The BAFTAs 2012 Red Carpet Illustrated

I love a bit of red carpet frock watching as much as the next fashion fan, but I get a bit sick of the same bunch of photos doing the rounds every year when awards season rolls round. So to try something a bit different, for the 2012 BAFTA Awards, which took place in London last night, I asked a group of  artists to choose their favourite red carpet look and create a fashion illustration. I’m thrilled with the results, I love how the illustrators have interpreted the actresses outfits so creatively. Here’s what they came up with.

Meryl Streep in Vivienne Westwood by Amber Grayson. Visit Amber’s website.

Meryl Streep took home the best actress BAFTA for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. She wore Vivienne Westwood, and with her reddish hair and this classic corseted number I think she actually looked quite like Dame Westwood herself, in a good way though.

Bonnie Wright in vintage by Naomi Austin. Visit Naomi’s Facebook page.

Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright looked quite dressed down in comparison to some of the other glammed up guests but I really like this navy vintage polka dot dress which she teamed with Prada accessories. And she gets points for sensibleness, keeping out the cold with those black tights – temperatures weren’t much above freezing in London last night.

Gillian Anderson in Sybil Connolly by Naomi Austin. Visit Naomi’s Facebook page.

Gillian Anderson, on the other hand, admitted she was totally freezing in her strapless gown. It’s a beauty though, by Irish designer Sybil Connolly.

Fearne Cotton in Moschino by Hilary Killam. Visit Hilary’s website.

Fearne Cotton took a quick turn on the red carpet before taking her place to interview the nominees. I’m a big fan of Moschino and I think this dress is pretty perfect for her – it’s glamorous enough for an awards event but it’s still got a hint of whimsy with the little black bow, and she’s well covered up which is sensible (is it weird that I’m so worried about these girls being cold? Maybe it’s cos they’re all so skinny, with no flesh to keep them warm!).

Miss Piggy in Louis Vuitton by Hilary Killam. Visit Hilary’s website.

The Muppet matriarch Miss Piggy was interviewing stars as they arrived on the red carpet but she managed to give them a run for their money fashion wise in her custom Louis Vuitton dress.

Tilda Swinton in Celine by Gareth A Hopkins. Visit Gareth’s website.

You can always expect something brilliant and unusual from Tilda Swinton at an awards do and she didn’t disappoint last night. Not quite as fiercely androgynous as usual, she went for a stark white Celine maxi skirt and crop top combination. Good work Swinton.

Michelle Williams in H&M by Lizzie Donegan. Visit Lizzie’s website.

Fashion folk on Twitter were getting very excited at the fact that there was going to be a high street brand on the red carpet. But Michelle Williams outdid plenty of other designer-clad A-listers in her dress from H&M Conscious, the Swedish retailer’s ethical range. Nothing sure what she carrying though – is it a book? Is it a bag? Maybe we’ll never know.

Gillian Anderson in Sybil Connolly by Jo Ley. Visit Jo’s website.

Gillian Anderson was a popular choice amongst the illustrators because Jo Ley also chose to illustrate the actress in her delicate Sybil Connolly dress with mille-feuille pleats. ‘I’m not surprised, everyone loves Scully,’ Jo said. I totally agree, she looked amazing.

Do it like a dude – Tycoon Neckwear and this season’s androgyny

2011 has been all about androgyny – from Andrej Pejic taking star turns on the Paris catwalks, to the laid-back tomboyish style seen at Celine and Stella McCartney for spring/summer 2012.

There’s nothing I would love more than to curl up in my boyfriend’s old dress-shirts – or throw on a pair of cigarette pants and channel my inner Katherine Hepburn for the night. Yet every time I seem to trial the trend, I keep running into the same problem. Or to be more precise, two problems.

Having a sizeable bosom may have made me the object of envy at school, but I do not make a convincing tomboy. Here’s a few reason’s why:

1)    Braces – not the clown type, but a slim-line black pair teamed with a crisp white shirt. The desired effect: 20s dandy, by way of YSL. The reality: Someone has just paint-rollered black lines across my chest, and made it scream ‘LOOK, I have HUGE BOOBS!’

2)    High-Waisted Trousers – think Diana Keaton, circa Annie Hall. The desired effect: gamine tomboy. The reality: emphasises that my chest can double up as a bookshelf. Handy.

3)    Tails - nothing cries tomboyish nonchalance as much as a man’s tailcoat. The desired effect: Bright Young Thing. The reality: Slutty showgirl.

With my experiments coming over less Katharine Hepburn and more Katie Price, I was ready to draw a line under this trend. That was until the clever lot at the Nest Blog introduced me to Tycoon Neckwear.

The brainchild of Madelyn Somers, the company recycles vintage mens ties into bespoke bow ties and retails from £40 upwards. Her quirky designs may not be everyone’s cup of tea but they are gorgeous statement pieces, and have been snapped up by the likes of Janelle Monae and Spanish Vogue.

So simple and a confident nod to the tomboy trend. My two friends have never been happier.