globes is the, “Biggest party of the year,” for Hollywood insiders.
We all know that 2016 was hard. I imagine particularly so for Americans reeling for the lead up and results of the Presidential Election. There, too, was tremendous loss within the artist community. But as the stage saying goes, on with the show.
Sunday night was not only a night to celebrate, it was a night for some of the most privileged and influential to make a statement. As a humanist, I’m going to give my most empathic high fives to those that use their spotlight wisely. I will shout out those who bring attention to a bigger issue than simply making tv shows or movies. I, too, will utter, ‘bullshit,’ shall I so feel someone is behaving badly. Thus, for me, it’s the totally star package when they speak up for those in the shadows and bring some style steeze.
I heard somewhere that when you know better, you do better. This covers all areas and walks of life, including red carpets. There was a lot of fashion to feast the eyes. That’s great. My focus is on what’s new in fashion, yes, but also what I feel is especially worthy.
For the fellas – trend alert - I saw a wider lapel on suit and tuxedo jackets alike. Tom Ford, Jake Gyllenhall, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, (both likely inspired by their director, Tom Ford), and Ryan Murphy all donned such style of jacket. The standout for me was Donald Glover’s look. Not only did he do the wide lapel, he went all in with his chocolate brown velvet swagger filled stunner.
For the gals, the standout trend for me was sleeves. There were so many sleeves and so much variety. Seeing sleeves was a total delight for a perpetually chilly ‘ol me. Drew Barrymore, Priyanka Chopra, Claire Foy, Nicole Kidman, Mandy Moore, Sarah Jessica Parker, Issa Rae, and Kristen Wigg to name a smattering. The best sleeve (and look) by eons was Ruth Negga in her custom Louis Vuitton. This is a great example of why tailoring is so important. She looked glorious.
Although the following two actor’s style was fine, their use of the spotlight was gross. First loser up was Tom Hiddleston who made everything about him. While trying – I think – to bring light to developmental philanthropic work being done in South Sudan he really just thanked the hardworking doctors for binge watching his show. Yuck. Even worse was what Casey Affleck failed to say. He thanked his children for their, “strength of character,” and for helping him, “keep things at bay,” what I think he meant to say – if I read between the lines – is, “thanks for not bringing up my multiple sexual harassment allegations, kiddos.” Oh wait, not very many folks in the media or Hollywood are talking about that. Who wants to stain the star? Ugh.
With red carpets and awards we are giving stars the chance to shine. I hope I’m not alone in asking for more. Look good AND do good. That’s the whole point, right?
Two exemplary women showed us how it’s done. As Viola Davis introduced Meryl Streep for her Lifetime Achievement Award, she was sure to share examples of both her strong character and prolific talent. I recently read in The New Yorker profile of Davis that Streep insisted for the, “unknown responsibility of a celebrity.” ‘Dame Streep’ - as many including Davis lovingly call her - also taught Davis that she was worthy. Davis shared with the audience that Streep told her that, “My face, my body, my age is enough.” It is more than enough.
As Streep collected her award she quickly and tastefully thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press and her peers for the recognition. She then quickly shifted to making it about more than her. She urged her fellow Hollywood members to do the right thing, to stick up for inclusion, and to keep making beautiful art no matter the circumstances.
Know better, do better.
The part that got me emotional was this,
“Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. And one more thing, Meryl Streep wore a sleeved dress.
