The Oscars are irresistible, but blanket coverage of the event means taking in the visuals of the night is now little more than a swift scroll through the top looks. This, of course, means all the fascinating detail is lost. At SPHERE we are all about the luxurious detail, and the noteworthy action and reaction, so in the spirit of taking things a little slower, we've chosen four people whose Oscar moments, we believe, are worthy of a second and third glance.
Most Fascinatingly Dressed at the Oscars 2023
Words by
Sphere Editors
13th March 2023
While the Oscars 2023 will be remembered for its beige, oops, we mean Champagne coloured "red carpet" and the sweep achieved by Everything, Everywhere All at Once, beyond the front line of extraordinary couture fashion, there were some truly fascinating fashion moments taking place.
Lisa Eisner's "Everything Everywhere" Ensemble
Lisa commented on her Oscar look, "I don't have any more room on my body to put anything else."
Lisa Eisner is one of Hollywood's best-connected people, and best friend of the newly minted billionaire Tom Ford. Having worked as a fashion editor, a stylist, a photographer and a publisher, her most recent creative endeavour is as a jeweller. So who better than Lisa Eisner to show us how to do the Oscars with truly original style without the intervention of an army of stylists and big brand fashion houses?
Detailing her outfit on Instagram Lisa revealed that her embroidered dress was created from a piano shawl, and her pink feather jacket was remodelled from an old Bob Mackie pink boa. On the jewellery, she wrote: "Turquoise is not just for bringing out when you travel to the west. [My] New Starburst pendant with special old turquoise stone, a crazy bracelet and an every finger ring combo I made for myself a few years back. I don't have more room on my body to put anything else."
Lady Gaga's Shape Shift
Lady Gaga arrived to the Oscars 2023 as a perfectly turned out attendee, and later scrubbed off her make-up, and shed her gown to perform "Hold My Hand" her Oscar nominated song from "Top Gun: Maverick".
Do we ever know who Lady Gaga really is? This was entirely her point at the Oscars ceremony last night. Turning up to the event, she was the personification of a perfectly turned out Oscar nominee wearing straight from the runway Versace Couture, shown just days before in Los Angeles. Her mannequin-like turn on the "red carpet" was notable only for her stopping to help a photographer who fell over.
A little later, the Gaga, or should we say Stefani Germanotta (her real name) took to the stage with no make-up, her hair scraped back, wearing an old T-shirt and ripped jeans to perform "Hold My Hand" her song from "Top Gun: Maverick". Ultimately she lost to composer M.M. Keeravani's song Naatu Naatu for the short Indian film "RRR", but her transformation from A-List perfection, to natural realness was a pointed statement about the artifice of the night.
Malala's Modesty Chic
The Pakistani female education activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai made her Academy Awards debut tonight beside her husband, Asser Malik.
Malala Yousafzai and her husband Asser Malik attended the Oscars thanks to her role as an executive producer on Joshua Seftel's short film Stranger at the Gate, which was nominated in the Best Documentary Short Film category.
Her glittering dress by Ralph Lauren couture was a perfectly judged example of high-octane modesty dressing for the world's most watched entertainment event, and incorporated an elegant head scarf. She said of the dress, "I wanted my dress to represent the message of the film Stranger at the Gate, and embody hope. Thank you to the brilliant team that helped bring my vision to life."
During the ceremony the activist was zoned in on by Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel and asked to comment on some Hollywood rivalry, to which her response was "I only talk about peace."
By all accounts Malala, 25, had the night of her life, sharing images of meeting Rihanna and Tom Cruise, and commenting that "It was all a dream."
Paul Mescal has us in a Flap
Paul Mescal wore Gucci tailoring and was fully kitted out in Cartier, with a limited edition Tank Chinoise watch, diamond earring and brooch from the house.
In a sea of bland tuxedos at the Oscars how does a truly exemplary tuxedo ensemble stand out? When it is a custom made tuxedo by Gucci, and it is being worn by Irish actor Paul Mescal, whose melting looks send women into as much of a flap as those displayed by his exuberantly flared - and supremely on-the-money - trousers.
Every single detail of Mescal's look was carefully considered by his stylist Felicity Kay, and it resulted in the most comment worthy men's look of the night.
His nonchalantly stylish yet Oscar worthy look featured an ivory wool tuxedo jacket, which fell slightly longer at the hips with pointed satin lapels, paired with those kick-flared trousers with rolled-up hems. Underneath the jacket, Mescal wore a shirt in fine translucent silk.
Close inspection of Mescal's subtly high-fashion look, though, reveals a myriad of fascinating details, ideal for the man almost as famous for wearing a silver chain which gained its own Instagram account, as he is for his acting.
Here, it was also his jewellery which did much of the fashion semaphore. Pinned to the jacket was a red corsage, which hid from view a diamond rose brooch from Cartier. The piece de resistance though, for Mescal at least, is the limited edition platinum Cartier Tank Chinoise watch, and the Cartier Juste un Clou hoop single earring, twinkling from his ear.
All in all a masterclass in men's style for 2023.
