By Isiah Magsino

Despite fashion month nearing its end with the opening of Paris Fashion Week, America’s fashion moments have yet to subside. The Oscars happened in the city of broken dreams, Los Angeles, California.

If the runway shows seen during fashion month are considered art, then the Oscars’ red carpet should be considered entertainment. Corny? Maybe. What is not entertaining about the Oscars is the anticipation of whether your favorite actors and actresses will make successful fashion statements or go down in history as fashion faux pas.

This year’s red carpet proved that 2019 is destined to be a good year. I was prepared to have my snarky phrases and negative feedback aimed and fired at the stars’ decisions for the evening, but I was taken aback. The majority of stars (and their stylists) seemed capable of pulling off good ensembles.

Similar to New York Fashion Week, this year’s Oscars red carpet consisted of stars from polar opposite sides of the spectrum. These sides meaning either traditional (staying away from any sort of prints or flashy fabrics) or eccentric (making an it-statement). Beginning with the latter side of the spectrum, Gemma Chan and Kacey Musgraves embodied a pink-princess statement. I have always been a fan of large gowns that make someone look like they reside in a French chateau surrounded by Renaissance paintings and red roses. This fantastical setting is most fitting to both Chan, who arrived in a pink Valentino couture dress detailed with Bulgari jewelry, and Musgraves, who wore a pink Giambattista organza-silk gown.

However, Chan and Musgraves were not the only stars spotted wearing playful colors on the red carpet. It seemed as though pink was the color of choice for the event as several other stars, such as Sarah Paulson from “American Horror Story” and Jason Momoa from “Aquaman,” who also appeared in variations of the color.

Speaking of Jason Momoa and the men of the night, men’s fashion seemed to be going in full throttle. Though many stars were not as daring as Chadwick Boseman (who played off of his regal “Black Panther” character accurately), it was exciting to see many men stray away from the boring black-and-white tux. Don’t get me wrong, a black-and-white tux is not necessarily the end of the world. But as a celebrity? You are famous. You have money. Hire a stylist, or invest in Givenchy.

Anyway, men seemed to have found color, as stars such as Chris Evans, Michael B. Jordan and Paul Rudd appeared in colors other than black and white. Ultimately, David Oyelowo took the night in his custom-made, red-velvet Etro tuxedo. There is no doubt in my mind that he was breaking a sweat in that outfit. But all for a good cause, right?

My only disappointment (aside from whatever Pharrell Williams was wearing) was Rami Malek. The heartthrob did not look bad, but he played it safe, appearing in (what was disdainfully mentioned before) a black-and-white tux.

I was hoping audiences would get to see the version of Malek from the 2017 Met Gala, when the actor showed up in an all-red tuxedo ensemble. There is always next year, though.

Overall, I did not know about who was nominated for what or any of that part of the evening. But it was incredible to see this year’s red carpet fashion moving harmoniously in the right direction. Bravo to the stars, and a bigger bravo to the stylists behind the scenes.