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Evening Standard

Lifestyle

Maddy Mussen and Victoria Moss

BAFTAs 2024: Emma Stone, Margot Robbie and Taylor Russell lead the BAFTA red carpet best dressed

BAFTAs David Tennant Sheila Atim Vianney Le Caer Invision

Given that the Baftas coincides with the 40th anniversary of London Fashion Week you’d be forgiven for hoping for some canny stylist moves, or at least a few more Brit-based frocks on the red carpet. But apart from Florence Pugh in boob-breast-plated Harris Reed (quite fab), Barry Keoghan in green Burberry (fine) and Greta Gerwig in Erdem (good-ish) this weekend’s catwalk designers were fairly absent. A missed opportunity.

Imagine the joy of vintage Westwood or Galliano? No archive Alexander McQueen? Could no one have whipped out any early Christopher Kane? Sad, and frankly unimaginative - but it also underscores the fact that mega brands own red carpets these days, and it's too lucrative for either party - star or fashion house - to miss out on the viral-eyeballs. .

I had planned a whole spiel about how men have killed off the shirt, is shirt off sick, etc. But I’ll save that joke for another time. Unlike at other more showy-off-y awards carpets this year, shirts were very much in effect. Although note the blending of tie and shirt - both Barry K and fellow Irish thirst-trap Paul Mescal wore white shirts and matching ties - chic. The third Emerald Isle hot ticket, Andrew Scott went slightly game show with head to toe red - and a satin open neck shirt. Bradley Cooper was in a knee length Louis Vuitton dress coat which was rather captain’s deck on a middling cruise.

It was left to Ryan Gosling to camp it up in a white Gucci suit with red piping; his co-star Margot Robbie gamely continuing in her Barbification with Armani Privé doing the honours for her black and pink strapless gown and full length black gloves.

That whiff of 80s glam popped up on Emma Stone, whose puffed up one shoulder Louis Vuitton was peak Tatler party pages, see also Emerald Fennell in odd red-flowers-down-tits Armani, not to mention Emma Corrin in a Miu Miu pant, blue tight, giant bows on hips and veil! Corrin, pick up, Tatler Bystander 1987 called, it wants its concept back.

Ayo Edebiri continued her ascent to woman we most want to dress like/hang out with in a peachy perfect Bottega Veneta halter frock complete with extravagant feather white cape - and white gloves (side-note: how do we feel about gloves on red carpets? I am slightly on fence, but they are edging into A Thing territory).

In a sea of mediocrity other knockouts included Taylor Russell, who was really quite sensational in gleaming white feathered Loewe (partial Brit-win here, its head designer Jonathan Anderson had his own brand JW Anderson show earlier in the day).

Rosamund Pike was in another pretty Dior teal blue prom-style ballerina length dress, which was lovely but the shoes felt a bit hefty with it.

I don’t know - are we award-seasoned out already? Is it all just too tasteful and safe? All in all - fine, but please try harder at the Oscars. Victoria Moss