Style wrap: trends, triumphs and scandals
In our weekly fashion wrap, we pay tribute to the sartorial efforts of Hollywood stars (or their stylists), break down the latest trends and say “better luck next time” those who got it horribly wrong.
• Style wrap: JHawk and Amy Schumer face off and Blake Lively gets fishy
Here’s how we called it this week.
Style scandal: Katy Perry’s sunflowers cause a stir
Pop star Katy Perry wanted to make a statement with her Prismatic Tour costumes, but perhaps not in the political sense.
The songstress caused a stir during her stop in Taiwan on April 28, sporting a dress with a double meaning to the Taiwanese people.
Perry took to the stage wearing a gown covered in sunflowers – a symbol of the Sunflower Student Movement, a protest which took place in Taiwan last March.
Perry also draped the Taiwanese flag over her shoulders.
A newspaper in Taipei features an article about Perry’s controversial costume. Photo: AAP
The Sunflower Student Movement protested the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement, a free trade agreement between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan which Taiwanese people believed would hurt their economy.
The costume, which has been a part of the tour since it began, divided opinion in China.
While some Taiwanese people found Perry’s costume “touching”, some Chinese media censored the dress and many felt it was anti-China.
Katy Perry wore sunflowers and a #Taiwan national flag on stage at her concert yesterday. You’re my hero Katy! pic.twitter.com/xU3B5E5zwI
— Formosa Nation (@FormosaNation) April 28, 2015
It is unclear whether Perry’s statement was intentional and the singer is yet to comment.
Trend report: brown lipstick
Kylie Jenner – she of the impressively large lips and huge social media following – has started another bizarre beauty trend.
Last week, it was the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge, which saw teens putting their lips into shot glasses and using suction to make them appear swollen.
Now, the 17-year-old has inspired a slightly more achievable look, sharing a photo of herself rocking brown lipstick on Instagram.
While Jenner will undoubtedly be the one who popularises the trend, she’s not the first celebrity to sport chocolate lips.
The trend has been spotted on runways and Beyonce adopted the look at last year’s Costume Institute Met Gala.
L-R: Brown lipstick on the runway, on Beyonce in 2014 and on model Chrissy Teigen this year.
While the look can add edge and moodiness to an otherwise plain outfit, it also has the potential to make you look like you’ve overindulged at Haigh’s.
Interested in trying the look yourself? Start with a nicely bronzed base (the colour can wash you out) and keep the rest of your makeup subtle. Or stick to failsafe red lips.
Best dressed of the week
Jenna Dewan-Tatum, also known as Mrs Channing Tatum, is proof that a bit of old-school glamour never goes astray.
While her contemporaries sport mesh panelling, skin-tight latex or short skirts, Dewan-Tatum kept things ladylike in this elegant Reem Acra gown at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
Extra points for that perfectly-coiffed updo and apple red lipstick.
Worst dressed of the week
Usually the picture of sophisticated sexiness, Jennifer Lopez threw the rule book in the rubbish and lit it on fire at the Billboard Latin Music Awards this week.
Her red carpet look – a white pantsuit reminiscent of Britney Spears in her heyday – was a little too skintight, while her flamboyant performance outfit was even worse.
The verdict? Lady Gaga does flamenco dancer. Not a great combo.