Lady Gaga in Valentino
This makes sense, collaboratively. Gaga memorably wore Valentino feathers to kick off A Star Is Born, so it seemed fated she'd do it again. But that one was super hard to top, and it feels like they were like, "Um. Uh. Hmm. A BIGGER train? And inflatable elbow scrunchies in case it rains and she needs a flotation aid? Okay. Let's go get an Aperol spritz."
They just looked ... cumbersome. The whole thing did. And the bodice seemed loose. I want to know how many fittings it takes to get to this point, because for it STILL to be baggy is bizarre.
I believe here she's doing the nose gesture that's a running bit in the movie. I mostly downloaded this photo because it is a GREAT illustration of how massive those things were. She could wear ONE of them as underpants and it would be overlarge.
However, her makeup and jewels were great. I thought the dyed-to-match hair was a LITTLE misguided mostly because she only did streaks of it, and so it ended up feeling like we caught her in the midst of a growout. But how beautiful her face is.
Gemma Chan in Valentino
It was REALLY bothering me why this looked familiar, and then I sorted it out: This dress takes an old Taylor Swift Elie Saab, crosses it with this Felicity Jones Dior, and then switched it to shorts inspired by this old Taylor Swift Versace. Most of those are better versions of this, either from a styling perspective (I wish the shoes had given it some flash), or a crispness perspective (this verges on Messy Duvet). Gemma Chan is majestically lovely, but I wish this all came together better.
Heidi Klum in Monique Lhuillier
Well THIS was unexpected from Heidi, although leave it to her to make sure SOME part of this was at least partly see-through. That bodice is a HEINOUS CRIME. It's all structure and zero actual aesthetic value. And it's not very Lhuillier at all. What a waste of a dramatic skirt.
Penelope Cruz in Ralph & Russo
Jessica pulled this for Jessica Chastain, and I like that idea. On Penelope, I wasn't sure at first, but now that I see its iridescence (at first I thought it was black), I think it's actually quite beautiful and successful.
Francia Raisa
This is... not. Francia arrived very very early in what's come to be known as The Sarah Hyland Slot. And when you do that, you know you're going to get all the early E! air time for at least half an hour or so, because no one else will be there yet. It's a REAL CHOICE to do that in a dress this bonkers. This MAY actually be black and navy -- black gown, navy tulle explosions. It's hilariously terrible. I've decided this is all Tyra's doing, because Francia was in Life Size 2 with her.
Jodie Comer in Ralph & Russo
This looked bigger on TV. It IS still very busy. That top has a lot happening.
See? However, people are IN LOVE with her performance on Killing Eve, which is supposedly fantastic all around. I was so excited to watch it until I read that Stuff Happens in that series that I cannot see and therefore I can't trust it. Instead I shall have to take everyone's word for it. If you haven't seen it, and you don't have the same phobia of ocular tomfoolery that I do, then get thee to Netflix.
Isla Fisher in Monique Lhuillier
I find this dreary. It's Widow Longoria stuff.
Debra Messing in Pamella Roland
Debra Messing told Giuliana that no one else from Will & Grace was coming, so I assume it shocked the cape off her to see Megan Mullally come out and present. I do really enjoy this drama on her, though. Debra Messing has always been REALLY sartorially spotty but I've decided she's growing into a future as an extremely eccentric old broad (I am not saying she's currently old; just that she will one day BE old), and I'm on board with that.
Amber Heard in Monique Lhuillier
Monique must have shelled out a LOT -- at least figuratively, if not in cash -- because she has a TON of people on the red carpet after a few relatively fallow years. It feels like a very concerted push because her stuff landed far and wide. Anyway, this reminds me of a bridesmaid dress I once wore, right down to the velvet drop waist, but that was in 1993. It doesn't jibe with Amber Heard to me at ALL, and I keep thinking it's the unfinished prototype...
Kaley Cuoco in Monique Lhuillier
... of this dress, which is better. However, this is so similar that I find it slightly egregious that both were sent to the same event.
Alison Brie in Vera Wang
This is custom, which means... she actually wanted a bejweled strapless bra.
Constance Wu in Vera Wang
The hit of orange is about all I like here. These two dresses, both custom, are obvious cousins at the very least. I would've been intrigued by an orange bodice instead of the skin-tone version with all the boning. I am almost NEVER interested in seeing all the work a garment is puting in, and to me that's what visible boning is.
Lili Reinhart in Khyeli
I want to like this more. It's dramatic and poofy... is it the pink makeup with the red dress that's throwing me off?
Holly Taylor in Ines Di Santo
This is the Red Vixen version of Penelope's. It's pretty major, and she had a Faberge egg purse that mysteriously is not in this photo. Good! I miss Americans-style intrigue.
Jameela Jamil in Monique Lhuillier
Jameela had on jeggings underneath this, which is hilarious (by LA standards it was chilly yesterday), and clearly not part of the Lhuillier plan. She also was mis-captioned by E! as her character's sister's name, which if you watch The Good Place, you know is ABSOLUTELY her character's NIGHTMARE. It seems too on-point to have been an accident, but E! is not funny like that and they ripped that chyron off while she was still on-screen. Maybe an employee decided to go out that way in a blaze of glory?
Emmy Rossum in Monique Lhuillier
I think that is a gorgeous gown, and needed a different accessory approach.
Lucy Liu in Galia Lahav
This one is the 'big in spirit' entry here, because... there is SO MUCH HAPPENING. I don't know if she layered the cape over that to be dramatic, or because she hoped it would blunt the effect of the hodgepodge paint splash that is her gown.
Catherine Zeta Jones in Elie Saab
I do like that neck fan and the color.
Anne Hathaway in Elie Saab
I gasped and then applauded when I saw this. FULL LEOPARD is not something you see that often. I am fully here for Anne Hathaway By Law Roach, and am only sad that her own awards run for Les Mis was not styled by him, because it would have been WAY more thrilling for us all.
Rachel Weisz in Celine
"Hello, I'm Rachel Weisz, and I'm waiting for Hagrid's future bride to wear me on her leg at the wedding."