While the Aria Awards are all about celebrating artists and their achievements in music, fashion definitely dominates a fair part of the night. From the beautiful to the bizarre, artists put as much thought into their red carpet outfits as they do their albums, but not all the results go gold…
Like music, fashion is a form of expression and –as everyone has the talent to dress themselves- it continues be the most popular means of making a statement. Any red carpet event is seen as an opportunity -by celebrity and civilian alike- to gloss up or drab down and speak their mind without using words. Sometimes the looks that hit the carpet are flawless, smoldering, and send us into a spiral of despair staring into our own wardrobes, but sometimes they cause confusion and involuntary cringes. Last night’s Aria Awards was an interesting mixed bag with people like Harry Styles and Erin Holland turning heads while Allie Simpson and Christian Wilkins averted eyes.
One message we can come away with from last night is that loud, shimmering, velvet boots are so hot right now. Three pairs of blinders made their way along the carpet, fighting to take attention away from their wearers. No doubt the shoes would have been happier if their models had teamed them with all black ensembles or something to create a less shambolic clash of the shimmers!
Singer Allie Simpson tucked her satin pants into her bubblegum pink boots, teamed the look with a white midriff shirt and then covered the lot in a translucent pink overcoat, topping of her look that was undoubtedly inspired by a strawberry milkshake.
Tayla Mae donned a rather chic two-piece outfit with ankle-length cuffs, but ruined the look by teaming it with lavender high-heeled boots that may very well have belonged to Willy Wonka’s sister.
Youtube sensation Matt Hey –otherwise known as Alright Hey- took a leaf out of Eddie Izzard’s book and dressed to kill in black hot pants, a monochrome shirt with silver tassels, and shimmering silver knee-high boots. Alongside the statement that clothes are clothes and can be worn by everyone, his outfit proved to use boots the most cohesively as they sure stood out, but complimented the rest of the outfit.
Another tidbit to take away from last night’s awards: paisley and fruity, floral designs are not going anywhere! The ‘70s may have been the highpoint for paisley shirts and the glam-rock stars who wore them, but we always say that fashion –and music- is cyclical. Obviously glam is making a comeback, louder than before.
One Direction singer and Dunkirk actor Harry Styles was beyond breathtaking in his paisley silk suit; a mixture of glam rock and chic formal teamed with squared toed brown shoes that –astoundingly- completed the piece. While Tai rocked a navy suit with floral pattern, sunglasses, and an “aw yeah” attitude, Jordan and Brandon Abou-Ghaida blurred the smart/casual distinction by teaming white sneakers, black pants, and collared shirts with beautiful brocaded jackets.
A definite standout amongst the striking and adventurous red carpet ensembles last night was electropop singer/songwriter Phebe Starr’s T-shirt dress – designed by Jeff McCann- advocating sustainable fashion by being made entirely of tweezer packets and foam circles. Another was Sophie Monk’s hot pink Mariam Seddiq jacket dress, which was only ruined by her orange tan and the writing on her hand.
Then against these great –and not so great- ensembles were a handful of outfits that screamed “classic red carpet!” Model and TV host Erin Holland was a picture of sass and strength styled by Donny Galella, Amy Shark looked gorgeous in her simple black dress, and Katie Wighton channeled Carrie Bradshaw flawlessly with a Jonte- designed demi ballgown and sheer skirt teamed with Blunnies rather than heels. Meg Mac was down to earth, but still dazzling in a white lace dress teamed with black felt hat and suede boots, and Imogen Clark was all curves in a green velvet dress with a split skirt.
It was a night of glamour, music, messages, and celebration and everyone definitely came dressed for the occasion!
Have a favourite red carpet look? Leave us a comment below!
