SDMAS 2020 CARPET REVIEW

The 2020 holiday season is officially upon us, and with it comes the annual SDmas event hosted by renowned socialites Umut, Melek, and Berke - a festive evening of togetherness complete a with merry red carpet, where members of our beloved SDFB community put their best fashion foot forward (with varying results).

As per my recent BEA Carpet review, I once again hand selected my five best looks, five worst looks, and a few honourable mentions of the night. A reminder that these are solely my opinions and ultimately have absolutely no value whatsoever - any and all emotional damage is not covered by our insurance, so please proceed with caution. 

(PSA: all looks featured were designed by the person wearing them, unless stated otherwise. None of the criticism is based on the quality of the graphics, but rather the look itself.)

BEST OF THE NIGHT;

 

DARLAH

Kicking things off with hands down my favourite look of the entire evening; angel faced Darlah Rivera wiped the floor clean with every last attendee in an immaculate muted-pistachio green silk gown by Fanny Liuatard, made by Banksy in collaboration with herself. At an event cluttered with overzealous and redundant seen-before dresses, Darlah instead taps into a sense of style-ingenuity, sporting a design by an uber-chic bridal-wear designer — shedding the desire to don a big name brand, and rather presenting a look which, at it’s core, is simplistic, effortless, and massively effective. The laid back styling and overall ethereal energy of this ensemble favourably separates it from the fold with suave ease, and denotes just how well minimalism can work when pulled off carefully and articulately. 

 

KIEDIS

It is near impossible to fumble a delicate crossover of two romance-driven brands such as Chanel and Vivienne Westwood, and Kiedis Ascapter stood strong and subdued in this dreamy ensemble made by Umut. The vampish colour palette speaks in tones of wine red and gently hued greys, complimenting one another so beautifully throughout, propelling us into a soft-core goth reverie riding on an updraft of 90’s nostalgia. The wrap-around fur stole meticulously matches the fur trim of the pointed heels, joined in unison by a miniskirt and evening bag in matching tones, each fleshing out the embroidered rose emblem centred on a flawlessly structured black velvet bodice top. Each aspect of this look ties perfectly into it’s lustful aesthetic and holds itself up as a dark yet amorous take on rich glamour. 

 

SUSIE

Climbing the ranks following her appearance on my worst dressed list for the BEAs, Susie Bannion turned the tables and did what she does best in this gorgeously eclectic Gucci ensemble by Maria and herself. Busy up top with lavish layers of leather and lace, draped in a crystal-trimmed silk bow top and streamlined further down with a pair of pine green monogram trousers, the noisiness of this look forms a rhythmic landslide of both excess and excellence. Maximalism notably favours the brave, and Susie utilised her infamous nerve with just enough cohesion to execute a look that provides the perfect amount of gaudy Gucci goodness, landing this look as one of my favourites of the night. 

 

NICKOLAS

Shifting sweetly from last reviews honourable mentions into this ones best dressed is dynamite in doll-form, Nickolas Travis. Wearing an oversized pale pink Area tuxedo jacket with sparkles galore, by Bambi, dashed with jewels and balancing out the business attire with a pair of feminine fluffy sandals. It is worth noting that the stand-outs of the evening were looks which followed a more relaxed form, and Nickolas showcased this idea beautifully by not overcompensating with a lavish display of regality or drama, but rather appearing understated, streamlined, and certain. While in total contrast to their previous bountiful goddess look at the BEAs, this stripped back and toned down outfit from Nickolas shows us another, more refined side of their indisputable style. 

ARIEL

I have an undying amount of admiration for anyone who pushes a look so far that it transcends taste and finds itself in a realm of it’s own, and Ariel Tanoko did precisely that donning this dizzying look from Palm Angels, by Nihil. The sheer level of chaotic artistry painted onto a calf-length coat, hanging over a set of Prada platform combat boots with patterned trousers tucked in is enough to send me into a state of disarrayed ecstasy which I welcome with open arms. Shrouded in a punk-spiked hood, Ariel tells a tale of archaic nature without even having to say a single word — the garment alone screams at you in barbaric riddles and aggressive flashes of anarchy. Massively appreciated is the fact that the more you look at this outfit, the more you find, and each piece only adds value to the goldmine that it is. 

WORST OF THE NIGHT;

 

MIRKO

Drowning somewhere in the depths of this look, by Stacy James, is Mirko, whom somehow managed to rifle through Galliano’s legendary stint at Dior and pull out one of the most underwhelming garments they could find. Not only does this overly-voluminous silhouette do nothing for anyone, but the colour choice of a drab dirty white  only amplifies the hazardous proportions of a gown that should have been left on the runway. Appalled even further by the choice of shoe, I find myself desperately searching for something that can save this, alas I’m simply left dumbfounded by how anybody could turn up to event in an outfit so painfully dull yet obnoxiously horrible at the same time. 

 

LISA

Making an eye-roll inducing and overly theatrical appearance to the carpet comes Lisa Rosay in a nothing less than botched looking blown up gown by designer Miss Sohee, made by Kiecy. Swarmed by an ambush of bleeding hues and inflated components, Lisa is truly lost in this bizarre ensemble that swallows her up and leaves the viewer wondering which sack of satin to be unnerved by first. Time and time again I find myself so incredibly bored by such overt displays of apparent opulence which ultimately fall flat due to their sloppy nature - this billowing nightmare being no exception. 

CAROLIN

An icy fur stole does not a glamourous look make, especially one with such mediocre girth as worn here by Carolin, juxtaposed so disappointingly by a bland Moda Operandi dress, made by herself. Unflattering folds of dusty blush satin hang over a winterly floral bustier, both of which further clash against glittery platform heels, adorned with pink puffy pom-poms. There’s much to take in with this look, none of it at all pleasant. Simply put, this outfit is a sloppy attempt at something sexy, but with no spice or flavour whatsoever, leaving me with all but a bad taste in my mouth and a concerned sigh of discontent. 

KIM

Where does ones mind immediately go when handed an invitation to a fashionable holiday event? In Kim Banks’ case, apparently it’s to dress as the Christmas tree itself, sans decorations and presumably, taste. Glimmering tiers of ghastly vibrant khaki tower towards an ill-matched Vivienne Westwood choker, melding together two disastrously opposing vibes and only further cheapening the look of this already grim Valentino gown. While this might have been an unarguably on-theme choice of outfit, it reads as poorly thought out and far too on the nose for the event in question.

RAVZAN

Here we see yet another distressing attempt at proving oneself as a fashion outlier, only to end up displaying an embarrassing lack of style and substance — Ravzan desperately tries to prove just how edgy they are by showing out in a sleeved harness and a pair of sweeping pants emblazoned with, well… vaginas. It’s vitally important that the element of shock is used still with an underbelly of direction and commitment, which unfortunately Ravzan brought none of to this Namila look, made by Eli. We get it, you want to show us that you march to the beat of your own drum, but seldom does that mean stepping off-beat for the sake of doing something “different”

HONOURABLE MENTIONS;

 

STACY

The supreme snowy princess Stacy James stuns in an elegant Naeem Khan backless gown, with a tail of furs, paired with earrings by Susie and hair by yours truly. A perfect balance of sultry and style-savvy, this look plateaus perfectly on the right side of sexy. 

BERKE

Co-host of the nights event, Berke Can is an effervescent tangerine dream in this form fitting Galliano suit-dress with a draped over the shoulder blazer and decedent jewels, by Maria. Giving just enough edge with an exposed décolletage and single ribboned sleeve, Berke upholds their status as a connoisseur of fashion finery.

 

UMUT

Ending the evening with a bang; the queen herself, Umut Gülme closes the carpet in an astonishing Dior gown, dripping in icy jewels, complete with an illustrious crown, made by herself, Banksy, and Nihil. While camp at it’s very core, Umut manages to lean into the regality and pure glamour of this ensemble and delivers it with immeasurable grace.


**

There we have it - in the midsts of a hectic holiday season, I’m thrilled to have found the time to dole out even more praise and criticism of my fellow SDFB residents as they trawled down the decked halls of SDMAS under my watchful eye.

Thank you for joining me once again. I’d like to wish you all a happy holidays and a wonderful new year, and until then…

...see you on the other side.

Jailer x