Unfortunately, looking for latex couture at the most recent Fashion Awards in London was a fool’s errand. Still, Britain’s answer to the Met Gala, celebrated last week at the Royal Albert Hall, featured some stunning wardrobe choices…and surprises of alt-fashion turns.
Shimmery in their floor-length gowns, Amal Clooney’s Versace sported sunset sequins, while Alexa Chung wore nearly 4,000 tiny metallic discs down her body. In a textile of a wholly different order but just as shimmery in its way, model Anok Yai wore a Ferragamo dress made of chocolate-brown chain mail.
Leading with the two most impressive accessories of the night, Maisie Williams matched her sheer, tiered dress with a chain-link little hat that draped over her eyes, and model Jourdan Dunn sported a sky-high tall black pillar box hat.
Singer Sam Smith, known for a latex turn now and again, managed a wardrobe change during Monday night’s festivities. He walked across the red carpet into The Royal Albert Hall in a bespoke tailored jacket, black shirt, tie, and black kilt. Accessorising with platform leather books. Later, S. S. changed into a taffeta gown with puffy sleeves and a long train when accepting his “Cultural Innovator Award” and stayed in the gown when performing the song “HIM.”
Then there were the spikes..
While Leigh-Anne Pinnock from the band Little Mix wore a scarlet dress with signature spikes down its side, while Rita Ora managed the most interesting sartorial turn of the night. Wearing a Primark plain black dress, she sported silver chrome prosthetic spikes down her back, dinosaur sheik for sure.
In the bigger-is-better aesthetic, Luke Newton was in an oversized trench and suit, Awena Chuol’s Verements gown sported a train that was more a square-sized draped platform around her heels, and Precious Lee was encased in a red Commes des Garcons dress that had her as the center of a rose-bud pedal-like affair.
Now, we have 2024 to look forward to.
