If the Baftas struck a sorrowful note on Sunday night (apart from not honouring Julie Christie, spurning Atonement and failing to include Sweeney Todd), it was probably because there weren’t enough dreadful frocks to go round.
What is an awards ceremony without sartorial catastrophes? For the millions who watch in hope of seeing complete atrocities to giggle at, the answer is – pointless. Fortunately, someone called Victoria Silvstedt gamely provided the missing magic with dress and breasts that appeared to have come straight from Pamela Anderson’s slush pile.
At the opposite end of the questionable-decisions spectrum was Samantha Morton’s quirky idea of coming as a nonagenarian. Still, she is a marvellous character actress and thrives on risks.
Otherwise, the red carpeteers did us proud.
It was terrific to see British actresses of all ages, from Julie Christie to Rosamund Pike, striking a note of unstuffy glamour. From Pike’s calf-length sapphire-blue dress to Christie’s leopard-print leggings (she has a figure that 25-year-olds would pay for), to Sienna Miller’s sleek backless dress and Thandie Newton’s lacy McQueen, they got the tone exactly right. Most of the leading players looked stylish but not stiff, starry but not stuffed. What a spirited contrast with the Oscars, where everyone is styled to the point of total blandness. As for the magnificent Tilda Swinton, let others wear pastel chiffon, she’s wearing a dress the colour of bile and she damn well makes it work.
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On a less successful note, British designers were chiefly notable by their absence. Sir Paul Smith dressed Daniel Day-Lewis (they are friends); Stella McCartney dressed Samantha Morton (presumably after this they are not friends); and Roland Mouret, our adopted French styliste, did the honours for Pike. But, as Mouret says: “The timing is not great, given that it clashes with London Fashion Week. It’s a question of prioritising your business.” Mouret hit the jackpot with Pike, but this is an all-or-nothing game. Most British designers don’t have the resources to play for such high stakes – which is why, ultimately, Dior was the winner.