We enlisted the help of “American Style Guru” Derek Warburton to talk us through some of the fashion choices made by the celebrities attending the Golden Globes Awards.
He was zipping to another appointment in his convertible through the streets of Los Angeles with wind in his hair and in dire need of caffeine when we caught up with him by telephone.
Derek had just been on a television show discussing the Golden Globes fashion, and exhaustion aside, he was alert enough to recount step by step the glories and the faux pas of the awards winners, those who didn’t win but looked as though they did, and some who did neither.
We started with Amy Adams who walked away with both a Golden Globe and great accolades for her impeccable style.
Amy Adams in Versace
Derek Warburton: I loved that dress. In her other life she was 1940s movie star. She always has a Veronica Lake feel to her. It’s always ‘pick an era and stick with it.’ Last year it was the 1970s. For that caliber of movie star she’s just very clean and it helps her transcend into other themes. She’s a classic girl.
Kati Vereshaka: Adams is always very classic, very pulled together and feminine. That delicate blue color suited her so well.
Julianne Moore in Givenchy
Mr. Warburton: I thought she was one the three best dressed of the night. She’s mature but so chic. First of all I love an ombre, but one that goes into feathers–wow! I thought it was unbelievable.
Ms. Vereshaka: The dress was great but it looked as though it reflected too much in her eyes. The eye make-up seemed too heavy and made her eyes look like two black holes. I liked the dress but not with her in it.
Kate Hudson in Versace
Mr. Warburton: She was not only chic but clean and beautiful in the Versace. She pretty much sticks to the Italians: either Gucci or Versace. And she has an unbelievable body so she can pull that off. She gave new meaning to the Golden Globes with that cleavage.
Ms. Vershaka: She’s very body conscious and confident.
Jane Fonda in Versace
Mr. Warburton: OMG she’s 77 years old and wearing a tight red Versace. She was smokin'. She looked just as good as the girls.
Ms. Vereshaka: I think that Jane Fonda really looks after herself and it really shows. She’s still got it.
Felicity Jones in Dior
Mr. Warburton: I loved that Dior. She stood out because she was the only one wearing teal. The detail at the back was fabulous with the covered buttons. That was so special, yet classic with a little twist. She won for me as an haute couture piece.
Ms. Vereshaka: Jones looked as though she won; very elegant, confident and still slightly unusual. Just goes to show that you can leave a lot up to the imagination and it takes nothing away from your feminine allure.
Allison Williams in Armani Prive
Ms. Vereshaka: Both Derek and I loved the red dress with multiple layers and sequins. It re-enforced the current trend of wearing red, white, and blue according to Warburton. He is keen to point out “red, white and blue worn separately, mind you”, for the obvious reason of not looking akin to the US flag.
Jessica Chastain in Atelier Versace
Mr. Warburton: That was amazing. She won best dressed for me. Her cleavage looked so good in that dress.
Ms. Vereshaka: This dress design is nothing that we haven’t see before, but what stands out is the wondrous color combination of the bronze-brown fabric and her copper hair. It made for a super glamorous look that I’m sure will be much emulated.
Kerri Washington
Mr. Warburton: I loved the color but I felt that she was like a teapot. The dress was very constricting at the top and then the bottom was just so big, it didn’t really make sense.
Ms. Vereshaka: Washington seemed to be going for a medieval sci-fi fusion. I didn’t dislike it but she did look uncomfortable in it. The two-tone satin shoes however were great.
Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad
Mr. Warburton: Fabulous, over the top! I have to admit, I did love it. It was very Sharon Stone in “Casino.” But her hairdo was very kitsch and if it had been ‘cleaner’ I would have liked it more.
Ms. Vereshaka: The style was a bit like Helen of Troy and Ursula Andress in the 1960s combined, with that look in her eye of ‘I take no prisoners.’ J Lo seems to always set out to obliterate the competition.
And both Derek and I agreed that she usually does.
Emma Stone in Lanvin
Mr. Warburton: I thought that it was very refreshing, but I wish she had worn a statement earring to top it off and make it a bit more finished. But it was great.
Ms. Vereshaka: The fact that it had a big asymmetrical bow gave the outfit a glamorous feel, an idea of a gown but without the extra fabric. She had the body to carry it off. And with her red hair contrasting with her alabaster skin she looked radiant.
Salma Hayek-Pinault in Alexander McQueen
Mr. Warburton: I loved the flower and those diamond earrings, OMG. She looked chic and I loved that she added an element of surprise with the flowers in her hair and that worked. The clutch was fun.
Ms. Vereshaka: This gown is instantly pleasing and she looks so elegant and comfortable in it. She made it her own. Lovely.
Melissa McCarthy
Mr. Warburton: Hello Dr. Quinn Medicine woman. They struggled to make her look good, but if they'd put her in a tuxedo that would have worked. I would have done a bowtie but on her chest not high on her neck. She needs a neck. When you put her in a collar like that it’s too tight for her.
Ms. Vereshaka: This look is a perfect example of the principle ‘Thou shalt have body reference, otherwise thou shalt look like a tent.’ No matter what body type or size, if you cover up the neck, the waist, the ankles and even the wrists, it’s not going to be pretty. It’s a shame because she is so very pretty in fact.
Jennifer Aniston in Saint Laurent
Mr. Warburton: She always looks clean and chic, but this? I think right now it’s very important for her to look spectacular especially when it’s her first time being nominated for a drama. She needs to change herself because she could be a very serious actress if she transitions; but that dress didn’t feel very serious. She should have been in a strong color with a lot of skin. And that hair—it took 10 minutes. It didn’t work. She should have worn what Taylor Schilling wore—that cross-neck Ralph Lauren.
Ms. Vereshaka: Neither the dress, not the hairdo seemed to suit her personality. Perhaps she was in fact aiming for a more somber look to go with her dramatic role, but she didn’t look the part. That halter-neck cut did not flatter her upper body, and so much black near her face made her look weird.
We both noted that there was a lot of halter-neck among the outfits. A trend that is sure to strengthen in the warmer months.
Keira Knightly
Mr. Warburton: Ryan Seacrest was bragging that it took 30 people to make that dress, but that’s because 30 people didn’t want to take responsibility for it. Too many cooks in the kitchen—it just didn'' work.
Ms. Vereshaka: She looked like a Chinese vase. Very pretty but it just didn’t work on a human body—even if she is pregnant.
Lena Dunham in Zac Posen
Mr. Warburton: What about Lena Dunham? The heavier you are the ‘cleaner’ you need to be, and the more fitted. That dress just looked sloppy and she’s not that heavy. But it made her look bigger than she is.
Ms. Vereshaka: Perhaps Posen did want to make it more fitted but decided against it for whatever reason. It would have looked great if it was more fitted. I loved the shoes, however.
Rosamund Pike in Vera Wang
Mr. Warburton: She just had a baby four weeks ago and it was unbelievable that she could show that much skin, but the dress was too low, it made her look saggy in the front. They needed to tighten it and pull it up, because it wasn’t sitting well on her. But great hair.
Ms. Vereshaka: The dress looked weird in a two-dimensional way, as if it was made out of paper. It seemed to be in front of her, not on her and didn’t make the most of her features. If I was her stylist I would have not let her attend dressed like that.
Helen Mirren
Mr. Warburton: It was fine but underwhelming. She is well known for her fabulous style, but this time, I thought, “Jane Fonda just blew you out of water, and she’s got 15 years on you.” I was so disappointed with her because I always love what she looks like.
Ms. Vereshaka: I was also surprised by Mirren’s choice-it lacked her usual edgy, yet age-appropriate feel. This was just age appropriate and run-of-the-mill.
Emily Blunt in Michael Kors
Mr. Warburton: When all else fails go Grecian. I loved that dress. Emily Blunt stole Athens. When all else fails, go Grecian because that’s a style on its own and it works. It’s feminine, it’s soft, it’s very easy to wear, and it hides a multitude of things. No-one ever says anything bad about this style-it’s always considered very chic.
Ms. Vereshaka: Grecian goddess with great earrings. It just says ‘elegant and demure’ but self-assured. Both her and her compatriot Rosamund Pike were aiming for the look, but Blunt made it her own and she even looked strangely calm and statuesque in it.
Lupita Nyong'o in Giambattista Valli
Mr. Warburton: She looked very individual in that dress. She’s what she wants to be. That’s definitely her shape-a more delicate top and fuller at the bottom.
Ms. Vereshaka: I wasn’t impressed with this dress, just too literally wisteria. The dress looked better when she twirled her skirt, but minus the movement it was lacking in shape. The color however, was great-a welcome change from all the reds, whites and blues.
Internationally renowned fashion expert, celebrity stylist, and media personality, Derek Warburton, is sought after to style Hollywood’s hottest stars. Derek’s impressive A-list résumé includes Beyoncé, Jessica Alba, and Miranda Kerr among others. Also dedicated to giving back to his community, Derek has worked closely with New York City’s Bottomless Closet, where he helps underprivileged women re-enter the working world. His latest work can be found on his website: instafabulous.com.
