Despite its reputation as a liberal city, Hollywood is beginning to appear more conservative. The Golden Globes, the year’s first formal red carpet and public fashion contest, appeared to set the standard for 2025, or at least the 2025 award season.
Even though there were many celebrities dressed like statuettes (like Mindy Kaling in Ashi Studio and Mikey Madison in Bottega Veneta) or dressed to match the carpet (like Dakota Fanning in Tony Ward and Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton), the night’s biggest trend wasn’t those. The most noticeable theme instead was a retro-classicism that gave the gathering the appearance of an Olde Tinsel Town cosplay convention.
Subsequently, Selena Gomez channeled Jackie Kennedy with a stylized bob and ice blue Prada; Nicole Kidman and Margaret Qualley wore huge, bouffant ponytails by Catherine Deneuve to complement their Balenciaga and Chanel gowns; and Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro wore modern Balmain and Dior reimaginings of vintage 1950s ball gowns. Not to mention Pamela Anderson, who wore a very Madame X Oscar de la Renta outfit and black opera gloves, which were one of the night’s most sought-after accessories.
It was obvious that something … hmm, nostalgic was happening when Zendaya, who is always one of the most daring dressers on any carpet, showed up wearing a strapless satin Louis Vuitton column gown with matching overskirt that was inspired by the Black artist Joyce Bryant of the 1950s. Not to mention the abundance of classic tuxedos in the room.
This must have something to do with the well-known Hollywood neurosis about looking goofy, which began a century ago when Joan Rivers let her inner Chihuahua loose on the red carpet, leading to the creation of the worst-dressed list and the stylist becoming the new power broker in the fashion-film industry.
