"If we're going to do this, we're going to do this!"
That's what Elizabeth Stewart, Amanda Seyfried's formidable stylist, told me on a call the Thursday before the 2021 Golden Globes. It was just one my many phone calls, Zooms, FaceTimes—you name it, I had it—leading up to the Feb. 28 event. Amid the coronavirus pandemic and the shift to virtual award shows, I was chatting with world-class stylists, designers and industry insiders, trying to get the answers to the one question we all had: What can we expect on the carpet?
It soon became clear there was a trend emerging. People were over sweats and excited to get dressed up again. Not only did they want to pop on a fancy frock and look good, but they also wanted to feel good about it!
If fashion sends a message, this one came in loud and clear: Joy. And I'm declaring it Wearable Optimism!
But make no mistake, stylists had their work cut out for them trying to do all of this during the pandemic. Think: FaceTime fittings, major delays in shipping clothing (some outfits didn't even show up!) and family members doubling as styling assistants, mastering the art of double sided tape.
And in the end, it all paid off. On the carpet and at the show Sunday, we saw some epic looks. So, without further ado, here's my inside scoop on how some of my favorite looks—guaranteed to top best dressed lists for years to come—came together.
While of the carpet at the Beverly Hills Hilton with E!, I wore an Aliette dress, designed by celebrity stylist Jason Rembert. He's one of the brightest stars in fashion—trust me, you'll want to remember his name! I accessorized with David Yurman jewelry and Roger Vivier shoes.
Regina—or Fash, as her dynamic styling team Wayman + Micah lovingly call her—shut down the virtual carpet in a custom, asymmetrical gown by Louis Vuitton. She was the epitome of strength and elegance, all in one shiny package.
But bringing this look together took a lot of bright minds. This showstopping number—it features 30,000 sequins and, for contrast, 1,200 crystals—took 350 hours to make. (That's more than two weeks!)
Plus, the best director nominee topped it off with $2 million in jewels by Forevermark. Like I said, she shut down the carpet. As Wayman and Micah told me, the dress made her feel like "a tall glass of champagne."
Cheers to that!
The day the nominations were announced, Amanda's brilliant stylist Elizabeth Stewart presented her with this sketch by Fernando Garcia of Oscar De La Renta. According to Elizabeth, Amanda was drawn to the sorbet gown, which she believed represented joy and optimism. And so, just like that, we had our look.
But, unlike in past years, when dressing for an in-person show, Elizabeth looked outside the box, hoping to reimagine the context of where her client would be. In this case, she dreamed of Savannah, Georgia, where Amanda planned to Zoom in to the Globes from. Elizabeth had a vision of the dress—adorned with handmade silk flowers, each petal hand-pressed in NYC—under a Weeping Willow tree.
To complete the look, Amanda's hairdresser Renato Campora channeled Hollywood icon Veronica Lake.
Cynthia was electrifying in this neon Valentino couture gown, fresh off the runway. I love the classic, tea length silhouette and this ultra modern color. The juxtaposition of old and new is just perfect.
To top off the look, she wore her signature septum by Maria Tash, opera length gloves and 10-inch, skyscraper heels that give Lady Gaga a run for her money.
As her brilliant stylist Jason Bolden explained to me, "Cynthia knew nothing about the dress but she trusts me and allows me to be creative! The shoes are like skyscrapers, the color and shape are so bold and why not add some much needed fantasy? This neon green tea length dress reminds me of scuba fabric."
Shira, the star of Netflix's Unorthodox, has not only taken over Hollywood, but also the fashion world. Her tweed Chanel dress with a sheer and silk skirt was flown in from Paris just two days before the show—and was ultimately chosen because it looks just as beautiful while she's sitting down. (This was a virtual show, after all!)
Though she didn't leave her room, Chanel still decked her out from head to toe in the Spring-Summer 2021 collection. The fashion house provided her with a yellow tweed handbag, made even more epic with an "Oy Vey" sticker.
"Shira is perfectly Chanel, feminine with an edge of cool." explained Petra Flannery, renowned stylist to Renee Zellweger, Emma Stone and Reese Witherspoon. "I loved accessorizing with the lion necklace. A classic symbol of Coco Chanel, the lion represents courage and strength, much like the character Shira portrays in her Unorthodox role."
The Ozark star chose to wear custom Prada, as they were the first design house to loan the star a dress way back when. Loyalty goes a long way when it comes to fashion. (In fact, she tried on three Prada gowns before making her final choice.)
This plunging number with an embellished belt required a lot of fashion tape, but the end result is stunning. Julia looked beautiful and statuesque in the dress, which she accessorized with Verdura bracelets.