Ever since her star turn in 2015’s Broadway revival of The Color Purple, Cynthia Erivo has been a mainstay on the red carpet, favoring risk-taking beauty looks and striking ball gowns. Sunday night won’t be her first time at the Oscars—she sang at the Governors Ball following the 2017 ceremony—but it will be the first time she’s been a nominee and a performer during the telecast. Seeing as she’s someone who comes prepared for the spotlight, there’s no question she’ll wear something incredible.
For the last two weeks, Erivo has given us an Oscar preview during many event appearances, favoring all-over patterns, ’70s living room colors, and striking accessories like huge glasses and thigh-high boots. She wore a voluminous Valentino gown onstage at the Grammys, so large it’s a wonder her co-presenter, Keith Urban, didn’t trip on it. At the Songwriters Hall of Fame oscar nominee reception, she wore a burnt orange number by Missoni, and at Alfre Woodard’s Sistahs Soiree, it was go-go boots and granny glasses. At the Oscar nominee luncheon, she donned a psychedelic green coat by Louis Vuitton with matching cat-eye glasses, making her the most eye-catching thing in the room.
It proves that she dresses for more casual events like she’s ready for a bigger red carpet. “If I were to leave it up to Cynthia, she’d be out in one of those feathered looks from Valentino couture 24/7,” her stylist, Jason Bolden, told Vogue. “She wears the highest heels and biggest dresses with no hesitation. Still, there are moments where practicality has to come in.” He mentioned that he has to make her focus on function while she’s performing.
Thankfully, with Erivo being both a performer and a nominee in two categories, we’ll probably get to see her in a variety of looks on Sunday. Bolden’s Instagram provided one helpful clue about what’s to come. In a story Thursday night, he shared an image from a fitting that showed the actor in a blue-patterned, intricately beaded dress, in a similar vein to what she’s been wearing recently, but way more luxe.
The road to the Oscars is a long one, but it gives Hollywood a reason to celebrate itself, and when it comes to red-carpet looks during awards season, no one has had as much fun as Erivo. At its most basic, style is about someone’s exterior reflecting their interior, and Erivo’s looks capture this perfectly. It’s impossible to look at her and not want to party.
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