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Herald Sun (Australia)
February 21, 2015 Saturday
Weekend Edition
Red carpet has stars in revolt
by ANNA BYRNE, STYLIST AND FASHIONISTA
UNLESS you were living under a rock during the Australian Open, you'd
have heard about Channel Seven sports commentator Ian Cohen descending
into embarrassing post-match territory by asking Eugenie Bouchard to
"do a twirl". Sure it was an amazing outfit but a male player would
have never been subjected to such casual sexism.
Then Amal Clooney, on her way to the European Court of Human Rights in
Strasbourg to prosecute a Turkish politician accused of denying the
1915 Armenian genocide, was asked by a reporter if she was wearing
Versace. Quick off the mark, Clooney replied that she was wearing Ede
& Ravenscroft, referring to the makers of legal robes in England since
1689.
Like any half-sentient human being - I am a feminist. I also write
about fashion. I also occasionally write about what women wear. And
while I don't see these things as necessarily contradictory, my heart
is aflutter with the thought that at Monday's Oscars, actresses might
finally be storming the metaphorical barricades in their spangled
haute couture.
At this year's Screen Actors Guild Awards, Julianne Moore, Reese
Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston made headlines by taking the
revolutionary step of refusing to stick their paws in E!'s Mani Cam (a
gimmicky box that proves there is not an ounce of skin that will go
unjudged, honing in on nail colours and finger bling.) Then enter Amy
Poehler's organisation Smart Girls, which is continuing the pageantry
revolt by insisting women shouldn't be subjected to inane questioning
about their shoes, diamonds, bag and frock that their male
counterparts are not.
I agree. And I understand that these women are given the glamorous
gowns for free by designers in lieu of promotion on the red carpet,
but thanks to the rise of social media, surely designers and actresses
can plug their sartorial perks on Twitter and Instagram. Because I can
see that Angelina is wearing a black frock that I assume I cannot
afford but I don't know what directors have inspired her. I can see
that Dame Helen Mirren is swathed in a silk shawl but I don't know
what advice she would give to her 20-year-old self about the world of
acting. And I can see that Emma Stone is wearing earrings, but I would
much rather know what literary character would be her dream role.
And if Amal Clooney is there, rather than ask what she is wearing, ask
why on earth she would come back to this hysterical, surreal,
curiously hostile place.
February 21, 2015 Saturday
Weekend Edition
Red carpet has stars in revolt
by ANNA BYRNE, STYLIST AND FASHIONISTA
UNLESS you were living under a rock during the Australian Open, you'd
have heard about Channel Seven sports commentator Ian Cohen descending
into embarrassing post-match territory by asking Eugenie Bouchard to
"do a twirl". Sure it was an amazing outfit but a male player would
have never been subjected to such casual sexism.
Then Amal Clooney, on her way to the European Court of Human Rights in
Strasbourg to prosecute a Turkish politician accused of denying the
1915 Armenian genocide, was asked by a reporter if she was wearing
Versace. Quick off the mark, Clooney replied that she was wearing Ede
& Ravenscroft, referring to the makers of legal robes in England since
1689.
Like any half-sentient human being - I am a feminist. I also write
about fashion. I also occasionally write about what women wear. And
while I don't see these things as necessarily contradictory, my heart
is aflutter with the thought that at Monday's Oscars, actresses might
finally be storming the metaphorical barricades in their spangled
haute couture.
At this year's Screen Actors Guild Awards, Julianne Moore, Reese
Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston made headlines by taking the
revolutionary step of refusing to stick their paws in E!'s Mani Cam (a
gimmicky box that proves there is not an ounce of skin that will go
unjudged, honing in on nail colours and finger bling.) Then enter Amy
Poehler's organisation Smart Girls, which is continuing the pageantry
revolt by insisting women shouldn't be subjected to inane questioning
about their shoes, diamonds, bag and frock that their male
counterparts are not.
I agree. And I understand that these women are given the glamorous
gowns for free by designers in lieu of promotion on the red carpet,
but thanks to the rise of social media, surely designers and actresses
can plug their sartorial perks on Twitter and Instagram. Because I can
see that Angelina is wearing a black frock that I assume I cannot
afford but I don't know what directors have inspired her. I can see
that Dame Helen Mirren is swathed in a silk shawl but I don't know
what advice she would give to her 20-year-old self about the world of
acting. And I can see that Emma Stone is wearing earrings, but I would
much rather know what literary character would be her dream role.
And if Amal Clooney is there, rather than ask what she is wearing, ask
why on earth she would come back to this hysterical, surreal,
curiously hostile place.