The red carpet is in the navy. Formal fashion’s current fancy has forced the darker side of blue to come to light and to transform into new shapes and forms.
For us, the obsession started when Amber Heard showed up in a one-shouldered navy gown by Atelier Versace to the 2014 Golden Globes. She made the usually stiff and somber color look sultry, sexy, and eye-catching as if it were an intense, fiery shade.
Amber Heard in Atelier Versace at the 71st Annual Golden Globes held at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 12, 2014
Apparently, Amber convinced other celebrities and their stylists to think so as well because navy dresses started sweeping red carpets soon after. Impeccably tailored was the top choice of dress style, which is what designers would naturally pick to match the color’s militaristic, authoritative, and perfectionist vibe.
Jennifer Garner in Max Mara at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on January 18, 2014
Mindy Kaling in David Meister at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on January 18, 2014
Anna Faris in Fitriani at the 56th Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on January 26, 2014
America Ferrera in Badgley Mischka at the premiere of Cesar Chavez at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival held at Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, Germany, on February 12, 2014
But designers, being the creative people that they are, soon wanted to break navy out of its box and decided to use it on dresses with bold prints, elaborate patterns, and intricate textures. Here is navy being risky, adventurous, and brazen; here is navy like you’ve never seen it before.
Brie Larson in Escada at the 19th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on January 16, 2014
Julie Delpy in Romona Keveza at the 19th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on January 16, 2014
Ariel Winter in Badgley Mischka at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on January 18, 2014
Avant-garde pieces? They’ve embraced navy, too. Metallics and gold are usually the colors paired with navy, but Kelly Osbourne demonstrated that purple could also work just as well. Claire Danes, on the other hand, showed that navy could be a stunning centerpiece accent to a black-and-nude dress.
Kelly Osbourne in Zac Posen at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on January 18, 2014
Claire Danes in Vionnet at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on January 18, 2014
With it’s origins in menswear, navy is the chic choice for suits and jumpsuits that have become red carpet dress alternatives for Hollywood’s fashion-forward set.
Ciara in Lanvin Homme at the 2014 MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Carole King event at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California, on January 24, 2014
Alesha Dixon in Three Floor at the Britain’s Got Talent auditions held at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on January 18, 2014
Navy has also surprisingly become a choice for those who prefer traditional or princessy dresses. And you can’t get more princessy than Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who was recently spotted sporting the said hue on one of her characteristically recycled dresses.
Melanie Laurent in Maxime Simoëns at Swiss luxury watches brand IWC Schaffhausen’s exclusive gala commemorating the launch of its new “Aquatimer” watch collection held during Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie 2014 at the Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 21, 2014
Bonnie McKee in Gustavo Cadile at the 56th Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on January 26, 2014
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, in Jenny Packham at “The Portrait Gala 2014: Collecting to Inspire” fundraiser held at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England, on February 11, 2014
This is the new navy, but despite its transformations, we’re happy to see that we can still come back to good ol’ blue.
Credit: Brian To / FayesVision / Apega / Adriana M. Barraza / Iveta Rysava / Frederic / Future Image / Steve Searle / Patrick Hoffmann / WENN
