Red carpet coverage isn’t just about the women anymore. Be it at the BAFTAs, Grammys or today’s Academy Awards, men are known to be either classic or adventurous. Most noticeable was the bijoux on several stars — Timothée Chalamet, Mahershala Ali, Brad Pitt, Taika Waititi (see pictures) ...
For Kobe : Director Spike Lee wore a strong tribute to basketball player Kobe Bryant, who recently passed away in a helicopter crash — the Gucci purple suit with gold trim featured Bryant’s jersey number, 24, on the lapel. And his kicks? Nike Kobe 9 Elite Strategy sneakers. The royal shade was repeated during Sir Elton John’s performance of the night’s Best Original Song, ‘(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again’ from Rocketman. He paired his Gucci suit with a pink and green crystal bow tie from the same label.
No surprise there : As for extreme dresser, Billy Porter, he showed off Jimmy Choo gold heels, shiny feathers and a sweeping skirt by Giles Deacon.
Was Utkarsh wearing…zari?: Indian representation on the Oscars stage came with Utkarsh Ambudkar’s mid-show rap recap. While the multi-hyphenate sported Ermenegildo Zegna XXX on the red carpet, he switched to a blue suit with zari borders on the sleeves and trousers. Some social media snooping revealed it to be a #SandySuit, designed by Sandy Kaur Gill, better known as TheSandyLion. She has styled the likes of Hasan Minhaj and Lilly Singh, and her signature includes bands of zari at the cuff and hem.
Who is Venk Modur?: One name that has been popping up on our timelines is stylist Venk Modur’s, especially after the Golden Globes last month, where he styled the actor Brian Cox in Hugo Boss, and the latter went on to win best actor in a TV drama for his role in Succession . At today’s Academy Awards, Modur, who is on a mission to feature more South Asian designers on Hollywood red carpets, chose Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla for Smriti Mundhra, the Oscar-nominated director and producer of documentary short, St. Louis Superman . For her co-director Sami Khan, it was a pleated sherwani by Ashwin Thiyagarajan. “I first met Modur when he was in the city — he dropped by my studio and really liked my work. When he suggested we work together, I did not think it would be for the Oscars,” laughs the Chennai-based designer. The brief was to create something structured, with subtle nods to tradition. “That’s why we went with a black sherwani ; the pleats at the bottom add some flair, and the trousers have subtle tone on tone embroidery,” he explains.
Here are a few sharp-dressers from the evening.
Anthony Ramos: The American actor and singer, best known for his dual role as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Broadway musical, Hamilton, was at the Oscars for the first time today. He paired his Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo and studded Oxford shoes with a statement necklace that added a pop of colour to the otherwise monochromatic look.
Spike Lee: In his custom Gucci purple Heritage suit with yellow trim and “24” patches on the lapel and back with.
Taika Waititi: The ‘Jojo Rabbit’ director has gone viral for stowing his Oscar (for Best Adapted Screenplay) below the seat in front of him. But even before the ceremony started, his Dior Men tuxedo, featuring a lapel pin with diamonds and a grey Tahitian pearl by jewellery designer, Nikos Koulis, had people talking.
Timothée Chalamet: The 24-year-old actor showed up in a navy Prada jacket and joggers, elevated by a Cartier ruby and diamond brooch dating back to 1955, from the house’s Heritage collection.
Tom Hanks: The veteran actor and nominee kept it classic with a velvet tuxedo from Tom Ford.
Utkarsh Ambudkar: On the left in Zegna and on the right in the #SandySuit during his rap performance.
Sami Khan: On the left is designer Ashwin Thiyagarajan’s sketch. The co-director of ‘St. Louis Superman’ is on the far right in the pleated sherwani.
Billy Porter: The ‘Pose’ star is well known for making a statement on the red carpet. With golden feathers and a printed high-low skirt, this ensemble was designed by Giles Deacon, a favourite of Kate Middleton — he also designed the bridal gown for her sister, Pippa. Fitting, as the look itself was inspired by Kensington Palace, the royal residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The custom buckled platform court shoes are by Jimmy Choo.
Brad Goreski: The celebrity fashion stylist and television personality took to Instagram to post, “Feeling like a Queen in McQueen at the #oscars.” The tuxedo from Alexander McQueen was embellished with jewels by Cartier.
Brad Pitt: The Best Supporting Actor winner for ‘Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood’ opted for a classic black velcet tux from Brioni, the Italian menswear line for which he’s a brand ambassador.
Sir Elton John: The winner of Best Original Song for ‘(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again’ from Rocketman wore a custom Gucci purple tuxedo jacket with black contrast lapel and crystal trim. He paired it with a pink ruffled shirt, black trousers, a pink and green crystal bow tie, multicoloured slip-on sneakers and his signature pink sunglasses with crystals.
Mahershala Ali: Adding a touch of whimsy to his Ermenegildo Zegna XXX suit, the two-time Oscar winner sported a David Yurman necklace and cuff links.
Oscar Isaac: The actor’s salt-and-pepper beard was all over Twitter — one user called it “an extraordinary cultural event”, while others agreed that he “wins it all”.
Questlove: The Roots frontman went for an all-black ensemble for his DJ duties, adding a large crystal on a leather chain to stand out from other monochrome looks.
