The 2019 F A S H I O N spotlight: Awards Season

Y'all I have been ANXIOUSLY waiting for the Oscars! 

Award season is one of my most favorite times of the year. I LIVE for all of the gowns and creative fashion that gets showcased on the red (or blue) carpet. A lot of celebrities and stylists will use the styles you see at the awards (especially the Oscars) as a guide for what to wear to galas, events, and other red carpets throughout the year.

I have poured over fashion seen at these events quietly (for several years) and maybe discussed it with friends if the topic came up. But this year I decided I want to share my thoughts with you!

So let's take a look back at my favorites from this season + the top 5 trends I expect to see more of this year!

Golden Globes - 1.6.19

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Statement Shoulder

Sandra Oh in Versace

Not only did I love this dress with the statement shoulder, but I that as the female host of the Golden Globes, she wanted to showcase female designers (since she would be going through several wardrobe changes).

She also said something that resonated with me. For 2019, I didn't choose a "word" for the year, but a phrase - "Do It Scared". I've put off doing certain things because I want them to be perfect first, but this year, I'm just jumping in feet first and then figuring it out as I go!

Sandra said,

"I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight..."

And I thought, "What?! She was scared??" Knowing that even a woman like her was scared too - gave me even more motivation. So thank you Sandra Oh!

Ok, back to the fashion!

Emily Blunt in Alexander McQueen

First of all, I am such a huge fan of her. But secondly, I'm amazed at the detail and the delicate look of this dress. So unique.

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Cape | Train 

Debra Messing in Pamella Roland

I feel like this should be something the wife of Jon Snow would wear. 

Therefore, I love it. 

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Pantsuit with Skirt Train 

Julia Roberts in Stella McCartney

I love a good power suit - but, when I have the opportunity to dress up, I love to wear a dress. There's just something about a gown that feels luxurious to me. 

THIS though - is the best of both worlds! I need this look for an event, Stella!   

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Ballgown | Train

Lady Gaga in Maison Valentino

SWOON. Y'all - I will always love a ballgown with train. And especially one by Valentino - one of my all time favorite designers. 

Critics Choice Awards - 1.13.19

Emily Blunt in Prada

Laura Harrier in Louis Vuitton

Mandy Moore in Michael Kors

Debra Messing in Lucia Rodriguez

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Statement Shoulders

Constance Wu in Rodarte

Clearly, white was a favorite for this award show. I didn't feel there were as many options at the Critics Choice awards and I didn't exactly "love" them all. But Constance Wu's sweet champagne gown with those delicate bows on the shoulders were perfect! 

Screen Actors Guild Awards - 1.27.19

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Train

Mandy Moore in Jason Wu

This dress is so simple but everything about it screams elegance! I specifically picked this shot because in most of her silver carpet photos you can't see her low pony and I think it completes her look! Perfect styling. 

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Cape 

Sophia Bush in Monique Lhullier

This cape gives such a royal / queen like look to this dress and then the sheerness makes it so dainty! 

LOVE. 

Melanie Liburd in Vivienne Westwood

Let me tell you, normally strapless dresses are boring to me unless there is a wow factor to them. And hose points on the bodice?! Wow. This is a power dress. Melanie rocked her first SAG awards! 

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Pantsuit with Skirt Train

Yara Shahidi in Fendi

Another pantsuit with a more feminine skirt look! She makes me want this. 

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Train

Gemma Chan in Oscar de la Renta

It takes a lot for me to love a pink gown, but y'all - this is magical. Plus it's by another one of my all time favorite designers. There were a few other looks at the Oscars and especially the Vanity Fair Oscars party with this same high-low hemline, but this one is perfect. The originality of the whole silhouette and the way the skirt/train looks like feathers?! Ahhh!  

BAFTA - 2.10.19

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Cape Sleeves | Train

Michelle Yeoh in Elie Saab

Another dress that gives me all Game of Thrones vibes. I fell in love with cape sleeves on Daenerys and it makes me so happy to see them on a red carpet! 

Regina King in Versace

Salma Hayek in Gucci

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Statement Shoulders

Margot Robbie in Chanel

I'm not completely in love with this look, but for some reason anything on the shoulders draws me to it.

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Statement Shoulder

Kate Middleton in Alexander McQueen

When you're a princess, you're always the best dressed. Especially if you're in Alexander McQueen! All the hearts eyes. 

Grammys - 2.10.19

Jennifer Lopez in Ralph & Russo Haute Couture

The detail on this is just beautiful - but let's just leave the hat in the car. It's confusing. 

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Statement Shoulders

Heidi Klum in Stephane Rolland

Minis do not normally catch my eye during award season, but these phenomenal statement shoulders will! And if it's a mini, you can't go wrong with putting Heidi in it. Legs for days.

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Train

Jada Pinkett Smith in Roberto Cavalli

Ok, Jada - I see you. She said this was a "vintage" dress that she had in her closet. Can I please have something THIS gorgeous in my closet?? I am in love with it all! The color combo, the deep back, the feather train {this seems to be trend I'm loving - feathered looks}! 

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Train

Kelsea Ballerini in Jenny Packham

 This talented chick is from my town and I was so excited to see her in this dainty shimmery gown!

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Ballgown

Ariana Grande in Zac Posen | Instagram

There are no words for this beauty! 

Except for after I saw her and Zac posting these pictures, I was heartbroken that this did not get to see the red carpet at the Grammys!! This is one for the books - I hope she finds some way to wear it again! If not, I'll totally take it off her hands.  

Oscars - 2.24.19

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Cape Sleeves | Train

Glenn Close in Carolina Herrera

So I received some questions from my Instagram stories about why I chose this one. But why not?! She looks amazing! Would I ever wear this dress? Probably not. But Glenn looks absolutely regal and stylish here and not boring (which I feel is tempting for her age) and THAT's what I love most. Also - there's a train and cape sleeves.  

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Statement Shoulder

Jennifer Hudson in Elie Saab

This dress was SO fun and fit her body type perfectly! She looked fabulous! It's so much more fun when the wearer looks like they feel fabulous and enjoy wearing it too! 

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Train

Michelle Yeoh in Elie Saab

Michelle is becoming an Elie Saab lady! I've featured her twice so far and both times she was looking gorgeous in Elie Saab! I also got questions about this one. I definitely wasn't sure about it at first. It caught my eye but I was still undecided UNTIL I saw her on stage presenting and WOW. It was so stunning with all of the lights reflecting off the shimmers and seeing it up close.  

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Velvet Jacket

Jason Momoa in Fendi

Whoaaaa. My mouth dropped open when I saw him hit the runway in this. This was the first velvet jacket I saw and I thought, oh pleeeeaase let this be a thing!! I fell even more in love with this when I found out that this was from the last collection Karl Lagerfeld collaborated on with Fendi before his passing recently. <3

...also, please tell me y'all see the matching blush velvet scrunchie?? 

I'm not gonna lie though - I was a little disappointed in the red carpet this year. Choosing only 3 top gowns for red carpet was surprising to me. There were a few more that were "almost" top looks though. Check them out below and see why they didn't make the cut for me.  

Generally when I pick a "top look" of mine, it's because I love everything about it. These are the ones that caught my eye, but I didn't love everything about it.

Different COLOR or COLOR COMBO please:

Constance Wu in Atelier Versace

Blush, white, champagne, blue, green...? 

I feel like any other color and I would have been in love with this. 

Melissa McCarthy in Brandon Maxwell

I wish the top had been metallic/shimmer gold or silver - or even just one solid color. 

Red, white, black?

Different WAISTLINE please:

Octavia Spencer in Christian Siriano

Christian is an extremely talented designer. He got his start by winning the first season of Project Runway and has just grown and grown. I feel like a v-waistline would have been more flattering on Octavia. Other than that, it is a gorgeous gown and she looks fabulous too! 

Different SOMETHING:

Selma Blair in Ralph and Russo Haute Couture

Y'all I WANTED to love this one. I really did. I kept going back to it over and over. But it just wasn't happening and I can't figure out exactly what it is. It is still a gorgeous dress, and I love the choker cape. I admire Selma SO MUCH for her bravery - especially after her MS diagnosis - for showing up so beautifully. If you haven't seen her interview with Robin Roberts, please go watch it now. 

AND make sure you have tissues. 

There were two more looks during the Oscars that absolutely blew me away:   

Jennifer Hudson in Pamella Roland

I mean, what?! This is total GOALS. A tuxedo pantsuit + that 10 foot train?! All the praise hands to you, Pamella, on this design! Whenever I get the opportunity to perform on stage, I need this -

 please and thank you. 

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and 

drumroll 

please... 

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Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell

Lady Gaga wins the Oscars! 

Literally for Best Original Song with "Shallow" and in fashion for me in this dress. 

While her Alexander McQueen dress on the red carpet was interesting, I didn't love it. I honestly was expecting something like that from her so it just met expectation. But this dress?! Whew, y'all. It took my breath away and could not have been more perfect. 

Ready to see my top 5 trends?? 

Almost there!

As you may know, the Vanity Fair Oscar Party has been a staple in Hollywood for over 20 years. Many celebrities will go to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party if they do not receive an actual invitation to the Oscars. Attendees will usually head on over to the Vanity Fair party after as well, oftentimes with a wardrobe change. 

So I just wanted to drop a few of my favorites from the Vanity Fair arrivals!    

Vanity Fair Oscar Party - 2.24.19 

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Statement Shoulders | Train

Heidi Klum in Elie Saab

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Train

Lupita Nyong'o in Oscar de la Renta

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Train

Kate Beckinsale in Giambattista Valli

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Cape | Pantsuit with Train

Glenn Close in Armani

Adriana Lima in Ralph and Russo Haute Couture

Ready? HERE WE GO! 

- 5 trends to look for in 2019 -

Capes & Trains!

And not just on flowy dresses, look for them on structured dresses or pantsuits too! 

This makes me SO happy! I fell in love with this dress Emilia Clarke wore on Game of Thrones 

and have had my fingers crossed SINCE that this would trickle into some fashion designs! 

All things pink! 

There were so many pink dresses at the Oscars! Hot pink, baby pink, blush - and they were gorgeous designs! ...Except pink is unfortunately my least favorite color. (I know, I'm sorry girls). 

I don't totally ignore pink though! If it's a showstopper, I can't look past it. 

{check out Yara Shahidi's Fendi pantsuit, Gemma Chan's Oscar de la Renta gown, Regina King's Versace gown or Jason Momoa's Fendi suit above!} 

But one I specifically remember that I wanted to love was Emily Blunt's dress for the SAG awards. She looked practically perfect in the Michael Kors gown with statement shoulder ruffles 

...but it's pink. 

Emily Blunt in Michael Kors

Velvet jackets for the men! 

I am 100% in love with this trend! There were so many more at the Oscars that were so great, but I had to narrow it down. 

Now, I'm not sure how this trend would suit for a day look and especially for summer in general - but I'm here for it any other time! Such a breath of fresh air into men's fashion and jackets! 

Stephan James in Etro

David Oyelowo in Etro

Michael B. Jordan in Tom Ford

Chris Evans in Ferragamo

Statement shoulders! 

At the last gala I attended, this was ALL I was looking for to wear. I have been drawn to shoulder detail lately (probably since I fell in love with the this dress that Tearsa Smith wore to the last gala we were at together in Knoxville!) - and based on what I've seen this awards season, I'm expecting to see a lot more volume and design around shoulders this year! {Yay!} 

Angela Bassett in Reem Acra

Ballgowns / Volume! 

My two ABSOLUTE favorite looks for this year were ballgowns. Don't get me wrong - I do still love a form fitting silhouette. But ballgowns will forever be my favorite and I am so so glad to see big volume gowns back on the red carpet! 

Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell

Maybe it's the Cinderella / Disney Princess in me that will always love a ballgown. :)  

Now if Zac Posen would send me a gown to wear to one of the galas I'll be attending this year - 

my year would be complete! 

I mean, my birthday is next month. :)   

Zac Posen

Now that award season is over, I'm just going to be over here impatiently waiting to see all the creativity at the MetGala!

This year's theme is "Camp: Notes on Fashion", sponsored by Gucci.

Based on Susan Sontag's 1964 essay "Notes on Camp". The exhibition's curator, Andrew Bolton said camp is the "love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration... style at the expense of content... the triumph of the epicene style." 

It's gonna get weird, guys.