Red Carpet Rundown: I ♥ Jennifer Lawrence

Over the past month, I have come down with an overwhelming fever… HUNGER GAMES FEVER. You’ve seen my mani, you’ve listened to my ramblings and now you must tolerate my love for Jennifer Lawrence too.

She was at a lot of awards shows circa her Oscar nomination for Winter’s Bone. She was a truly annoying Mystique in X-Men: First Class. And she’s dating Tony from Skins. Honestly, I never felt much towards her other than indifference. But come her casting as Katniss Everdeen, The Girl On Fire, and suddenly she clicked… To the power hundred!

Lawrence is phenomenal in the films… driven, hard, urgent, grounded, strong but vulnerable compulsive watching… but I’m here to tell you about my raging girl crush instead. Katniss Everdeen was always going to be a winning character if she was played right, but what I love about J.Law (as probably no one is calling her) is how awesome it was to see a real woman on screen. A woman who didn’t look anorexic, didn’t look plastic, didn’t look like she spends every waking moment in the gym refusing carbs, but a curvy, gorgeous, young woman with a natural fresh beauty and a magnetic screen presence. And my, has she worked some gorgeous gowns during the Hunger Games promo tour. As The Girl On Fire rightly should!

Prabal Gurung – This was the dress that kicked it all off at the world premiere in LA. Lots of people feel very passionately about the books and the characters, and even before I saw her performance, it was seeing Jennifer turn up in this blazing glittering golden gown that made me punch the air yelling ‘NAILED IT!’ This dress is a total look at me dress, it ensures everything is about her… as it bloody well should. My God, it is stunning, sexy, smoking, spotlight-stealing. But it was made even more perfect by being the absolute definitive outfit for a character known as The Girl On Fire.

And let’s just mention… hair intertwined with gold threads? Gorgeous. Cut-out back and side panels. Gorgeous. Beautiful smoky eye and nude lip? So so so gorgeous. The shot of her absolutely OWNING the entire red carpet just says it all (click it, enlarge it, make it your wallpaper). Sign me up to the cult, stick a mockingjay pin on me, I’m done.

Ralph Lauren – The gold theme was continued a little less successfully at the London premiere. It’s a beautiful dress, it shows off her figure winningly and I love that vintage-esque crackled texture of the fabric. It’s a little more subtle (if anything glittering and gold can ever be deemed subtle) for The Girl On Fire but let’s face it, anything would be a let-down after the Gurung.

BRUCIE BONUS shot of the cast, including obligatory WTF HE’S PEETA?!?!?! moment. Seriously, what are you wearing Josh Hutcherson?! Why do you look like a geography teacher from the 70s? And why are you so so short? (My friend also noted he has one little slightly squinty eye. I kind of hate myself for pointing this out to you all because once seen… can’t be unseen!!!) Note: Elizabeth Banks’ awesomeness will be addressed later.

Tom Ford – People were starting to get worried Lawrence would spend the whole promo tour in gold. This proved their worries were unfounded.

Jennifer instead went edgy for the Paris premiere in this slinky Tom Ford number. A simple LBD you may think… until she posed for the obligatory ‘back shot’ and unleashed a wow moment. Honestly, I wish she could have spent the whole event walking around like that (even if she does look a bit like Renee Zellwgere in that photo)! A super-sexy exposed back that still somehow manages to be understated; I just love the cut of it, it feels like a secret. And there’s that clever touch of gold thanks to the wink of the exposed zip. Meanwhile, sleek sexy hair and a slash of bright rep lippie totally sell the whole deal.

Marchesa – The Berlin Premiere marked a slight wobble in the love affair. This Marchesa dress was probably the most literal interpretation of The Girl On Fire but, like many  a misguided Marchesa moment, it’s overly-flouncy, staggering under too much detail, better in conception than execution and not really that flattering. And once someone on Go Fug Yourself pointed out it looks like one of those muscle-diagram photos from medical textbooks… cannot be unseen!!!

Raoul – And so we leave the glitz and glamour of the red carpet for the slightly more casual feel of the television promo circuit instead. For her arrival at the Letterman show, Jennifer went for this breezy Raoul LBD, nice but nothing spectacular. I do like how youthful it feels and that A-line silhouette and flippy skirt does emphasise what a banging bod she has – I may be cock-a-hoop that she has boobs and an arse, but there’s no denying what a teeny-tiny waist she has too! However, the things I love most about this look are her awesome blown-out glossy locks and those sexy lattice Jimmy Choo sandals.

Prabal Gurung – For the Late Show with David Letterman itself, it was back to bling… albeit in a more muted form… with this coppery-black matte sheath dress. Whilst I loved a lot of Jenn’s looks so far, this is the dress I actually want for myself. Sexy, trendy, understated and yay, sleeves! The whole black side-panel slimming illusion-effect thing has been done to death of late, but I love the way the coppery-lace detail seems to fade into the black and the matte finish makes it look altogether more classy and elegant.

The half-up half-down hair style is also very pretty, making what could have been a very sophisticated evening look seem a bit more youthful and daytime-appropriate.

Calvin Klein – Whilst the rest of her premiere looks channelled The Girl On Fire, I think that this dress for the New York one showcased a different side to Katniss (errr… I mean Jennifer). The forest-green colour isn’t often seen on the red carpet, but when you see it done as winningly as this, you wonder why! It feels earthy, sensual, soft and fresh and brings out Jennifer’s eyes beautifully. (I also get a minor gladiator vibe from the pleated skirt, which taken with the arena and tribute stuff in the book, totally works for me.) A super-flattering colour and cut make this another of my favourite outfits; OK, it’s a bit boob-ilicious but girlfriend looks hot.

Joie blouse, Holmes & Yang skirt – This is actually surprisingly one of my fave outfits of the bunch. Worn for her appearance on Good Morning America, it’s simple but classic – white blouse, navy skirt, red belt, tousled hair, winning smile. Anyone that can make Katie Holmes’ pedestrian clothes line look rather wonderful definitely deserves plaudits of some sort. It’s a little bit retro, a teeny bit nautical and a whole lot of awesome.

Victoria by Victoria Beckham – The final stop (for now!) was an outing in VB’s diffusion line at a Madrid fan event. It’s a very cute look; I’m not a particular fan of the dress itself, which feels like some ‘fashion’ attempt at a patchwork quilt, but it looks pleasant enough on Jenn… who as ever, is cute as a button.

Also, I know this post was meant to be a love letter to Jennifer Lawrence, but I have to mention Elizabeth Banks too. I’m no Banks fan (I think at one stage I consigned her to the trinity of meh, alongside Kate Bosworth and Rosario Dawson) but boy, did she step it up for this. Just as Lawrence channelled The Girl On Fire, Banks took the opportunity to infuse her style with a little of Effie Trinket’s zany fashions.

My favourite look is the zinging yellow of the Bill Blass dress worn for the London premiere; I mean, seriously, what a GORGEOUS dress. No other words required.

But I actually loved all her looks, even if I am sad she only made it halfway down the rainbow before the premieres dried up. Fluorescent orange Atelier Versace mini in LA? Delicious. Crazy cerise Marc Jacobs number (is it me or is this kinda holographic… and we all know how much I love me some holo action!) in Paris? Divine. Sequinned and stunning in a blazing orange Elie Saab in Berlin. Hell yeah! Respect, Elizabeth, respect.

And finally, a few more WTF HE’S PEETA?!?! moments for you. I did actually end up loving him in the film (near the end, where he catches hold of Katniss’ braid… swoon) but there was a point where I began to wonder if he was actually shrinking during this promo tour. Time to start doing some stretches in the hope you’ll grow in time for Catching Fire, young man!

Personally, I can’t wait to see how Jennifer Lawrence’s style develops in time for Catching Fire… how about you? And here’s that amazing photo again, just for good measure. If you aren’t stanning hard for her by now, I give up.

Photo credits: Go Fug Yourself and Just Jared