Tag Archives: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Red Carpet Rundown: Met Gala 2011, Stella’s Stars

Posted on May 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Met Gala 2011 was supposed to be in honour of Alexander McQueen… so of course, the greatest number of people chose to wear Stella McCartney. Stella was co-chairing the event… then again, so was Colin Firth… and even though I love a lot of these gowns, I don’t think any of them fit the theme of Savage Beauty. Do you?

Can you believe this is the same woman who was last seen out-slutting her teenage daughter by showing off her bare ass at a post-Oscars party? This is the best Madonna has looked in ages – classy, sophisticated yet far from being contrived or boring. This steely blue colour looks brilliant on her, especially combined with those perfectly-coiffed golden waves, and I love the silver stars that trail their way down her back and onto her train.

Iman looks a bit like Ru Paul. And if you aren’t a fan of high campery and heavy trashtastic-ness, then bling-covered jumpsuits probably aren’t for you. Then again, you’re no shrinking violet if you managed to snag Ziggy Stardust as a hubbie and you can’t deny she is working the hell out of it and looking fiercely Amazonian anyway. And what’s the perfect accessory to gold sequins, a blaze of golden hair and glowing golden skin? A gold belt buckle, of course. Duh.

I’ve long been a fan of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s red carpet style – she has an easy grown-up grace about her that doesn’t seem too try-hard – and this is another winner in my book. I adore the oceanic blue glitter and the unusual neckline, although I’m slightly concerned by the lack of bra and consequently, the nipple standing to attention that seems to follow my gaze. I know I applauded her lack of try-hardiness but there are limits…

This is such a standard Gwyneth Paltrow gown that it bores me to boring beige tears. A simple nude sheath dress, there’s no doubt it’s super-flattering and suits her but seriously, the carpet is more savage than anything in this look.

Eva Mendes is one of those people that just doesn’t excite me on the red carpet and this isn’t really any exception. This royal blue one-sleeved number has that whole 70s boho aesthetic that McCartney was channelling last season and I love the sense of movement and volume Mendes is bringing for photos, but it feels a bit too carefree and casual for *the* fashion event of the year. If what you really need to set your outfit off is a big floppy sun-hat, you know it probably just isn’t cutting it.

Another super-pretty dress, another complete lack of savageness. I’m gonna stop harping on about it now. I do love the ethereal fairy dust aspect of Naomi Watts’ gown but I feel like I saw it all before with Mandy Moore at this year’s Oscars.

When did Kate Hudson get this pregnant?! Last time I looked, it was a mere bump in the road but now it looks like she’s smuggling watermelons Phoebe-style. The long wavy hair, the embellished bodice and the fishtail train are saying one thing to me – mermaid. That and the sea-shell she stuck on top of her head. I guess there are worse things you can look like than a heavily pregnant mermaid on her wedding day and she’s doing her usual Goldie Hawn-inherited Kate Hudson thing by looking glowy and pretty regardless. At least it looks vaguely comfortable and easy to sit down and pee in, which were probably greater concerns for Kate than say… Daphne Guinness.

Thandie Newton is one of my serial style crushes and as ever, she’s giving me flawless face. I love the top half of this dress, with the deep V-neck with scalloped edging, but I’m not sure about the bottom half. I know it isn’t really her underwear I can see, but I still feel it’s improper of me to look.

I find Rihanna’s dress oddly unflattering, like a jumpsuit that someone has opened up the legs of – and you haven’t even seen the tacky see-through slit down the side yet, which proved lots of fun for the photographers when she bent down to fiddle with her train. Well, I say see-through, it looked more like support tights… Yet that isn’t my main issue. Even from here, through a photograph comprised of pixels on a computer screen, that braid boasts more synthetic material than a Primark sale. I’ve loved Rihanna’s flaming red tresses with some of her more colourful outrageous looks, but it just looks fake and cheap here. Pippi Longstocking would not be impressed.

The problem with everyone wearing the same designer is that things start to get a bit repetitive. So that intricate swirling lace pattern that’s providing interest on Kate Winslet’s gown entirely take over Hailee Steinfeld’s, albeit in a different colour (seen on Amber Valetta’s dress too). Meanwhile, the black lace aspect of Winslet’s gown is also reminiscent of Thandie’s and Rihanna’s outfits too.

Kate Winslet’s dress is elegant, classy and sophisticated but it must be the hundredth time she’s rocked this whole ‘simple black gown with random areas of interest’ look and I miss the Winslet who used to wear bright red Ben de Lisi or mint green Alice Temperley or electric blue Narsico Rodriguez. Guess the colour-loving part of her got airbrushed away with that last magazine cover.

Hailee Steinfeld swept everyone away with her sweet fresh style this awards season but this may be her first serious misstep. I think it would be pretty cute sans train but, overall, it just feels too heavy for her.

So it looks like Stella McCartney saved the most savage of her gowns for herself. Sadly, it’s just a bizarre Project Runway challenge – to make a dress out of a penguin costume. Seems there’s a reason I’ve never seen a neckline shaped like that before. I happily await the gif where someone superimposes a nun’s face over her legs.

Pictures: Just Jared, Style.com, Look.co.uk, Socialite Life, Huffington Post Style

Red Carpet Rundown: Met Ball 2010, Part I

Posted on May 14, 2010 | Leave a comment

Perhaps it’s a little late to start my Met Ball Red Carpet Rundown. What can I say though – this was the largest collection of A-listers since The Oscars (better than The Oscars, in fact) and I’m only just recovering from being totally wowed by the couture on show. And that’s a nice way of saying that I have no idea what the Met Ball/Costume Institute Gala is actually meant to be for or to do other than to showcase pretty dresses. Here goes…

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Louis Vuitton – This was my favourite. I love how Gyllenhaal is so brave when it comes to her red carpet choices; she has her own style, sticks to it and doesn’t give a damn what others make of it. So whilst others bemoan the bin bag styling or complain her boobs look squished, I just think the dress itself is a beautiful architectural masterpiece and Maggie looks utterly fearless and fabulous. So there.

Thandie Newton in Vivienne Westwood – This is another dress that not many people seem to like but that I LOVE. Yes, in caps. Firstly, I can’t resist a bit of Dame Viv and this dress comes complete with her trademark ultra-flattering ruching. Secondly, I can’t resist a bit of purple, as was evident from me loving Sandra Bullock’s Quality Street wrapper moment. If I wanted any dress from the event, it was this one.

Rachel Bilson in Louis Vuitton – There really is no pleasing some people. This dress is obviously stupidly cute/pretty/gorgeous and still critics complained it ‘wasn’t event-appropriate’. Well, in my books, pretty dress = any event appropriate. I adore the romantic print and muted colours of this dress and the shape is so girlie and flattering to La Bilson. Who I love ridiculous amounts anyway. Now someone please give her a tv show so I can moon over her cute-as-a-button face on a weekly basis rather than looking like an obsessive by Googling her far too frequently.

Coca Rocha in Zac Posen – Everytime I declared a favourite, a new dress came along that knocked it out of the water. This Zac Posen creation was like all my mermaid fantasies got rolled into one and emerged as a beautiful frothy cascade of dreams. The colours are just mesmerising. We have a show-stopper, people – even if I have no idea who Rocha is and thought that was the name of that woman from The Kenny Everett Show.

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad; Anne Hathaway in Valentino – Every event needs a princess dress and Lopez and Hathaway duly obliged. And yes, Anne looked very pretty in shimmering cream, but when doesn’t she?! It’s a look she’s done countless times before so her looking lunar and milky and stunning is no surprise. Lopez’s face is desperately trying to bring the sex to this ballgown but it’s the beautifully beaded embroidery that makes this dress better than Hathaway’s. Hathaway’s was just random glitter – my kindergarten kids can scatter sequins liberally – but human hands probably bled to create the amazing leaf-shapes on Lopez’s gown. It’s for the sacrifice of human hands that I’m compelled to plump for Princess Jennifer on this occasion.

Mila Kunis in Vera Wang – Dear Vera, I want you to design my wedding dress (well, you’ll have to fight it out with Carolina Herrera). Obviously, I don’t want this dress as my wedding dress but it illustrates the reasons I’m a Wang fan. It’s belle of the ball stuff, with soft reams of netting and tulle, dramatic but romantic. Doesn’t hurt that Mila is almost as cute as Rachel Bilson… *feels another girl crush coming on* PS I love that Cleo Rocha’s train is visible in the background of this photo; let’s face it, it was so huge, there probably aren’t many photos where it’s not peeping in!

Naomi Watts in Stella McCartney – Just to prove a dress doesn’t have to be voluminous to be among my favourites, this McCartney gown is stunning. It’s all about the colour, a rich jewel-like cerise that looks amazing set against Naomi’s ivory complexion, blonde hair and classy lippie. I’ve just worked out why I love this dress so much – it’s the carbon copy of one of my favourite Barbie dresses from my Barbie sticker books that I loved so much I got my Mum to draw it for me several times. From the colour to that one-shoulder fan detail; I guess Stella had it when she was a kid too. I’m onto you, McCartney (and expect a Jem & The Holograms inspired collection next)!

Gwen Stefani in LAMB – The last of my batch of unadulterated ‘love it’s pales in comparison to most of the colours, spangles, flounces and trains seen elsewhere. But it’s Gwen Stefani and I’m morally bound by my idolatry of her to think everything she does is totally like… awesome. I love the simplicity of this glimmering pool of gold married with little edgy touches that befit the fact that Gwen rocks. Namely the visible underwear, somehow carried off without being tacky, and the delicate cobweb-by shoulder thing. All set off with Gwen’s usual retro-glam platinum hair and slash of scarlet lipstick.

Perhaps it’s a little late to start my Met Ball coverage. What can I say though – this was the largest collection of A-listers since The Oscars (better than The Oscars, in fact) and I’m only just recovering from being totally wowed by the couture on show. And that’s a nice way of saying that I have no idea what the Met Ball is actually meant to be for or to do other than to showcase pretty dresses. Here goes…

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Louis Vuitton – This was my favourite. I love how Gyllenhaal is so brave when it comes to her red carpet choices; she has her own style, sticks to it and doesn’t give a damn what others make of it. So whilst others bemoan the bin bag styling or complain her boobs look squished, I just think the dress itself is a beautiful architectural masterpiece and Maggie looks utterly fearless and fabulous. So there.

Thandie Newton in Vivienne Westwood – This is another dress that not many people seem to like but that I LOVE. Yes, in caps. Firstly, I can’t resist a bit of Dame Viv and this dress comes complete with her trademark ultra-flattering ruching. Secondly, I can’t resist a bit of purple, as was evident from me loving Sandra Bullock’s Quality Street wrapper moment. If I wanted any dress from the event, it was this one.

Rachel Bilson in Louis Vuitton – There really is no pleasing some people. This dress is obviously stupidly cute/pretty/gorgeous and still critics complained it ‘wasn’t event-appropriate’. Well, in my books, pretty dress = any event appropriate. I adore the romantic print and muted colours of this dress and the shape is so girlie and flattering to La Bilson. Who I love ridiculous amounts anyway. Now someone please give her a tv show so I can moon over her cute-as-a-button face on a weekly basis rather than looking like an obsessive by Googling her far too frequently.

Coca Rocha in Zac Posen – Well, everytime I declared a favourite, a new dress came along that knocked it out of the water. This Zac Posen creation was like all my mermaid fantasies got rolled into one and emerged as a beautiful frothy cascade of dreams. The colours are just mesmerising. We have a show-stopper, people – even if I have no idea who Rocha is and thought that was the name of that woman from The Kenny Everett Show.

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad – Every event needs a princess dress and Lopez and Anne Hathaway (in Valentino) duly obliged. And yes, Anne looked very pretty in shimmering white, but when doesn’t she?! It’s a look she’s done countless times before so her looking milky and stunning is no surprise. Lopez’s face is desperately trying to bring the sex to this ballgown but it’s the beautifully beaded embroidery that makes this dress better than Hathaway’s. Hathaway’s was just random glitter – my kindergarten kids can scatter sequins liberally – but human hands probably bled to create the amazing leaf-shapes on Lopez’s gown. It’s for the sacrifice of human hands that I’m compelled to plump for Princess Jennifer on this occasion.

Mila Kunis in Vera Wang – Dear Vera, I want you to design my wedding dress (well, you’ll have to fight it out with Carolina Herrera). Obviously, I don’t want this dress as my wedding dress but it illustrates the reasons I’m a Wang fan. It’s belle of the ball stuff, with soft reams of netting and tulle, dramatic but romantic. Doesn’t hurt that Mila is almost as cute as Rachel Bilson… *feels another girl crush coming on * PS I love that Cleo Rocha’s train is visible in the background of this photo; let’s face it, it was so huge, there probably aren’t many photos where it’s not peeping in!

Naomi Watts in Stella McCartney – Just to prove a dress doesn’t have to be voluminous to be among my favourites, this McCartney gown is stunning. It’s all about the colour, a rich jewel-like cerise that looks amazing set against Naomi’s ivory complexion, blonde hair and classy lippie. I’ve just worked out why I love this dress so much – it’s the carbon copy of one of my favourite Barbie dresses from my Barbie sticker books that I loved so much I got my Mum to draw it for me several times. From the colour to that one-shoulder fan detail; I guess Stella had it when she was a kid too. I’m onto you, McCartney (and expect a Jem & The Holograms inspired collection next)!

Gwen Stefani in LAMB – The last of my batch of unadulterated ‘love it’s pales in comparison to most of the colours, spangles, flounces and trains seen elsewhere. But it’s Gwen Stefani and I’m morally bound by my idolatry of her to think everything she does is totally like… awesome. I love the simplicity of this glimmering pool of gold married with little edgy touches that befit the fact that Gwen rocks. Namely the visible underwear, somehow carried off without being tacky, and the delicate cobweb-by shoulder thing. All set off with Gwen’s usual retro-glam platinum hair and slash of scarlet lipstick.

Red Carpet Rundown: Oscars 2010, Part I

Posted on March 9, 2010 | Leave a comment

2010’s Oscars were, for red carpet watchers anyway, some of the most exciting in years. It’s as if the stylists heard my moans of boredom from having to write up the Baftas and brought their A-Game to the dressing table. If the gowns weren’t breathtakingly beautiful (and many were), they were at least interesting, daring or adventurous in some way – and let’s face it, something has to be in order to keep us awake through the narcoleptic’s nightmare of the ceremony itself.

After much careful thought and deliberation as to how to order the eighteen dresses I wished to write about, I came up with the genius categories of ‘My Favourites’ and ‘The Rest’. Yes, revolutionary isn’t it? Commencing with ‘My Favourites‘:

Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab – Is this dress not one of the most breathtakingly beautiful creations you’ve ever seen?! I simply adore it. If the last time you gave watercolours some thought was when you found yourself wondering what the hell that one in your hotel/hospital/grandma’s room was meant to be, take a look at this dress and think again. The stunning swirl of pastel shades in a floral print is just a total dream and transforms what is essentially a simple gown into something greater than the sum of its parts. McAdams looks fresh, fragrant and fabulous. Love the earrings too.

Meryl Streep in Chris March – Proof that it’s not only Helen Mirren nailing the ‘sexy older woman’ market, Streep looks stunning in this simple yet sophisticated white number. It’s sexy in an understated way, extremely flattering and accessorised nicely with the blingtastic bag and bracelet. The real miracle, of course, is how youthful Meryl looks – her skin just looks so radiant, easily outshining the complexions of some of the mere toddlers walking the red carpet. I’m going to christen this look Slouchy Snow Queen (it’s all about the draping) and hope I look that good when I’m Meryl’s age. (P.S. I’m choosing to ignore the peep of a clunky platform wedge in the hope it will go away and I can pretend I never saw it and go back to unadulteratedly loving this dress like before…)

Cameron Diaz in Oscar de le Renta – Princess Dress Alert! God, this is gorgeous. I would like the assurance of Diaz’s stylist, Rachel Zoe, that no fairies were harmed in the making of this dress because it looks like unprecedented amounts of fairy dust may have been sprinkled on it. Exuding a shimmering old-school Hollywood glamour, Diaz totally pwns in this and there really is not much else to say.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries van Noten – Gyllenhaal rarely disappoints with her slightly quirky sense of style and this is actually my favourite Oscars dress. By keeping the shape simple, the bold brushstroke print is allowed breathe without going overboard and I love the detail of it fading away at the hem. In a red carpet season dominated by actresses trying their best to look naked without y’know… being naked (when will the nude trend die? It totally kills Anna Kendrick’s dress… more of which later), the splash of bright colour is invigorating. I’m also a big fan of Gyllenhaal’s bubblegum pink lipstick, which makes the outfit pop even more without looking like it came from a Barbie dress-up set.

Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham – …And speaking of the nude trend! I’m not quite sure what’s going on with the hunched posture that makes Miley look like she’s sucking in her stomach or the somewhat ginger quiff or even the too-small Ann Summers bustier masquerading as a top but believe it or not, I do really love this gown on Miley and it’s a massive improvement on last year’s tacky monstrosity that came complete with rhinestone belt. This outfit seems to channel Christmas tree fairy – but in the best possible way – and the stunning accessories (that cuff is just gorgeous) complement it perfectly. You could even say (if you’re a fan of a bad joke), that it makes me nod my head like yeah… [Red carpet hawks please note the similarity to Marion Cotillard’s Critic’s Choice dress, which was also beautiful]

Elizabeth Banks in Atelier Versace – Couldn’t care much for Elizabeth Banks as an actress (her character in Scrubs was insufferable) but she makes a fine mannequin for this stunning Versace gown. Seriously, what is it about me and ruffles? Stick them on any dress and I seem to go all goo-goo eyed. Romantic ruffles aside, I do think the unusual dove-grey colour is beautiful too. (P.S. Oh no, another hint of clunky platforms again… why do I keep spotting these and spoiling the look for myself?!) (P.P.S. Panic over for the Streep platforms at least… turns out it was the camera angle and they were a perfectly nice pair of Jimmy Choos, phew. Banks’ still look dodge though.)