Why didn’t people clap for Mad Max costume designer Jenny Beavan?
Embed from Getty Images Jenny Beavan took the home the Oscar for Best Costume Design for Mad Max: Fury Road last Sunday. As soon as she hit the stage, my girlfriend in New York shot out a group email saying, “How bad@ss is it the Best Costume Designer is wearing a leather jacket?” We all sent back cyber fist bumps. Apparently, the glitterati of Hollywood did not share our enthusiasm. As Jenny walked victorious to the stage, a number of high ranking entertainment industry folks either looked dismayed or withheld applause. The soon-to-be Best Director Alejandro Iñárritu even folded his arms across his chest. The question is, were his actions sour grapes that his designer for the The Revenant lost or did all the haut monde feel Jenny was too casual for their fancy dress party: What gives? Some of Hollywood’s biggest talents refused to clap for Mad Max: Fury Road costume designer Jenny Beavan on Sunday, February 28, as she walked up to the Dolby Theatre stage to accept her Academy Award — and the reason why they didn’t applaud her is even worse. Beavan broke away from the Oscars’ traditional dress code at the 88th awards ceremony, proudly grinning and walking down the aisle in a leather jacket (complete with a studded skull on the back) and a striped scarf. As she walked by, several audience members glowered and gave her judgmental looks. Four-time-Oscar-winning director Alejandro Iñárritu crossed his arms and glared, while Spotlight director Tom McCarthy touched his face with a confused expression. Other members of the audience were seen giggling and smiling before raising their hands to belatedly clap for the recipient. [From Us Weekly] This jacket is looking to take down Awards Season. This is the same jacket, minus the bedazzled Skull of Awesome, Jenny wore to the BAFTAs when Stephen Fry joked, “Only one of the great cinematic costume designers would come to an awards ceremony dressed as a bag lady,” after she’d won for Max. Twitter attacked him and he quit Twitter saying, “Will all you sanctimonious f****** f*** the f*** off Jenny Beavan is a friend and joshing is legitimate. Christ I want to leave the planet.” After the BAFTAs, Jenny said she wasn’t comfortable in a gown and her bad back prohibited heels. Then she quipped, “… This was a homage to Mad Max and I obviously didn’t get it quite right at the Baftas, the scarf was meant to be an oil rag.” The best news? The jacket is not only faux-leather but currently on sale at Marks and Spencer for about $60. I am not saying Oscar fashion isn’t important; I salivate over the gowns and rush to read the commentary on this website as quickly as you do. But Jenny wasn’t asked to present, she wasn’t loaned a gown or even interviewed on the red carpet; she had the luxury to wear something more comfortable. Fellow nominee Sandy Powell made a statement with a David Bowie inspired suit and all that got her was Juliana Ranic and Kris Jenner misidentifying her as Tilda Swinton. Designer Jacqueline Durran wore a long denim tied-front jacket to accept her Oscar in 2013 and in 1995 Lizzy Gardiner infamously wore a dress made of American Express Gold cards. Sure Jenny could have paired her jacket with silk palazzos but I stick with my girlfriend’s original assessment – it was bad@ss. Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Photo Credit: Getty Images and WENN Photos