Tag Archives: Jay Ellis

Best of the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards Red Carpet

4 Mar

Happy Oscars Day! But really this means Happy Day After the Independent Spirit Awards! My official favorite award season red carpet. The reason it is my favorite? Don’t get me wrong I love a fancy gown, but the ensembles at the Spirit Awards are all about having fun with fashion. These are the kind of outfits I would wear, suits have more color and the casual/fancy vibe is infectious.

Plus this is a ceremony where Nick Kroll and John Mulaney are the hosts and Timothée Chalamet wins Best Actor.

And for some Oscar weekend reading, check out my deep dive into the many eggs that feature in the Best Picture nominees for Little White Lies.

As with last year’s Spirit Awards, this was a blisteringly funny opening monologue. This time they called out some of the very bad men of Hollywood including the terrible apologies. And they don’t just limit it to Weinstein and Spacey. Mulaney/Kroll they did not drop the ball on this one and they really should host more award shows.

“Chalamet, you stay.” Especially because he gives the most adorable speech. He makes me believe that things will be okay.

For all the award speeches head here.

To the fashion! *Fires up “Crash Into Me,” starts weeping*

Both Saoirse Ronan and Beanie Feldstein look like ’60s queens. Ronan has a whole Twiggy thing going on in embellished Prada. Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani have consistently been the best dressed couple during award season and the press tour for The Big Sick. This is no different.

Here they demonstrate how you can pattern clash as a couple to the highest sartorial level. I am weak for stripes; Emily’s Whitney Mero dress is hitting all the right spots. Kumail is looking all kinds of Hannibal in ASOS plaid.

This dress also serves up so much photo drama. For their acceptance speech for Best First Screenplay.

Yesterday I found out that Dee Rees has been using Beyoncé’s stylist, this is another fantastic suit choice in a season of fantastic suit choices.

Ladysuits and Capes would be the name of my boutique (I’m sure I can think of something punny, but it is early). Dee Rees and Sarah Broom are high on the list of couple style goals. The lining of Broom’s cape and everything about this outfit is elegant af.

Mudbound won the Robert Altman Award and here is Dee Rees’ speech.Last night, I mentioned on Twitter that Aubrey Plaza always looks great at this award show and this is another dress I am coveting hard. Peter Pan collar and the contrasting sleeves on this Miu Miu frock elevates it. While I don’t love the sheer parts of Elisabeth Olsen’s Zuhair Murad dress, I am thrilled Ingrid Goes West won Best First Feature.If I could have any ladysuit it would be a green velvet ladysuit. Sarah Silverman is living out my dream in Hottie + Lord.Pleats, beautiful green pleats. Allison Williams looks a vision in Andrew Gn.Ava DuVernay is another Independent Spirit Awards repeat style queen. This time in puffed sleeves custom Greta Constantine.Patterned slip dress sexiness for Betty Gabriel in Tadashi Shoji. It’s almost animal print, without being animal print.Leaning into the leopard print trend is Margot Robbie in Louis Vuitton. This is what I mean when I say how much fun can be had on this red carpet.

The Independent Spirit Awards is an event that encourages good suits. A bold suit for Chadwick Boseman isn’t just for the Black Panther press tour; this Burberry polka dot look is incredible. And we’re in luck as Boseman has posted a lot of good photos to his Instagram, also featuring Black Panther co-stars Danai Gurira and Daniel Kaluuya. Get Out won Best Feature, Jordan Peele won Best Director. Peele also won Best Jacket in red double-breasted Calvin Klein. Patterned button-down shirts feature a lot on the new series of Queer Eye; the Fab Five would definitely be into everything Mike Colter is doing here. The turtleneck/suit jacket combo is winner, the sneakers work at this event and my Jay Ellis swoon levels are high.I’m still not quite over how terrifying Barry Keoghan is in The Killing of a Secret Deer, but this is adorable.Feeeeeeeeelings. So many CJ and Josh feeeeeeeeelings.A photo of a photo being taken and I love everything about this. Also Allison Janney looks flaming hot in hot pink Pamella Roland.Be still my Lady Bird loving heart. Why yes I am watching this again today.

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

26 Jan

Coats, boots and sweaters are all on the “Look of the Week” menu and Sundance taking place during award season is my fave kind of style whiplash. It is also a sartorial highlight for me because I cannot resist that slouchy (but often super cool) winter fashion. For all things fancy and fun gowns check out our SAG Awards coverage.

Plus Paris Couture Week, public appearances to promote things and some more amazing magazine covers. January, you keep on treating us (and keeping me very busy).Obsessed with Tessa Thompson’s Belstaff skirt and jacket, Cos turtleneck and silver Alchimia di Ballin silver ankle boots. Sorry to Bother You co-stars Lakeith Stanfield and Armie Hammer are also crushing their respective Sundance looks.

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Mafiosos in transit

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Armie has had a very busy week. Sadly there was no Oscar nomination (though I am more bummed out for Michael Stuhlbarg), but he has been promoting Call Me By Your Name in Italy in Paris with co-star Timothée Chalamet and director Luca Guadagnino. Lots of great Instagram Stories content. Traveling in double Adidas style.

And there is also this delightful interview on French talk show Quotidien. Bringing many screencap delights to my Twitter TL this morning. There’s no English subs on the second part (so far), but it is worth watching even if you can’t understand everything. Zineb Bayad recreated scenes from CMBYN with photos and she is in the audience, ending up in a Hammer/Chalamet sandwich hug. Back to the fabulous coats and boots of Sundance with Steven Yeun, also starring in Sorry to Bother You. I am very excited to see his post-Walking Dead career. A stunning Gabriela Hearst leopard print coat on Elizabeth Gillies; I wouldn’t expect anything less from someone that has been wearing all manner of extravagant costuming on Dynasty over the last few months. Sensible boots and fabulous coats are not mutually exclusive. Got to love a fancy hat too. Gillies’ Arizona co-star Rosemarie DeWitt also got the leopard print memo, much to my delight. I too have indulged in this pattern this week, hopefully the cardigan I have ordered from Topshop arrives tomorrow while I was writing this I got a text to say it has arrived. A day early! Check my Instagram for pictures when it does.Super excited for the 2 Dope Queens HBO specials and the promotion of this has also got me hyped. Great ’70s inspired looks from Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams. Issa Rae gives good Sundance sweater. At the A Boy, A Girl, A Dream premiere, Insecure’s Jay Ellis looks just as stylish as Lawrence. Looks like camo print is making a bit of a comeback. As also seen on Priyanka Chopra at the Burden the Park premiere. A fun mix of smart/casual that makes me glad that I am a hat and red lipstick person.

 

 

For something slightly more glam; Maggie Gyllenhaal in one of my brand faves with another Vampire’s Wife dress that I want in my closet.And a dash of ladysuit fabulousness from Aubrey Plaza in pink Rebecca Minkoff at “An Evening with Beverly Luff Lin.” A #TimesUp red beanie to promote the movement and because keeping your head warm is important (my mother drilled this into me, which might also be why I am a hat person).  Double Aubrey Plaza because I like this dress and Michael Shannon has paid attention to my mother, it would seem.From Utah to Paris; at the Berluti Menswear F/W 2018 show Isabelle Huppert continues to exude everything cool and Timothée Chalmet dips his toe back in the velvet suit well. While promoting Waco, Taylor Kitsch bundles up in a leather jacket and scarf combo refueling the crush that has never really gone away.Sequins are everywhere at the moment and I am very much on board with this trend. At Jimmy Kimmel Live! Viola Davis leans into this with a pair of gold sequined pants; everything about this look is fantastic.

On the show Davis also discussed the Scandal/HTGAWM crossover. Those sequined pants also look great on screen.Black Panther is less than a month away, which means we’re going to be seeing a lot more of this cast. I am excited about all of this. Lupita scores another stunner of a cover and the accompanying Hollywood Reporter shoot is just as beautiful.

In the interview she talks about the piece she wrote for The New York Times about her own horrifying experience with Harvey Weinstein:

“I felt uncomfortable in my silence, and I wanted to liberate myself from it and contribute to the discussion. That was just what I felt I needed to do, quite viscerally. I couldn’t sleep. I needed to get it out.”

Earlier this week I spoke to costume design icon Ruth E. Carter about the Black Panther costumes and I cannot wait to share what we talked about. Look out for that nearer the release of the film.  A VERY good week for magazine covers. This is also sparkly gown perfection.

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

19 Jan

January continues to be the month where everything happens. This week we have the NAACP Awards, more TCA and Sundance kicks off. Sundance is one of my favorite style events of the year because of the levels of knitwear, coats and boots. Fancy gowns are one thing, but give me boots and tights any day. Expect much more of this next week.Tracee Ellis Ross gazing at her NAACP award is how I am looking at this photo. Sparky Narciso Rodriguez paired with this jacket (I don’t know if it is faux or not) gives such strong Studio 54 vibes. I wore my vintage faux fur jacket out of the first time last weekend and it is an experience I will be detailing in the newsletter soon. Grown-ish is so far living up to everything I hoped it would be and more; performances, storylines and the costumes are all amazing. On the red carpet Yara Shahidi continues to impress and at the NAACP Awards, this Vera Wang looks a little Western tavern and I am here for it. Especially that collar. Not only is Yvette Nicole Brown’s Öfuurë gown an absolute stunner, but Brown wore it to make a bigger statement. Here’s what Brown said on her Instagram:

“I chose to rep the beauty of Africa and its beautiful countries for this special event. Being a descendent of the kings and queens brought here to America and enslaved, I don’t know what (per the “president”) sh*thole country I’m originally from but I know pure EXCELLENCE comes from the mighty continent of Africa. Proud to be a descendant of that legacy.”Kerry Washington goes classic in Michael Kors and her accessory game is next level.

Washington appeared on stage as a representative for the #TimesUp movement along with Tracee Ellis Ross, Lena Waithe, Jurnee Smollett Bell, Angela Robinson and Laverne Cox. This is not just for the Golden Globes.
Costume designer June Ambrose shows how to really work a cape on the red carpet in Michael Costello.  Draaaaaama. Another stunning va-va-voom gown from Niecy Nash, switching florals for metallic Mac Duggal. So many sparkles this week as this continues to be the trend. At the NACCP dinner and ceremony, Tessa Thompson puts a glitzy spin on the ladysuit in Jonathan Simkhai. Lena Waithe looks great in the mix of smart/casual in suit, polka dot shirt and classic Vans.Team Insecure go for three very different looks; Jay Ellis in a standard tux that is anything but, Yvonne Orji in a romantic Patricia Bonaldi frock and Issa Rae nails the sequin ’70s vibe in Marc Jacobs.Also looking like a fun group hang at the NAACP awards with plenty of sartorial grace. This is Us fave, Susan Kelechi Watson’s beautiful patterned Phuong My dress is a standout. Danai Gurira in ruffled Rodarte and Chadwick Boseman in Prada reminds me how excited I am for the Black Panther press tour (and the movie). Back to TCA—which is now over—and this very fun artsy frock as worn by Kelly Macdonald. Appearing during the PBS session to talk about her new show The Child in Time, Macdonald nails the sit down look. Even if I am not wild about the scrunchie top boots. Stripes! I am officially on a stripe buying ban (because I really have too many, if such a thing can exist), but that doesn’t mean I can’t long from afar. This is a great sweater from Supergirl* star Melissa Benoist as she talks Waco. And regular readers will know how much I adore Julia Garner. I am excited for this mini-series.

* For all things Supergirl style check out my column over at The Observer where I go deep into where to find the costumes from the CW superhero shows.Sundance! Where boots and black tights are in abundance, much to my delight. At the “An Artist at the Table” kickoff event Dominque Fishback wears the platonic ideal of an outfit for this festival. Hopefully she has a heavy duty coat for venturing outside. While we’re on the subject of outwear; Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal give great coats at the world premiere of Blindspotting, one of the most anticipated films screening at Sundance. Initial reaction to the Diggs/Casal film—which they co-wrote and star in—is good. Gold shoes also up the style stakes for Diggs.

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

11 Aug

Florals are here to stay — much to my delight — and this is the final week of the summer TCA press tour, which means more panel attire and some fancy awards threads. TCA is not the only celebration this week as there is also Black Girls Rock! and Variety’s ‘Power of Young Hollywood’ event.

Plus the excellent magazine covers continue. It is September (in magazine terms) after all.

Unrelated, but check out my interview with Defenders costume designer Stephanie Maslansky here.At the American Horror Story: Cult panel, Sarah Paulson looks stunning in a watercolor adjacent lace Monique Lhuillier frock (as always tipping my hat to Karla Welch) and I’m happy to kick off this week’s “Out of the Box” with something this bold.

As always I am intrigued by the new season of AHS, but I tend to lose interest halfway through a season and the only one I have made it to the end of was Coven. And that isn’t even the best one. So there is a high chance this will happen once again. But the cast is always very good and I am here for all the promotional time with Sarah Paulson. One of my best makeup purchases last year came courtesy of Aya Cash (also at TCA) and once again Cash is the lipstick queen of TCA. Yes I have shamelessly asked her on Instagram what shade it is (as she is sadly no longer on Twitter).

This Christine Alcalay top is also another fabulous take on the floral trend and I cannot wait for You’re the Worst to come back. Even if that season 3 ender was a full on heartbreak.Sterling K. Brown is a man of many talents — and surprise cameos — and at the TCA Awards he sang For Good” from Wicked with former Wicked star and host of the TCA Awards, Kristin Chenoweth. So many swoons. Also a great sparkly mini frock from Chenoweth.

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💚💚💚#HandmaidsTale #TCAS

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Not quite the usual hotel corridor pose from Elisabeth Moss, but just as fabulous pre-TCA Awards and another amazing Vampire’s Wife pick from Karla Welch. This color is stunning.Issa Rae was honored at Black Girls Rock – airing on Tuesday, August 22 on BET — and I am digging this whole ’70s vibe. Oh hey, Jay Ellis. Loving the choice of pants/jacket.

The video for Jay-Z’s “Moonlight” — directed by Master of None’s Alan Yang — is now available for non-TIDAL subscribers to watch, so that portion of pop culture FOMO is over and it is just as good (if not better) than the clips suggested it would be. Yara Shahidi once again proving she is a Magical Fashion Unicorn in a very hard to pull off Philosophy peplum floral jumpsuit at the ‘Power of Young Hollywood’ Variety celebration.If you know how I feel about ’70s styling — strongly positive — you will not be surprised to hear that I yelped with joy when I first saw this Zendaya cover for Variety, which leans hard into the whole disco vibe.

As with her recent Vogue profile, I read most of it pretty much nodding along and saying “fuck yeah” out loud. She’s great and I’m so glad she continues to get a large platform to speak out to fans both old and new.

She articulates why her Spider-Man character was so interesting and I hope this continues in the second movie “It was nice to play a character who wasn’t a damsel in distress but actually very smart, quirky, different and outspoken.” And on her fashion line she notes the importance of not having specific plus size sections “I don’t think thicker, curvier women should have to shop on a different section on my page or feel excluded.” Zendaya is the best and a solid choice from Variety for their ‘Power of Young Hollywood’ issue. Donald Glover wasn’t there to pick up the Atlanta TCA Award on Saturday as he is still shooting the new Han Solo movie, but it is clear he is having a very good year. And as this Hollywood Reporter cover notes he is quite the multi-hyphenate. A good use of millennial pink, aviators and the Gucci tiger collar here and inside the issue.

In the piece Glover discusses the success of Atlanta — which I’m gonna do a rewatch of soon —and what it is like starring in an iconic franchise as the younger version of an iconic character (and some of the behind the scenes bumps that have occurred). There’s some great additional quotes from Tina Fey, Dan Harmon and his brother Stephen (who is also a writer on Atlanta) and the whole profile is a fascinating insight into Glover’s process while also remaining enigmatic when it comes to his personal life.The September issue of Nylon used to be their TV special and there is still that element, but I’m not gonna be too mad about the lack of TV star cover when forever fave Kirsten Dunst is here. And she is wearing the same amazing polka dot Alessandra Rich number — minus the black belt — that Beguiled co-star Nicole Kidman wore to the Veuve Clicquot Polo event.

I haven’t bought Nylon in ages, but I will definitely pick up this issue as both the shoot and interview are great. This profile is written by one of my favorite culture writers, Molly Lambert and while this piece is about Woodshock, it also acts as a great career retrospective of an actress who has been around for what feels like forever and has done a number of very different projects. Plus what she looks for now as “A lot of the choices I make are director-driven. I’d rather do a tiny little whatever in a good film.”

Julie Hammerle

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