The Red dress Cindy Crawford’s 1991 Oscars look is second only to Elizabeth Hurley’s must-have piece in 1994 and J Lo’s wild jungle print dress in 2000 – the most iconic Versace looks of all time. The power of a red dress needs no explanation. Wear a mini version or a maxi version in red and attract all eyes.
The Red color was therefore the big bet of the academy awards this year, the latest hit for a season in which stylists set out to deliver ‘first-class Hollywood glamour’, as a shot in the arm to defy a gloomy news cycle. Best Supporting Actress winner Ariana DeBose chose a Valentino Haute Couture look that fit her personality, Tracee Ellis Ross went old school with a tomato red dress by Carolina Herrera, and Jennifer Garner let her strawberry-colored Brandon Maxwell dress speak for itself during their Juno reunion.
The stars who attended the after party also wore this powerful color. Sophie Turner wore a Louis Vuitton dress with a soft volume at the waist that framed her growing belly and had Sansa Stark undertones thanks to the Game of Thrones actress’s striking hair dye. Sheila Atim looked impeccable in a sequined Prada gown, while young Kaitlyn Dever also echoed the trend from the red colors of the latest catwalks.
From Bella Hadid’s Latex Versace moment to Adut Akech’s high-gloss Alaïa ball gown, the most striking winks to color of the moment (save for Valentino’s hot pink, of course!) went full red for Fall/Winter 2022. Giambattista Valli, Max Mara and Courrèges are other standout examples of wearing Pantone with panache from top to bottom.
What does the philosophy of abundance say? red threads about the state of fashion -and of society, to which the industry serves as a mirror- at this time? ‘There is no other color that is so fundamental, so fused with our primal, human pulses,’ writes Charlotte Sinclair in her essay on Vogue on this radiant color. ‘Red takes no prisoners. It is the emphasis on itself, the double underlining, the stop sign, the warning, the roadblock, the alarm, the danger, the excitement, the sex, the passion, the incitement, the excitement. It is the color of kings and queens, war and empire, theater and power. The red is adrenaline, the fireworks, the breaking of conventions. It is shame and violence, blush and rage’.
In an age where it’s easier to be flummoxed than not, it’s no wonder that the tone that simultaneously means life and danger is all the rage. Nothing says more than wearing your heart on your sleeve than wearing red this season. The drama of it. Think about the ravishing style Julia Roberts’s Pretty Woman, Meghan Markle’s challenge in caped Safiyaa during one of her last appearances as a royal, and Franc Fernandez’s irresistibly provocative piece of meat worn by Lady Gaga at the 2010 Grammys. Red is Cindy on the arm of Richard Gere at the 1991 Oscars, and who doesn’t want to radiate a drop of that energy?
Get ahead of the trend with these red garments that turn heads in the most chic way possible.
Article originally published by Vogue UK, vogue.co.uk. Adapted by Monica Silveti