The Lohanaissance Is Delivering Fashion

It’s yet another devastating reminder that, while queer people are simply trying to live, insidious forces will stop at nothing to take anything they can from us — in the most devastating instances, even our lives. The record number of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, the book bans, the “Don’t Say Gay” bills and anti-trans rhetoric from politicians, it’s all connected. Let us stay vigilant as we ponder Thuman’s very real inquiry: What are we going to do now?

Dove Cameron on Queer Visibility

There’s too much going on. Between the EMAs and the AMAs and the GQ Men of the Year Awards and the BAFTA Scotland Awards and the opening night of Thierry Mugler: Couturissime and the Disney+ "Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium" Yellow Brick Road event (not to mention a myriad of film premiere red carpets), in-person events are thriving once more. It’s a lot.

Related | Mugler's Brooklyn Exhibit Party Was a Catsuit Convention

I could tell you about the latest, last night’s AMA red carpet, but it would be a lot like describing the 2022 VMAs, which had me in a perennial state of “huh?” and “who that?” Pink wore vintage Bob Mackie, that much I know! Tinashe wore Marc Jacobs. Kim Petras wore Bluemarine. Taylor Swift wore The Blonds. Flo Milli wore Nensi Dojaka. But the real stand-out moment of the night did not happen on the carpet, and it wasn’t during a performance, either. Instead, it was Dove Cameron’s speech.

“Every award that I ever win will always first and foremost be dedicated to the queer community at large,” Cameron said, wearing Marc Jacobs. “You guys have carved out such a space for me to be myself and to write music about it and I’ve never felt safer or more loved or more supported and I hope I can give you some semblance of that same feeling in my music. On the heels of the tragedy at Club Q in Colorado Springs, I want to remind everyone how important queer visibility is and how important our community is... I want to remind you that you are made absolutely right and you are so loved and so held and I want to thank you for supporting me, thank you for holding the space. I’m holding it for you, too.”

Awards Season Kicks Off In Style

I’ll admit, the Governors Awards weren’t big on my radar up until now. Perhaps it’s their three-year absence (the last go-round was November 2019); perhaps it’s that it’s untelevised or perhaps it’s the Met Gala-fication of awards show that renders once-industry events (see: The Critics Choice Awards) into glitzy opportunities for photo opps and celeb-on-celeb schmoozing. And though we don’t yet have our Academy Award nominees, many in attendance are perceived to be top possible contenders, thus making this ceremony the unofficial kick-off of the now five-month-long awards season. Cate Blanchett, Viola Davis, Michelle Yeoh, Michelle Williams and Jennifer Lawrence were all in attendance and all are considered front-runners for Best Actress. Let’s get into the gowns!

Blanchett re-wore an asymmetric ivory Alexander McQueen dress finished with a deconstructed tailored jacket. Viola Davis, too, re-wore her custom silk faille Christopher John Rogers dress that was first seen on the actress on the cover of the Hollywood Reporter and then in the most recent issue of Harper’s Bazaar. Michelle Yeoh wore pale yellow Bottega Veneta from Matthieu Blazy’s Spring 2023 collection. Meanwhile, Michelle Williams wore Christian Dior Fall 2022 Couture and Jennifer Lawrence (no surprise here) wore Christian Dior Spring 2023 RTW.

Other stand-outs included Elizabeth Debicki in Bottega, Gabrielle Union in Prada, Florence Pugh in Victoria Beckham, Olivia Wilde in Erdem, Mindy Kaling in Versace, Keke Palmer in Robert Wun and the top toot of the night: Taylor Russell in Schiaparelli.

The Lohanaissance Is Delivering Fashion

I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all been grading Lindsay Lohan’s first film in over a decade, Falling for Christmas, on a curve. Call it an overwhelming amount of pent-up goodwill for the film’s star or our collective cultural smooth-braining brought about by our government’s response to COVID-19, but a swath of critics seems unable to call this film what it is... a film that’s mostly a launching pad for Lohan’s next career phase. To the film’s credit, I’m not entirely convinced it was trying to be anything other than that. And yet, Rolling Stone called it a “healthy dollop of Christmas camp,” while Variety commented that its “subversive spirit, female-forward smarts and sweet sentimentality remix the formulaic and festive, making all things merry and bright.” All things? Which things specifically? Name them.

Regardless, a new Lindsay Lohan movie means a new Lindsay Lohan press tour. And this one has been made extra delicious thanks to image architect Law Roach, who has outfitted Lohan in a number of stand-out looks from Akris to Versace to Valentino (not to be confused with Valenyagi, the made-up-for-no-reason brand featured in the film).

Lohan and Roach actually have a pretty interesting backstory that led us to this collaboration. At the 2019 Met Gala, Zendaya showed up at the Camp: Notes on Fashion-themed affair dressed as Cinderella in a ballgown courtesy of Tommy Hillfiger. Lohan, for no discernable reason, took to Instagram to point out that actress Claire Danes had already worn a Cinderella-style dress, courtesy of Zac Posen, to the 2016 event. “@clairedanes you wore this dress so beautifully, I don't know why someone thinks that they can be more chic. Ever," she wrote in an Instagram comment. At the time, Zendaya gave a comment to The Daily Telegraph: "I didn't feel hurt by it and it didn't make me sad because I have no idea what that person is going through. Maybe in some strange way, that comment made them feel better that day. People are only negative because negativity is eating away at them.” When asked about Lohan’s comments on a red carpet, Roach pulled from the Mariah Carey dictionary, which includes words like acquiescent and imprudently and responded: “I don’t know her.”

Well, I’m glad these days he does, because Roach is the perfect stylist for Lohan in this moment. Although Lohan has the fashion cred (hello former Ungaro creative director), she’s been out of the game for some time (save for an appearance at Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2019 show in Paris). Roach has the clientele, the relationships and the creative eye to lead Lohan into her next fashion era. I’m not here for the film, but very much here for Lohan’s next move — and I’m glad it will likely include Roach along with it.

Welcome to "Wear Me Out," a column by pop culture fiend Evan Ross Katz that takes a deep dive into celebrity dressing. From award shows and movie premieres to grocery store runs, he'll keep you up to date on what your favorite celebs have recently worn to the biggest and most inconsequential events.

Image via Getty/ Bryan Bedder