Red Carpet: Goodbye Gowns?

Is it the demise of the gown? Big-time fashion and film events like the Oscars, Golden Globes, the Met gala and now Cannes have made gowns an almost de rigueur fashion choice for all of the A-listers present. Yet recently, some ladies have dared to be different and have sported ultra-glam dresses that show more than a little leg.

In Cannes, Eva Longoria ditched a floor-length number for this intricate Ferragamo ensemble.

At the Met gala, Diane Kruger looked undeniably fabulous in an Alberta Ferretti mini-dress. Jessica Stam also went the leggy route in Proenza Schouler, as did Thandie Newton in Chanel.

Jourdan Dunn, Eugena Silva, Caroline Trentini, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jennifer Connolly, seemingly anyone who wore Balenciaga, and Kate Bosworth in vintage Chanel (one of my favorites from the night) all ditched their gowns and showed off their gams.

So, to go back to my original point, is the gown on the way out? Probably not just yet—it remains the favoured look for most attendees at the super-glam events. But with the increasing prevalence of these minis, tea-length dresses and peek-a-boo/asymmetrical hemlines, we just might see more and more fashion-forward celebs ditching floor-length hems for something considerably higher.