What could be more glamorous than a Saturday night out in Hollywood? The Academy Museum Gala on October 19 proved that not much can challenge such an invitation.
Multitudes of stars, from Uma Thurman and Nicole Kidman to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, lined up for the fourth annual event that acts as a benefit for The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures — the definitive exhibit of all things film that opened in Los Angeles in 2021.
With a red carpet that included Kaia Gerber in vintage Givenchy, Pamela Anderson in The Row and Ayo Edebiri in Thom Browne Couture, the event pitched for the most stylish night of the year and it won. Hands down. This red carpet was collectively pitch perfect, with the right amount of glamour and directional fashion choices being worn by the world's most-famous.
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It was less gimmicky than the Met Gala red carpet can so often be and the looks appeared more effortless than the Oscars, where the fashion can at times be overwrought. The attendees offered a perfect amount of dazzling and daring to earn the night the title of best dressed red carpet of the year.
Deciphering why and how The Academy Museum Gala has fast become the most inherently stylish of the year requires little investigation. Unlike its peers, this awards ceremony isn't televised, harkening back to a time when big Hollywood events happened away from the prying eyes of social media and cameras. Once celebrities are off the red carpet they're allowed to enjoy a night away from a glaring lens — a night of true revelry. They're anticipating a night of fun and you see that reflected in the clothes they choose.
Events like the Oscars and the Met Gala are also held in much anticipation with global fanfare pre-dating the arrivals. The pressure is on and so it can be that stars and their stylists overthink things, over-accessorise the clothes and, quite simply, try too hard. Saturday night, however, proved that there's something to be said for a little helping of style restraint.
Next in understanding the success of the gala is to consider its October date. It's the first major red-carpet event since the ready-to-wear shows and thus offers the first opportunity for celebrities to get in on the new collections. The strongest example from Saturday night was the abundance of Loewe's voluminous floral dresses that debuted on the catwalk less than a month ago. Greta Lee, Meg Ryan and Gal Gadot each wore a variation.
While we all might have been thinking, 'Do we really want to see another major awards ceremony?' The flawless styling proved that the answer is 'yes.'
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