All the Surprisingly Simple and Stunningly Boring Looks On the 2019 BAFTAs Red Carpet

By Maria Sherman  |  February 11, 2019 | 5:00pm
Entertainment

There’s no denying it any longer; it’s fully award season now. Sunday night, fans of the entertainment biz had to make a decision: watch the Grammys, in which most star-studded musician types have been pissed off to the point of refusing to attend, or watch the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) held in at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where Bradley Cooper did not piss himself on stage.

I mistakenly chose the former. Grammy fashion was pretty decent but everything else about the event left nothing to write home about. Let’s see if BAFTAs can remedy that. Above, I love a structured, black and white, toned-down Janelle Monáe look, and Naomi Ackie, as well as The Favourite’s Olivia Coleman and Rachel Weisz (my favorites) certainly got the memo.

For those unafraid of color, the color was pink: Eleanor Tomlinson will have you reconsidering the off-the-shoulder trend; Cynthia Erivo’s pastel pink hair, floral print dress, exaggerated shoulders, and bowtie make for one of the better looks of the night; and Alexa Chung wore a minidress, as she does.

Cynthia Erivo changed looks at some point in the night and somehow looked even better in lavender hair, which matched the lavender hem of this princess-y, tulle gown? It’s so beautiful?

The ladies of Roma brought it, as always: Marina de Tavira in a silky, traffic-stopping bright green gown and Yalitza Aparicio in a fitted, mermaid-metallic Kris Goyri look.

Lily Collins’s gothy royal blue is envy-worthy; Regina King went simple and somehow made a bow the length of her waist feel understated; and Danai Gurira, my god, the tailoring on her gown!

From left to right: Jamie Bell, Taron Egerton, and Richard Madden—all apparently different men—wore really boring tuxedos. I’ll give it to Egerton for attempting to jazz it up with some colored velour, but come on, gentlemen. Live a little.

Lebanese actor and director Nadine Labaki’s gown looks actually wearable, and I’d do anything for a fast-fashion dupe. Linda Cardellini’s mini dress might be a little too prom-y and Glenn Close was a sequined dream. Check out that mini crossbody bag, too.

Michelle Yeon chose to go black-and-beige instead of black-and-white; Rachel Brosnahan’s big bow on a deep green gown makes her look like a Christmas present; Thandie Newton’s dress is minimal, yet contemporary. (Hike that hem up, dye it millennial pink, and pair it with knee-high boots and you have Ariana Grande’s look from her May 2018 Tonight Show appearance.)

Visualize the headline: Hunky Men Discover Turtlenecks. Riz Ahmed and Henry Golding, local heartthrobs, should give their stylists a raise for telling them to swap out the button-down and bow tie for a high neck beneath a gorgeous suit jacket.

Speaking of great suits: Letitia Wright and Mary J. Blige were both very different dreams in white. I love the absence of embellishment on Wright’s, and I love how extra Blige’s is—you really can have it both ways.

Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant were a handsome pair (and McCarthy’s black-on-black-on-black suit might be my favorite look of hers, ever). Lucy Boynton and Rami Malek, recent couple, rocked their trademark looks—straightforward suit for him and vintage doll for her. Andy Serkis’s green tux will hopefully inspire other dudes to experiment with color—the payoff is immense—and Lorraine Ashbourne’s gown is a classic.

And Bradley Cooper looked fine. Fine.

 
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