Last night at the Lincoln Center in New York all the big names in fashion gathered for the 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards and they were joined by the models and actresses who wear their gowns on the red carpet. This included Kerry Washington who presented Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez with the Womenswear Designer of the Year award and Washington looked stunning in a bold yellow Jason Wu gown (the big color of the season). Washington opted for simple hair and makeup to compliment the strong hue of the dress and the wooden clutch is the perfect addition.
My favorite look of the night comes from The Office’s Ellie Kemper in a black Naeem Khan dress with gold starburst embroidery. Pairing this dress with a gold accessories including Rupert Sanderson heels and JustFab clutch could be too matchy matchy, but because they aren’t all the same shade of gold it works. Like Washington, Kemper’s hair is simple and but she works both a strong lip color and bold earrings that create a balance for this look.
In the recent comedy issue of GQ magazine Ellie Kemper wrote a satirical piece asking “Can Men Be Funny?” This is in response to the many think pieces over the years asking the same question about women. It includes such wonderful lines as this “Guys, do you want to know a secret? You don’t have to be funny in order to attract us. Believe us, between your scalps and your calves, you’ve already got us. Your narrow, decrescendoing hips, and your soft, very hairy thighs leave us breathless. The truth is, there is no evolutionary cause for you to have to be funny.” It’s obviously a very tongue-in-cheek essay (though some in the comments don’t seem to realize this) and I’m glad that a publication like GQ included it, despite some of the reactions. The “are women funny?” debate is as tired as the “can women have it all?” discussion and pieces like this show how ridiculous that question is.
In the Office series finale Kemper wore one of my favorite dresses of this TV season (and somehow it hasn’t featured on “Look of the Week”) at Dwight and Angela’s wedding. It’s a Ted Baker London floral ‘Wallpaper’ Pleated A-Line Dress and can be seen in this behind the scenes shot.
I’m really looking forward to see what Kemper does in her post-Office roles, I expect we might see her guest starring on The Mindy Project again but I hope she gets roles beyond the ‘funny best friend’ or the girlfriend who only has 5 lines in an Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn comedy (though I fear this might be what happens). If we can get some more Subtle Sexuality then I would be more than pleased, maybe with a Taylor Swift twist as with their last outing “The Girl Next Door.”
TV Ate My Wardrobe 
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