Students not impressed with Oscar fashion

During the Oscars 95th-anniversary red carpet, stars ocked to the oors, displaying references to the past and traces of new innovations in fashion. e Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards, is an annual awards ceremony presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to honor outstanding achievements in the lm industry. Before the movie awards are handed out though, Hollywood stars displayed their nest fashion.

However, junior Esther Chung said a better name for the red carpet might simply be ‘carpet’ as the oor was beige this year instead of the traditional red.

“I think the oor really took away from how each look was photographed,” Chung said.

According to senior Ines Legrand, surroundings and accessories are vital to bringing fashion to life, which is what many Oscars looks were missing this year.

“You need everything else that’s part of the look to work with it and not against it,” Legrand said. “I feel like a lot of the time we just don't see that, and it takes away from the dress.”

Legrand also said a recent fashion trend to avoid pairing jewelry with event wear causes out ts to appear incomplete.

“It just doesn’t really create a homogenous look,” Legrand said. “It’s not as powerful as it could have been with a piece of statement jewelry.”

For example, Legrand said the impact of Lady Gaga’s black dress, which featured a sheer bodice and full-length skirt, was diminished by her lack of accessories.

“Lady Gaga had Versace on, but I feel like the makeup and the hair worked against the dress,” Legrand said.

To match the tight mesh gown, Lady Gaga wore a bold black eyeliner, red lipstick and a sleep bun. Besides the lack of jewelry, Legrand said that not much about the garments has changed.

“I feel like a lot of people are wearing the exact same looks they wore a couple of years ago, but instead of adding a small accessory like a necklace, they are wearing no accessories,” Legrand said.

Legrand said not all out ts looked incomplete without jewelry, though. Hunter Schafer for example, appeared in a white Ann Demeulemeester mermaid skirt with a white feather for a top.

“I think it's very new and modern,” Legrand said. “It’s a beautiful design and a nice change.”

But the look is not for everybody and has sparked controversy among fans due to its revealing design.

Junior Zeke Morrison said while Schafer’s look was interesting and creative he can see why some may dislike it.

“It's very untraditional and sometimes people don't like it when you do something new,” Morrison said. “If I were in her position, I don't think I would have worn it personally, but I respect that she's trying something new.” e red carpet also showcased trends in designers’ newest work. Prominent designers who dressed the guests included Donatella Versace, Pierpaolo Picciolo (Valentino), Maria Grazia Chiuri (Dior) and John Galliano (Maison Margiela).

For menswear, Morrison said double-breasted suits were common, which were not as popular on red carpets in previous years.

Legrand said she sees a clear distinction between classical looks and modern innovations at the Oscars.

“I think we’re going to see pretty severe departures between big, poofy, ball gown dresses and very modern, sleek looks,” Legrand said. “I have de nitely seen more modern and new cuts as well as classic A-line dresses.” Morrison, though, said menswear has not changed as much as he would have liked, but did say Riz Ahmed’s look demonstrated the potential for menswear to stray away from simple black and white tuxedos. Ahmed wore a black suit with a pink shirt under that had long, burgundy collars that poked out of the jacket.

“I would like to see men try to break out of the mold and wear something that's not just a black tuxedo,” Morrison said. “I really liked Riz Ahmed because they were doing something a little bit di erent and being more experimental with what they were wearing.”

Morrison also said menswear can make a big change simply with a di erent color pallet or unique design details.

“Riz Ahmed has a really big collar on his tuxedo, and a little pink accent which I really enjoyed,” Morrison said. “Kind of just spicing up the color palette and straying away from basic mens formalwear.”

For womenswear, Chung said colors also play a big role in improving the look of a garment. According to Chung, Angela Bassett, who arrived in a bright purple, mermaid-silhouette gown, particularly stood out.

“I think the (purple) color was really attering on her, and represented “Black Panther” because it matched the color of the royal family in the movie,” Chung said.

Morrison said clothing has the power to tell a story through design, textiles or colors and that one interesting way to elevate clothing is to reference history. For example, he said a vest underneath a garment can illustrate 19th-century men’s fashion, while a long coat can symbolize early 20th-century men’s fashion.

“Jonathan Major's look reminded me of a 19th-century fashion, Civil War type garment,” Morrison said. “I think tying a lot of history through erent styles, maybe throwing in a vest underneath a jacket or a di erent style of a tie or a di erent shoe, is really interesting.”

And Chung said Paul Mescal’s look executed a vintage style well.

“His blazer had boxy shoulders paired with ared pants,” she said. For the future, Morrison said he would like to see changes in the silhouettes of suits.

“I prefer a bigger, boxy style,” Morrison said. “I’d like to see people on the red carpet moving away from those really tted tight-cropped suits and more into boxy or oversized pieces.”

Legrand said she would like to see designers pushing their creative limits for womenswear.

“I would like to see more innovation and structure,” Legrand said. “I’ve seen a lot of similar cuts, and exploring new ways to drape a dress would be nice.”

In San Francisco’s De Young Museum, wide, oor-to-ceiling paintings of vibrant colors and oral patterns with vines strewn across the bodies of young Black men and women hang in dimly lit rooms. ese paintings by Kehinde Wiley are part of a new exhibition called “An Archaeology of Silence.”

Wiley is known for his naturalistic paintings of Black people and vibrant oral backgrounds, as well as his work on the presidential portrait of Barack Obama.

“An Archaeology of Silence,” which debuted in early March, is Wiley’s newest collection of paintings. According to the “Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco,” Wiley’s art “confronts the silence surrounding systemic violence against Black people through the visual language of the fallen gure.” e art references famous paintings and poses of European martyrs, as well as mythical and religious gures struck down.

Wiley’s purpose is to transform these historical paintings into colorful, modern-day paintings of young Black men and women with the intention of calling out systemic racism and the senseless deaths of young people of color.

Art Spectrum teacher Sue La Fetra said she highlights Wiley’s work as a part of her class curriculum because of how impactful his art is.

“What a great moment in history to be able to express his frustration,” La Fetra said. “His artwork really gets the word out about the (Black Lives Matter) movement.”

Fellow Art Spectrum teacher Tracy Atkinson agrees and said the impact of Wiley’s art is powerful and beautiful.

“His new show is fabulous because I have been waiting to see if he was going to address what is going on with police brutality,” Atkinson said. “I’m glad that his new exhibition is doing that, and I think that’s a big step.”

According to La Fetra, what makes Wiley a powerful artist is his celebratory yet serious portrayal of Black individuals.

“I’ve never seen an artist portray dark skin as absolutely the most beautiful thing,” La Fetra said. “Traditional African art has a tradition of oiling the surface of wooden sculptures, and it’s about the admiration of the Black skin. Wiley’s portraits remind me of that; it’s just a celebration of how beautiful (dark) skin is.”

Keely Washington, president of the Black Student Union, said she respects how Wiley’s artwork accomplishes multiple purposes and is excited about the new exhibit.

“It is an amazing platform and opportunity to spread awareness about an important topic like systemic racism and violence while showing breathtaking art,” Washington said. ough art may not be the most impactful form of resistance because it leaves room for interpretation, Washington said it is much more accessible than other social justice platforms.

“As we’ve seen, it isn’t always e ective to continue repeating the same sentiment in the same manner; art provides an additional platform to ght for the issues we care about,” Washington said. “When advocating for social justice, one of the most important jobs is to ensure that your message can be understood by anyone. While having endless interpretations, art can be consumed by anyone.”

Washington said she admires Wiley’s work as a way to open up the oor to those most impacted by systemic oppression in America.

“Wiley’s art is opening up a conversation about systemic violence, from the perspective of an African American,” Washington said. “When these issues are talked about, it’s rare that the perspectives of the people most a ected are taken into account. Wiley is changing this.”