Everything
This year’s awards season has been plagued by, well, an actual plague, with COVID-19 wreaking havoc on Hollywood. From the Globes to the Grammys, the rich and famous have been forced off the red carpet and back into their extravagant homes for largely virtual awards ceremonies.
This has then been accompanied by all the usual WFH problems that the rest of us are accustomed to: dodgy Wi-Fi, uninvited guests popping up in your Zoom chat, and exclusively dressing in comfy clothes.
Sorry, Sudeikis
Already this awards season we’ve seen Jason Sudeikis accept a Golden Globe while wearing a tie-dye hoodie, looking very much like someone who delivers pizzas. And don’t forget Jodie Foster and her wife rocking matching silk pyjamas to their at-home Golden Globes zoom.
It seems a natural progression for life in a pandemic. Why bother stuffing yourself into something expensive, uncomfortable and designer, only to sit and stare at a laptop screen?
However, for those responsible for planning the upcoming 93rd Academy Awards, comfy clothes are absolutely off the table.
In a letter to this year’s Oscar nominees, the show’s producers, Emmy nominee Jesse Collins (“Zoboomafoo”), Oscar nominee Stacey Sher (“Django Unchained” and “Erin Brockovich”) and Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh (best director for 2000’s “Traffic”) announced several key changes including the evening’s dress code.
Comfy Clothes Kaluuya Sets The Tone
“We’re aiming for a fusion of Inspirational and Aspirational, which in actual words means formal is totally cool if you want to go there, but casual is really not,” the letter read.
So imagine the concern for this year’s nominees, all decked out in their comfy clothes and ready for a big night in.
Daniel Kaluuya wearing Louis Vuitton for the SAG Awards pic.twitter.com/q6IKjnaHyb
— best of daniel (@bestofkaluuya) April 5, 2021
It seems some actors are determined not to let the Academy dictate their dress code. Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya rocked this comfy clothes-but-make-it-fashion fit to the recent SAG awards.
Not only did Kaluuya’s Louis Vuitton ensemble steal the show, but he made a serious case for silk pyjamas as formal wear. By the time the Academy Awards roll around don’t be surprised if we see many of the stars adopting a similar vibe.
The Kaluuya SAG outfit could yet prove to be a watershed moment for this awards season, a line in the sand that says comfy clothes can be both comfy but couture.
It also helped that the British actor took out the Screen Actor’s Guild Award for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah while in his custom made purple Louis Vuitton pyjamas. Designed by Virgil Abloh, the royal purple set features a subtle pinstripe alongside a matching robe.
If that doesn’t make a compelling case for all Academy Awards nominees, then we don’t know what will?
Zoom is Doomed
Perhaps the reason for the Academy’s strict dress code is that they’re going out on a limb, taking the Oscars offline and staging a real-life event.
The 93rd annual Academy Awards will be a Zoom-free situation, with the producers warning nominees, “For those of you unable to attend because of scheduling or continued uneasiness about travelling, we want you to know there will not be an option to Zoom in for the show.”
“We are going to great lengths to provide a safe and enjoyable evening for all of you in person, as well as for all the millions of film fans around the world, and we feel the virtual thing will diminish those efforts.”
The Oscars will air on Sunday, April 25 on ABC in the US and on Monday, April 26 for Australians on Channel 7.
