Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars gathered on January 5th at the 82nd Golden Globes Ceremony to kick off the 2025 awards season. It was a night full of laughs, heartfelt speeches, and extraordinary talents. To learn more about the awards check out Kenzie McCormick’s story, “The 82nd Golden Globes: Strong Wins, Moving Speeches, and Unforgettable Moments.” Before the ceremony began all eyes were on the red carpet. Many stars showed up in gorgeous looks, while others showed up in outfits we wish we could forget. Let’s start from my top 5 best looks from the big night.
Kate Hudson was the picture of elegance in a strapless navy gown embellished with 3D rose accents and sequins designed by Carolina Herrera. She accessorised with a stunning jeweled pendant from Bulgari with a sapphire blue stone inspired by the necklace in the movie Titanic. Her hair was styled in a bun with face framing pieces to show off the necklace and strapless neckline of the gown.
Demi Moore had a winning night both at the awards and on the red carpet. While taking home the Golden Globe for Best Female Actor, she stunned in a structured, metallic Armani Privé gown. The metallic gold was a nice homage to the golden theme, but the structure and mermaid skirt of the dress made the look stand out. Moore’s hair looked stunning left down with some simple curls.
Cynthia Erivo has been serving stunning looks over the span of the Wicked press tour and she continued the trend at The Golden Globes. Her custom Louis Vuitton gown had a sculptural structure that was eye-catching in the right way. The black gown was embellished with rhinestones in various floral prints. A hot topic on the red carpet was Erivo’s nails covered in gems and various colors. The Wicked star told reporters her manicure took five hours prior to the event.
Nikki Glaser was the host of this year’s Golden Globes and was a star both onstage and on the red carpet. She had many outfit changes throughout the ceremony, but she first hit the red carpet in a gorgeous custom gold Prabal Gurung gown, which she paired with jewelry from Buccellati. Satin was a popular trend at the awards this year and Glaser’s look is the perfect example of how it can be simple yet stunning.
Sofia Vergara’s look on the red carpet proved that sometimes less is more. There have been plenty of black dresses worn to award shows and it can start to get repetitive. However, Vergara turned heads in this sparkling look from Georges Chakra’s fall 2024 collection. The body-con silhouette accompanied by the mermaid skirt really made the gown stand out and the 140 carat diamond necklace she wore tied the whole look together.
Many stars brought their A-game on the red carpet, but not every star can pull it off. Some of the worst dressed individuals are extremely talented, however their fashion was not a reflection of their star quality. Let’s take a look at my 5 worst dressed of the night.
Ali Wong might’ve won at the awards, but she did not win on the red carpet. The comedian wore a red feathered Balenciaga gown paired with black opera gloves. It is risky to wear red on the red carpet as you risk the outfit blending in and losing its figure. I feel as though that is what happened with this dress. However, that’s not the only problem with this look. The structure of the gown looks awkward and the neckline is not flattering. The opera gloves stand out against the red gown, looking tacky and tasteless, and landing this look on the worst dressed list.
Glenn Close arrived in a Balmain dress with a story behind it. The writing on the dress was described as a “love letter” to the 2025 Golden Globes viewers. While the sweet gesture can be appreciated, the execution was just not there. The body of the dress itself is not an issue, however, the neckline with the shoulder pads and the sleeves that end with gloves makes the figure get lost and look awkward. The black tights make the slit of the dress blend in, masking the structure and leaving the look unflattering. However, one positive thing about this look is the fabulous platform Christain Louboutin pumps paired with the dress. Without the black tights, they would probably stand out and bring an extra glow to the ensemble.
Kerry Washington shines on screen, but she unfortunately did not shine on this year’s red carpet. Washington wore a neon pink dress from Balenciaga’s spring 2025 collection. The bright color of this dress was too much for this event and the structure of the dress was not flattering. It almost gave the illusion of a sheet being wrapped around her body and leaving an awkward train behind. Similar to Ali Wong’s look, Washington paired the dress with black opera gloves that stood out in a tacky manner. This look has a way of being conventionally simple, but the color is overpowering. She wore her hair in a loose low ponytail that took away from the structure of her facial features. It looked messy and unflattering, which is not the style the event calls for.
Isabella Rossellini wore a red Dolce & Gabbana dress embellished in intricate patterns and with a sheer red cape in the back. Once again wearing red on a red carpet is a risky idea, and everything about this look blends in with the carpet. The structure of this dress is already boring and doesn’t do much, but when you add the cape the whole look blends and make it appear very rectangular. Especially with the high neckline, this dress looks like it might as well be part of the carpet. The only good choice with this look was styling her hair in an up-do so she was not completely lost in the dress.
Jeremy Strong attended the Golden Globes in a teal velvet suit designed by Loro Piana. My substantial issue is not the suit, but the matching bucket hat paired with it. It makes the ensemble look like it has too much going on and is too pedestrian for a glamorous event like the Golden Globes. The square sunglasses also seemed unnecessary with this suit. It is appreciated that a man is taking risks on the red carpet and not falling into the familiar pattern of wearing a black suit, however this look could have been executed better. Without the hat and sunglasses, the suit would have looked nice and Jeremy Strong would not have ended up on the worst dressed list.
The Golden Globes was the first ceremony to kick off the 2025 Awards season. This red carpet could be the start of fashion “do’s and don’ts” for the new year. It sets the tone for award ceremonies to come and even the most iconic fashion event of the year, The Met Gala, coming up in May. Some of these trends could be things to look out for in the future, and maybe some of the fashion “don’ts” will end up becoming trends in the next few years. Either way, the red carpet is more than just fashion, it is an art form of expression and culture that has a deeper meaning than just clothes.
