All the Kooky, Sparkly, and Dumb-Ass Looks From the 2016 CFDA Awards

By Ellie Shechet | June 7, 2016 | 3:45pm

Entertainment

The red carpet on fashion’s biggest night out is always packed to the gills, and last night’s CFDA awards were no exception—ev-er-y-one was there, from Beyoncé to my dreaded Elgort to Elon Musk’s glamorous mom.

Big winners of the night included Marc Jacobs, who somehow won Womenswear Designer of the Year over Joseph Altuzarra, Proenza Schouler and The Row, and Thom Browne, who won his third Menswear Designer of the Year award (see the rest of the winners here). In a surprise appearance, Beyoncé accepted the CFDA’s Fashion Icon award in a jaunty Givenchy sparkle-suit; read her speech here.

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Let’s take a look at these clothes, y’all.

Starting with some solid colors: Alessandra Ambrosio is working this bright purple asymmetrical Michael Kors dress, one of many Mr. Kors provided for the evening and (spoiler) the least bad. Betsey Johnson wore some pink dress we can’t get a good look at because as usual she was leaping and crawling around the red carpet like a 5-year-old on Mountain Dew; Maye Musk, former model and mother to one Elon Musk, looks drop dead gorgeous in this cerulean stunner; pregnancy will not stop Olivia Wilde from doing a cutout—I’m not sure about this Rosie Assoulin gown overall, especially the weird fringes on the sleeves, but the color is nice.

Not sure where Alicia Silverstone and Selma Blair came from, but excited to have them here, both in Christian Siriano; Emily Weiss of IntoTheGloss/Glossier has one of my favorite looks of the night in loose-fitted plunging red suit; model Josephine Skriver wore a fluffy, gorgeous Sachin & Babi gown, and Rachel Roy is, understandably, looking slightly deer-in-the-headlights.

A lot of people wore black, which seems like kind of a shame, considering it’s June. Alexa Chung donned a leather Prabal Gurung dress, which, again, June; I do not like this dress on America Ferrera; Ashley Graham looks great if a little safe in this slinky Michael Kors; Naomi Campbell does her thing in Brandon Maxwell.

As always, metallics were a big trend—Beyoncé really turned it out in this Givenchy suit and top hat, the metaphorical ringleader of this fashion circus; Jourdan Dunn looks like a high-fashion Tinkerbell in this delicate, diaphanous Jonathan Simkhai; cannot imagine a more white bread pairing than Julianne Hough and Michael Kors; Mia Moretti, who attended with Alice & Olivia’s Stacey Bendet, looks pretty cool, which as a DJ/socialite is probably her job.

Now here we have Anna Wintour and her daughter Bee Shaffer in a celestial patterned Gucci that I’m weirdly kind of loving; Gillian Jacobs is in a Tanya Taylor dress whose cutesy vibe seems slightly off for this particular event; model Imaan Hammam gets it right, somehow, in this off-kilter mini; Sarah Paulson and Joseph Altuzarra are looking pretty elegant, although Paulson’s Altuzarra dress is slightly less flattering from the front.

Hello, what on earth is this pajama-bustier combination Michael Kors put on Adriana Lima, and can someone help her? Model Anna Cleveland looks like a radiant space angel, Hilary Rhoda looks like Queen Titania, Kirsten Dunst looks like Kirsten Dunst.

Hari Nef is killing it in this seafoam Gucci with a goddamned panther on the bodice; I am really not into this slapdash Creatures of the Wind ensemble on Lena Dunham, although those bunny shoes are chill; Stacey Bendet in some Alice & Olivia thing; Zosia Mamet and milliner Gigi Burris show off some interesting headgear.

I love Ciara in this cascading asymmetrical Roberto Cavalli; I love Joan Smalls even more in this Cleopatra ‘do and cutout gown; Karlie Kloss looks typically put-together in this flouncy Rosie Assoulin; Rachel Zoe is adhering to the “if it ain’t broke” model with this characteristic loose-fitting shimmery dress.

God, I don’t know why Claire Danes has a target on her uterus, or who directed her to wear Calvin Klein, but this is possibly the least flattering look of the evening. It’s always hard to see exactly what the Olsen sisters are wearing, because it’s always black and flowy and they’re always smushed into each other, but they all look nice; Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer are with Rebecca Minkoff, whose somewhat mediocre clothes they are wearing; Thom Browne is wearing the same type of cute lil’ shorts suit he always does.

Laverne Cox is going for opera singer chic; Michelle Ochs and Carly Cushnie of Cushnie et Ochs look glamorous, if a little bland; Misha Noonoo and Irina Shayk (in Misha Noonoo) are looking pretty great in these jumpsuits; Olivia Palermo, seen here with her hot husband, is in a color-blocked Carolina Herrera that would not look good on anyone else.

Alek Wek is having fun! Someone save me from Ansel Elgort, seen here sucking face with his girlfriend. DJ ANSOLO, THE WORLD IS APPALLED. APPALLED. Jessica Chastain is giving me a face that says “I hate what I am wearing but will try to be positive about it”; Tilda Swinton kills it in Haider Ackermann and a great lip color.

Jennifer Hudson looks nice in this strapless two-tone gown; I like this pattern on La La Anthony; I am not sure why Lauren Conrad is here or what exactly she is wearing—LC Lauren Conrad Apparel & Accessories for Kohls?—but congratulations to her for trying on a dark lip; Leandra Medine is making this Phillip Lim smock thing work, somewhat; I especially like the shoes.

Welp, that’s all, folks, and let’s thank our freaking stars that we, the plebeians, will never be compelled to be photographed in a sparkly Michael Kors bolero with padded shoulders.

Images via Getty.