The New Fashionistas: Men of Award Season 2024 Take Center Stage
The awards season’s red carpets give viewers a chance to see the next sartorial masterpiece or fashion nightmare. Many celebrities wear innovative styles that redefine, influence, and reinterpret contemporary fashion. When done right, it is sensational. Over the last few months, Colman Domingo, Robert Downey, Jr., and Taylor Zakhar Perez captivated us by wearing meticulously curated outfits that expressed their unique personalities and challenged tradition. Each one of these gentlemen successfully navigated through fashion pitfalls expressing their personal style visually, uniquely, and authentically.
Now, they have my attention for what I call Fashion as Wellness.
The key elements to outstanding fashion are choices that accentuate your assets. Your chosen clothes should fit well, enhance your skin and eye color, and minimize any shortcomings. When it looks effortless, and appears to be an extension of the wearer’s personality, it illustrates the working of genius.
There is not much to choose from in traditional menswear. It is not colorful, stylish, or up with any trend. Usually, the best outfits are well-tailored and constructed and composed of black, white, blue, and gray fabrics and tones.
Why are Colman, Robert, and Taylor my three favorites? They were outstanding. Besides avoiding some of contemporary fashion’s pitfalls, they took risks. They are our next fashionistas.
Coleman Domingo
Colman Domingo is a breath of fresh air. He embodies a style that is undeniably chic and fashion forward. His outfits are authentic expression of his personality. In the world of men’s fashion, he stands out for his effortless blending of bold colors, luxurious textures, and gorgeous accessories. Seeing him this award season, we can learn that fashion is a celebration of life. With it, you can be bold and let your creativity tell a story.
Academy Awards
Colman wore a stunning black Louis Vuitton tuxedo to the 96th Annual Academy Awards. This expertly tailored tuxedo was accentuated by crystal floral buttons, flared pants, and dazzling cowboy boots. The traditional black bowtie was replaced by a David Truman brooch. Colman said he wanted to shine like a diamond. He did. Flawlessly.
Critics’ Choice Awards
Colman wore a mustard gold ensemble by Valentino Haute Couture to the 29th Annual Critics’ Choice awards. A spectacular ensemble of matching suit, gold textured coat, and shiny gold boots created a look that was regal like a king.
Golden Globes
Colman wore a custom Louis Vuitton suit to the 81st Golden Globes, proving yet again his regal sartorial style, His black tuxedo featured a mandarin collar accented by pearl buttons, brooches, and black loafers. His style redefines modern day menswear.
Robert Downey, Jr.
Robert Downey, Jr. epitomizes a blend of charisma, personality, and confidence on the red carpet. Each look is transformed into a bold expression of his personality. Meticulous tailoring shows off his distinct style and physique, thus making a commitment to being authentically himself.
Academy Awards
A beautiful, tailored blazer by Saint Laurent was worn by Robert for the Oscars. This customized black jacket featured wide notch lapel collars, an open front, and structural assets. The look contained quintessential elements owned by Robert, including his signature tinted shades and black dress shoes. Embellished by a silver brooch, this winning look exuded confidence and authenticity.
Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards
Robert showed off a unique Fendi suit at the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. This uniquely crafted suit featured two front panels, which added to the design’s sophistication. It was paired with a peach button-down shirt and black boots accented in peach. His wrist featured a handsome a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch. Congratulations to the man who has, thanks to his recent performance in Oppenheimer, taken home more awards than envelopes from which he has read.
Golden Globe Awards
Robert donned a custom-tailored suit by Dior for the 81st Golden Globe Awards. This deep plum and burgundy double-breasted suit featured notch lapels, a matching shirt with tie, and black leather lace-up boots. This color tone is unique for menswear and looks smashing on him. This tone enhances Robert’s skin and hair and makes a striking fashion moment. As he does at all awards ceremonies and industry events, Robert paired his elegance with his radiant wife, Susan. A successful producer in her own right, this most important person to Robert is a partner in his success.
Taylor Zakhar Perez
Taylor Zakhar Perez has captivated the fashion world with his modern take on classic designs. He combines skin-enhancing color, well-cut fit, and classic tailoring to make contemporary something that is expected (and possibly dated). Perez’s choices offer a fresh perspective that strikes a balance between timeless sophistication and modern flair. His bold choices are setting a new standard in men’s fashion today.
Academy Awards
Taylor wore a blue Prada suit to this year’s Academy Awards. This beautiful blue was a sharp contrast to a black shirt, silk bow tie, and black patent leather shoes. The outfit wins via classic design and an inventive use of color. The two-toned lapel modernizes the traditional, and blends seamlessly with the shirt. The choice of color and tailoring works for Taylor and makes an elegant statement in modern day menswear.
Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards
Adding a modern approach to elegance, Taylor wore a navy-blue Louis Vuitton tuxedo to the 30th Annual SAG Awards. This beautifully tailored double-breasted jacket with matching pants featured extra wide lapels. This customization of a classic tuxedo gave it a modern look, along with sophisticated elegance. Completing the look was a sharp white shirt, sans bowtie. Vuitton created a complete ensemble, which allowed Taylor to shine as our newest leading man.
Independent Spirit Awards
Looking regal in red, Taylor wore a dashing red suit by Alexander McQueen for the independent Spirit Awards. This bold color choice was another risk taken during the award season. The warm red goes well with his hair, skin, and eye color. The outfit is an example of how menswear can be bold, beautiful, colorful, and stylish.
Positivity + Personality + Style + Fashion = Fashion as Wellness
Colman, Robert, and Taylor triumphed in their expressions of their personal style, marking a new era in red carpet fashion. Together, they have expressed their style and personality, visually, uniquely, and authentically. This inspires us all to wear our clothing as a positive expression of who we are so we can be triumphant with our sartorial choices. Selecting fashion that complements our features and expresses our personality makes us shine brighter than a diamond. When doing so, we exist as examples of Fashion as Wellness.
Aristotle may have had Jeffrey Paul in mind when he said, “Art completes what nature cannot bring to finish.” Jeffrey is an award-winning makeup artist and hairstylist. For 20 years and counting, he is Hollywood’s and Bollywood's go-to artist for celebrities, film festivals, red carpets, fashion, and movie PR. He is a resource for makeup artists, beauty columns fashion & beauty blogs as well as beauty magazines including ELLE, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, and beauty how-to books. Additionally, he is a chef, perfumer, writer, wellness advocate, beauty advisor, leader in Sufi and beauty meditations groups, and a practicing Dervish. Jeffrey believes that today's world has prompted everyone to have a deeper reverence for life and nature. His passion for truth, accompanied by an exploration into spirituality, has led him to create a new perspective in the beauty world. Through a blend of aesthetics and wellbeing, Jeffrey created a new paradigm called Beauty as Wellness, which includes the in-development Fragrance as Wellness. Jeffrey teaches people how to look deep into the world of beauty, which includes all types of fragrance, find tools to infuse and support a healthy life. This spiritual adventurer currently lives in Los Angeles. He spends time on the east coast to look after his parents. Follow him on Instagram – @theperfumeyogi, @fragranceaswellness, @jeffreypaulbeauty – and see him being a hair and makeup artist who seeks, and presents, the soulful expression of beauty.