From A to Z-endaya: the best celebrity trends on the red carpet this 2021
Alexandra Ferguson
(CNN) — After a year of awkward Zoom speeches at awards shows and tie-dye hoodies, it's been a relief to see celebrities back on the red carpet. Glamor is back with a bang, filling our feeds with colour, glitter and flashes of nostalgia.
With firsts like Billie Eilish's sparkling Met Gala gown and Lady Gaga's out-of-this-world Valentino microdress, 2021 was the year celebrities had the opportunity to redefine their wardrobes, and many did. Here are some of the biggest trends on the red carpet.
dopamine filled outfits
Bright colors, sparkly dresses and playful styles have brought joy to celebrity wardrobes this year, as stars dressed for happiness amid the pandemic. At the Emmys, Michaela Coel dazzled in a hot yellow Christopher John Rogers suit, while Anya Taylor-Joy was the picture of retro Barbie in a hot pink dress and headpiece at the Venice Film Festival. Others got carried away by their inner disco ball: Dakota Johnson's fringed Gucci creation stood out at the Venice Film Festival, and more recently, Olivia Rodrigo's violet dress at the American Music Awards sparkled as she crawled under its feathered hem.
archival fashion
Cardi B attends the "Thierry Mugler: Couturissime" presentation as part of Paris Fashion Week at Musée Des Arts Décoratifs on September 28, 2021 in Paris, France. Credit: Richard Bord/WireImage/Getty Images
Fashion history has become one of the biggest red carpet shows this year, as stylists and celebrities have sought out rare archival pieces from decades past. The growing interest in so-called “upcycling” and vintage no doubt played a part in the trend, which included Rodrigo in a 2001 Versace dress with pleats at the MTV VMAs and archival queen Bella Hadid being photographed wearing vintage Gucci, Stella McCartney for Chloe and more on the streets. And who could forget the olive green Jean Paul Gaultier gown worn by Kylie Jenner?
daring to teach
Zoë Kravitz attends the 2021 Met Gala “Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York. Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Post-lockdown red carpets were sexier than ever, as some pandemic restrictions were eased and celebrities returned to the public eye. Sheer dresses, like Zoë Kravitz's Saint Laurent at the Met Gala and Megan Fox's Thierry Mugler dress (paired with a nude thong) at the MTV VMAs, were seen at many major events, while other celebrities such as Zendaya, Kendall Jenner and Halle Bailey all opted for styles with holes.
Carey Mulligan, Rina Sawayama and Alicia Keys sported sophisticated midriff-baring ensembles throughout the year, while Lil Nas X, Kim Kardashian and Hailey Bieber were among those who donned slinky dresses that left little to the imagination.
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Gender fluid clothing
Troye Sivan attends the 2021 Met Gala “Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City. Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
With Gen Z challenging gender binaries on TikTok and discussions of fluidity reverberating in the fashion industry, celebrities weren't shy about pushing boundaries. With LGBTQ+ celebrities leading the way, including Billy Porter in a pink drag suit and designer Harris Reed launching his first genderfluid fashion collection, others followed suit: Troye Sivan wore a minimalist gown to the Met Gala and Kid Cudi wore a Kurt Cobain-inspired floral dress for her performance on Saturday Night Live, followed by a wedding gown at the CFDA Awards.
Some took more subtle approaches, like Bowen Yang, her Syro platform heels peeking out from under the hem of a dapper suit at the Emmys. Nail polish was also widely adopted by stars like Lil Yachty and Tyler the Creator, and Harry Styles and Machine Gun Kelly even launched their own nail polish brand.
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Fashion as wearable art
@TheBushCenter I ordered this and never received no link or password on how to watch the conversation. I made severe… https://t.co/nxySmFW2yX
— Mark Lopa Mon Apr 19 13:11:42 +0000 2021
Bella Hadid poses upon her arrival at the screening of the film "Tre Piani" (Three Floors) at the 74th Cannes Film Festival in France, on July 11, 2021. Credit: Valery Hache / AFP / Getty Images
The image of Bella Hadid at the Cannes Film Festival this summer, wearing a brass Schiaparelli necklace designed to look like a pair of lungs, stopped the internet in its tracks. That artistic and surreal approach to fashion continued throughout the second half of the year.
Di Petsa's glittery-finish gowns, created by self-described interdisciplinary artist Dimetra Petsa and meticulously covered in layers of tulle, transformed stars like the Hadid sisters, SZA, Chloe Bailey and Megan Thee Stallion into water nymphs who looked like they'd just come out of the sea. . Zendaya opted for a similar look, crafted in nude leather by Balmain, for the "Dune" premiere in Venice. Her outfit was offset by that of her co-star Timothée Chalamet, who was dressed in a sparkly Haider Ackermann suit that looked like something out of the night sky. Of course, who could forget Kim Kardashian's dramatic look at the Met Gala, a faceless Balenciaga suit that sparked questions about the nature of celebrity, while spawning endless Twitter memes?
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The nods to the past of the famous
Gemma Chan paid tribute to Anna May Wong at the Met Gala. Wong is considered the first Hollywood star of Chinese origin. Credit: Getty Images
While many celebrities went all out in their wardrobes after lockdown, others stepped back to pause and pay tribute to those who paved the way before them. Throughout the year there have been nods to specific celebrity and supermodel outfits.
At the Met Gala, for example, Gemma Chan paid tribute to Chinese-American movie star Anna May Wong in a Prabal Gurung minidress embellished with dragons and twisted braids, and YouTuber Nikkie de Jaeger stepped out in a floral dress with a tape that read “Pay it no mind” on the hem, a reference to Stonewall transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson. Kendall Jenner, for her part, put herself in the shoes of Audrey Hepburn with a transparent dress covered in crystals. The dress was a contemporary version of one worn by Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady."
Zendaya made several nods to the icons, wearing a long version of Beyoncé's 2003 BET Awards Versace dress to the same event this year and a cut-out yellow dress to the Oscars, similar to one previously worn by Cher in "The Sonny". & Cher Show”.
And Angelina Jolie kept the references to the past close to home at the London premiere of "Eternals," with her daughters Zahara and Shiloh donning some of the red carpet dresses Jolie had previously worn. Jolie wore a Valentino dress from 2018.
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the 2000 effect
Avril Lavigne attends the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center on September 12, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Credit: Astrid Stawiarz/WireImage/Getty Images
The 2000s fashion obsession stayed strong into 2021, championed by Gen Z stars like Dua Lipa and Addison Rae.
All the old trends came back with a bang, like Beyoncé's hot pink Versace platform heels and Lipa, who wore different Mariah Carey-esque butterfly outfits, and even Rihanna and Miley Cyrus sported a Von Dutch-style cap.
Amazing brands like Ed Hardy and Juicy Couture made a comeback among celebrities, and retro staples like printed mesh tops, monograms and corsets became must-have pieces.
Other reviled styles from the 2000s, like low-rise jeans and crop tops, also found their way into the closets of Lipa, Hadid and Kaia Gerber. The love for the 2000s shows no signs of slowing down, and we'll likely continue to see celebrities champion the decade in 2022, with Versace, Fendi and others leading the trend.
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