Old-school Hollywood glamour becomes a mainstay on the red carpet

Goddesses are having a moment right now! From the runway to red carpets—it is hard to miss the all-pervading undercurrent of cinematic mystique and ‘goddessy’ allure. At the Cannes Film Festival in May this year, actor Natalie Portman sparkled in two of Christian Dior’s significant creations: a tulle embroidered 'I feel blue' dress and a grand gala dress from Fall/Winter 1949 Dior haute couture collection. Each look radiated an air of old-world Hollywood glamour. Influencer Diipa Büller Khosla looked like a bird of paradise glistening in a gold sculpted Gaurav Gupta ensemble as she struck a fine silhouette against the azure French Riviera skies.

Besides Cannes, the Grammy this year, too, had its share of goddess-like moments. Jennifer Lopez channelled her innate timeless diva in a dramatically ruffled and beaded Gucci creation. Moreover, Valentino’s Resort 23 collection strongly nods in favour of high priestess dressing, featuring ensembles with sheer billowing sleeves, hour-glass silhouettes, and cut-out details. Also worth mentioning are Nensi Dojaka’s lingerie-inspired chiffon dresses with trains which evoke visuals of statement-making red carpet moments synonymous with cinematic history. Be it Versace’s gothic lace creations or Saint Laurent’s hoodie dresses cut from jersey—it is a summer of the ‘glamazon’.

Chanel’s recently held Cruise 2023/24 show held in LA, too, was an ode to the city of angels and drew from some of Coco Chanel’s seminal works in Hollywood films (actor Gloria Swanson was seen in a Chanel gown in the 1931 film, Tonight or Never). 

Designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock, who recently walked the red carpet at Cannes, observe that this season, as opposed to adventurous dressing, celebrities warmed up to glamour reminiscent of old-world elegance. “The overall attempt was about letting your true personality stand out. Actors with strong on- and off-screen personas such as Natalie Portman opted for ‘goddessy’ ensembles, which radiated a subtle hint of drama and resonated with their vibe. Even at the Met Gala earlier this year, which was a tribute to the late designer Karl Lagerfeld, there was an effort to create something sophisticated yet statement-making. The overarching idea behind this dressing is to not shock but let your inherent style ethos do the talking,” says Falguni Peacock. 

From liquid jersey to heavy velvet, sheer organza to chiffon—designers are unabashedly rooting for come-hither silhouettes, which reveal and conceal in equal measure. Designer Gaurav Gupta observes that the goddess style is a timeless feeling. “Every woman wants to feel like a goddess and designers celebrate a lot of their muses as goddesses as well. It has an anthropological reference in a lot of cultures. The queen and royalty were always related to gods and goddesses and almost had a divinity to them. I think that royalty, richness and sophistication has carried forward the goddess trend, and it is always going to be evergreen,” he says. 

A return to elegant dressing is easily the breakout trend this year. Case in point being Cate Blanchett’s monochromatic Louis Vuitton gown at Cannes 2023 with a cape detail and beaded patch pockets. Designer Monisha Jaising says, “Powerful women celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, and Ingrid Bergman have exuded a goddess-like quality in their aura, personality, and dressing. Goddess dressing has since always co-existed with every fashion trend from punk culture to grunge, maximalism to minimalism, etc. A draped attire is very flattering and complements any body shape. Today, draping techniques are often seen in menswear as well. Therefore, every other year it gets prominence as designers world wide embrace the look repeatedly in their collections.” 

Designer Namrata Joshipura, who recently dressed Kriti Sanon and PV Sindhu in her statuesque gowns, sees a shift towards sophisticated dressing as opposed to something that screams ‘look-at-me’. “There’s been so much of athleisure in the last few seasons, but now I see a shift towards cultivating a refined style. In the evening space, I see an urge to embrace embellished gowns crafted with a sartorial finesse. Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ Valentino Met gala look comes to mind instantly—a monochrome off-shoulder gown with a thigh-high slit and worn with a floor-sweeping shrug and gloves,” says Joshipura. 

Stylist Ami Patel observes that a certain level of chicness has definitely filtered in as opposed to edgy and subversive dressing which became predominant post pandemic. “Anne Hathaway at the Met Gala opted for this monochromatic Versace look, which was a great example of channelling old-school Hollywood glamour. There’s a beauty in classic dressing as it never feels dated,” says Patel. 

Designers like Anthony Vaccarello, Alberta Ferretti and Altuzarra have lent a new spin to the art of draping by re-contextualising liquid jersey and transparent fabrics. Moreover, the prevalent mermaidcore phenomenon has put the siren and sea creature-like silhouettes on the map. Hence, emerges a distinctive style of dressing befitting a mythical goddess or a silver screen diva.