My Top 5 Fashion Picks for the 2012 Golden Globes

Ever since I was a little girl, I've made a tradition out of watching the Oscars and the Golden Globes every single year, without fail.  Part of this is due to the fact that from the age of 2 until the age of 22, I wanted to be an actress.  True story.  I spent my teens and early 20s doing commercials, tiny indie films, and countless plays, and graduated with a Specialist in Acting degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  There were also countless awards speeches practiced in my bedroom mirror, you know, just in case and everything.  As for why I'm no longer acting (and am instead designing clothing for a living), I had an epiphany of sorts during a required costume design class my final semester of college.  I adored fashion and had been sewing my own clothing for a while, and one day in the middle of that class, I realized what I was really meant to do.

Luckily, the career change from performance to design still allowed for me to find inspiration through watching these awards ceremonies.  I am shamelessly fascinated with observing the looks that my favorite actresses (or their stylists) have chosen for the red carpet, and last night's Golden Globes were no exception.  As I sat on the couch with notebook and pen in hand feverishly scribbling notes like the dork that I am, I settled on five particular looks that stood out to me as favorites.

Zooey Deschanel was the overall style winner in my opinion.  She wore a seriously stunning black custom Prada gown, paired with an elegant green beaded Prada clutch and simple black satin platform pumps (also Prada!).  I can't stop looking at the bodice detail of the dress, with all that black and green glass beaded goodness.  And how cute is that ivory embroidered collar?!  I love that she wore her hair down, and her makeup was flawless. The best part, though, might have been her tuxedo manicure, which she posted on her Instagram:

In terms of my own personal style, Claire Danes' J. Mendel dress wasn't necessarily a piece I'd normally go for, but something about the whole look really struck me.  I loved how the clean lines and simple two-tone black and white were contrasted with the harder, metallic detailing of the shoulders and the back.  The design somehow managed to be both edgy and classic, and it totally worked with her red lips and simple, swept back hair.  So pretty.  

I really fell in love with how fresh and elegant Jessica Alba looked in this lilac Gucci gown and super glamorous Bulgari jewelry.  Her look was understated but in a magical sort of way, with all those layers of sparkled detailing falling over draped fabric.  I'm not usually one for matchy-matchy, but her muted lilac lipstick - which was almost exactly the same shade as the dress - looked perfect with her thick upper lashes.  She nailed it.

Despite the abundance of tweets comparing Michelle Williams' look to those of their grandmothers on Twitter last night, I thought she looked absolutely adorable in a purple velvet Jason Wu gown and jeweled black satin headband.  Michelle is one of my biggest style icons, because she embraces a unique look that isn't derived from whatever happens to be on trend.  Her minimal makeup and simple stud earrings looked so radiant paired with that dress, and she was always smiling!  Plus, did you see her acceptance speech?  She was so humble and thanked her daughter above all else, which was just about the sweetest thing ever.  Love her. 

And I just had to give a shout out to the amazing Livia Firth, who for the third awards ceremony in a row, chose to walk the red carpet in an eco-friendly gown.  Her timeless black and white dress was designed by Armani using fabric from recycled plastic bottles, and commenced her 2012 Green Carpet Challenge.  Through this challenge, Firth has recruited some pretty big names (hello Chanel, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, Paul Smith, Valentino and Alberta Ferretti!) to participate in creating sustainable gowns for awards season.  I thought she looked incredibly graceful in the strapless bias cut gown, which she paired with some other stunning eco-conscious pieces: vintage Damiani earrings, and a recycled gold and conflict-free Alberto Parada ring.  You rock Livia.  For reals.


Did you pay attention to the Golden Globes red carpet?  If so, what were your favorite looks?

Images sources from top: Wireimage, Getty, Getty, Getty, LA Times/Ecoteurre