Last night, scores of celebrities and designers descended upon Lincoln Center in New York City for the CFDA Fashion Awards, an annual event that recognizes outstanding contributions to American fashion.
Although everyone is talking exclusively about Rihanna’s outfit (she was there to accept the Fashion Icon Award, fittingly), there were lots of other celebrities there! And lots of them looked very beautiful and glamorous. Some of them wore formal shorts while doing so.
Let us take a look:
As we have previously discussed, Rihanna wore an entirely see-through custom bedazzled gown. It’s bedazzled with 230,000 Swarovski crystals, and it’s designed by Adam Selman (who is also — fun fact! — her stylist Mel Ottenberg’s boyfriend). According to an interview Ottenberg did with Style.com, designing it was a very collaborative process, which really shows (particularly in the nipple area).
Next up, we have Lupita Nyong’o, who followed up her ~fashion risk~ Met Gala dress with another bold choice: patterned formal shorts, plus matching crop top, by Suno. She continues to look unimaginably good in everything, and I am obsessed with her makeup and hair.
Here’s Marion Cotillard, looking very angelic in a conceptual lace peplum dress by Dior.
Jennifer Hudson effused sultry glamor in an asymmetrical KAUFMANFRANCO gown. She looks stunning!
Coco Rocha also went for high glamor in an embellished Christian Siriano off-the-shoulder dress with bustier top. You can tell she is a supermodel because that hat actually looks really good on her.
YAAAAS to Chanel Iman‘s v. sensual beaded slinky black dress. She looks like a beautiful sorceress.
Solange dazzled in a backless silver dress; her simple hair and makeup complement the dramatic look very well.
And here we have Blake Lively, looking all 60s-esque while making a concerned face in a Michael Kors minidress.
Tyson Beckford wore some elegant loafers; like Solange, Naomi Campbell also opted for a backless, shimmery dress, but hers is more fairy queen than cabaret icon.
The good, flowing black dress edition: Joan Smalls rocking that thigh slit in a cut-out black gown; Olga Sorokina took an already-dramatic dress with a leather bustier top and added a face veil ’cause why not; Sharam Diniz looks effortlessly gorgeous in a fitted floral slip dress.
More black: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen just kinda hung out in some elegant yet simple black tunics; Olivia Palermo and Olivia Wilde both dripped in fringe. Palermo’s dress, I think, is a bit more interesting and sophisticated, but her shoes are effing hideous.
Ladies in red: Greta Gerwig in a boxy silhouette that almost works but not quite — there’s something a little clumsy in the execution, I feel; Alessandra Ambrosio wore a strapless red gown that really isn’t the most exciting thing in the universe; Busy Phillipps pulls off that high neckline ruffle concept perfectly.
In crisp and tailored white, we have Karlie Kloss — the dress is fine, but wtf is happening with those shoes — Keri Russell channeling a modern Grecian goddess, and Liya Kebede in Wes Gordon.
There was a shocking dearth of formal crop tops on this red carpet, but Beth Behrs had us covered, blessed be; Emmy Rossum wore a kinda dull green J. Mendel dress with a ruffly tulle skirt and CRIMPED HAIR, which I haven’t seen since 8th grade; Rachel Zoe wore a metallic floor-length gown that I would have liked a lot more if the bottom weren’t one big shiny, shapeless monolith.
More metallics: Thea Andrews looking like a shiny Mucha painting; Brie Larson in a star-covered gown; Karen Elson in a very plunging mod golden dress.
A brief “meh” interlude: Jaime King looking a bit like a towel rack; Dree Hemingway accessorizing an already busy dress with a clashing leopard print clutch; Heidi Klum looking unfortunately washed-out in a Creamsicle-colored outfit.
Experimenting with a shorter hemline, we have Anna Chlumsky in various pastel florals, Sophia Bush with some daring pseudo-lace, and Zoey Deutch in a simple watercolor print.
Rachel Roy wore a velvet blazer, looks a bit frumpy with her floor-length printed dress; Chrissie Teigen, on th eother hand, looks very effortlessly stylish. Meanwhile, Kay Unger, clad in a ball gown under a jean jacket, proves that Rihanna is not the only one at the CFDA’s to not give a fuck.
Time for some fashion sacks! Harley Viera-Newton takes it perhaps literally, wearing a burlap-looking mini dress; Mira Duma went for an empire-waist embroidered one; Kate Foley is fashionably drowning in fabric.
Jenna Lyons does formal pants right, looking v. crisp and pulled together, as does Jessica Stam in her romper. Model Anne Vyalitsyna is wearing high-fashion JNCO shorts.
Some very bright get-ups: Iman wore a iridescent aqua skirt and clashing blouse, which is a decision I don’t quite get; Bridget Moynahan was luminous in amethyst; Imaan Hammam looked a bit too casual in orange suede with no jewelry.
Notable men: Thom Browne continues to take risks (this time, instead of dressing Lady Gaga as a shoeless Victorian ghost, he’s wearing shorts on the red carpet); Di Mondo did a cyberpunk Phantom of the Opera thing; James Marsden is James Marsden.
And here are some fashion designers having so much fun: Betsey Johnson, Diane von Furstenberg and Donna Karan.
Aaaaand Alexander Wang brought Chris Cattan in character as Mango, which is fun. I love your lil’ bedazzled acorn hat, Mango.