And with that, the 96th Academy Awards aka the 2024 Oscars have concluded. Celebrating films released in 2013, the awards show continued last year's "Barbenheimer" phenomenon (although Barbie received only eight nominations as compared to Oppenheimer's 13) with two musical performances from Barbie, and Oppenheimer bringing home 7 awards. The latter included Cillian Murphy's first nomination and win for "Best Actor".
Murphy took home the award in an Atelier Versace ensemble that complemented his penchant for contemporary stylings while still adhering to traditional dress codes—an aesthetic that seemed to be the unspoken rule for almost all of our best-dressed attendees. Colman Domingo's Louis Vuitton double-breasted tuxedo consisted of flared trousers and embellished buttons, while Riz Ahmed's Marni fit was finished with raw edges with minimal flourishes.
The red carpets at awards shows as important as the Oscars have had a history of being an avenue for celebrities to show allegiance to a cause. This year was no different. Like Ahmed, attendees the likes of Ramy Youssef, Billie Eilish, and Mark Ruffalo took the opportunity to show their support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza by wearing red lapel pins. These pins represent Artists4Ceasfire, a collective of over 400 artists who have all expressed their stand through an open letter to US President Joe Biden.
View the best menswear looks at the red carpet of the 96th Academy Awards in the gallery below.
The 66th Annual Grammy Awards continued to be quite a show. Taylor Swift may have made history as the first person to win "Album of the Year" four times, but there were more noteworthy moments that happened onstage. Swift's award was presented by Celine Dion, who made her first public appearance since taking a break from performing after being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome. The legendary Joni Mitchell—with a career spanning 60 years—performed for the first time on the award show, while Tracy Chapman made her return to the Grammy stage after a nine-year break from performing live.
Aside from the showcase and honouring of musical brilliance, the Grammys also served as a dazzling runway for fashion statements. From John Legend to 21 Savage, the evening’s attendees and nominees offered quite a visual feast. After a year filled with memorable musical journeys, the fashion too had to follow suit. And there wasn't any lack of it on the red carpet—proving once again that at the Grammys, excellence extends beyond beats and lyrics.
View the best menswear looks at the red carpet of the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in the gallery below.
By now, you're probably aware of an impending battle happening this week: Barbie vs Oppenheimer. The two blockbuster behemoths in their own right are scheduled for wide release on the very same day. Of course, there's nothing remotely similar about the two films—it's Barbie and Ken against a biographical thriller about the development of nuclear weapons—apart from sharing overwhelmingly positive first reactions.
The contrast in tones of the two films has also been reflected in how the two male leads (specifically Ryan Gosling and Cillian Murphy) have been dressing while promoting their respective films. True to the nature of Barbie, Gosling had been appearing in just about every spectrum of bright pastels imaginable; Murphy opted for the exact opposite.
Now, Murphy has hardly ever been one to gravitate towards a colourful fit. But the man is not opposed to it, based on several instances on the red carpet as well as in between the pages of Esquire US. His main style repertoire however, favours clean and minimalist lines with a penchant for elevated staples.
He's been taking it up a few notches for Oppenheimer's press tour. And if you think quiet luxury (or at least semblances of it) is on its slow death, Murphy's saying otherwise.
It's been said since the beginning of fashion annals: an all-black fit does no wrong. Murphy gets it down pat every time. But it's all in the brilliant styling choice for this particular look—a tie rakishly worn askew for a brilliant addition of dimension to an otherwise safe outfit.
The tie may be experiencing some sort of a resurgence on the menswear runway shows, but in everyday fashion, not so much. Murphy's Prada ensemble suggests that it could very well work for that special dinner date coming up. Again, it's the smart choice of opting for a tie in the same colour as the shirt. Here, it's a specific nod to the military aspect of the film with khaki as the star colour.
Honestly, we're running to get ourselves a well-made cardigan after this. There's nothing heavily overdone (or under) with this, but it perfectly underscores how the right kind of wardrobe staples (Murphy's cardigan is by Studio Nicholson) are all one needs to be stylish.
We definitely weren't expecting this sheer Saint Laurent fit for the London premiere of Oppenheimer. It definitely still keeps within Murphy's style leanings, all while venturing into something out of left field. But then again, who ever said being a minimalist meant being predictable?
