The best looks from the 2023 BAFTAs

Last night, the Royal Festival Hall at London's Southbank Centre hosted the British Film and Television Academy, honouring the best artists and film works of the past year internationally. The evening was dominated by Edward Berger's German film Nothing New on the Western Front, a re-adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's famous novel, with no less than seven awards (including Best Film, Director and Non-original Screenplay); followed by The Ghosts of the Island and Elvis, both of which won four awards, including Best Leading Actor Austin Butler. In the category for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Cate Blanchett won for Tár, thanking Maison Margiela in a dress that has already been selected for the 2015 Oscars. 

The other big star of the evening, Kate Middleton, also opted for upcycling. She stepped onto the red carpet alongside her husband William, who has been president of the Academy since 2010, in a black velvet dinner jacket by Tom Ford, a creation by Alexander McQueen that she had already worn at the 2019 BAFTAs, albeit with floral appliqués on the shoulder at the time. Last night, however, the princess teamed the white, off-the-shoulder pleated dress with a pair of black velvet opera gloves and floral earrings from Zara. Florence Pugh and Anya Taylor-Joy caught the photographers' eye with two eye-catching dresses. The former wore a voluminous fluorescent orange dress by Nina Ricci and the latter a champagne velvet mini dress by Schiaparelli, complemented by a maxi scarf that covered her head and reached down to her feet.

The other fashion highlights of the 2023 BAFTAs continued to oscillate between minimalism and bright garments with bold colours and flashing details. They opted for whispering elegance: Carey Mulligan in a long black haute couture gown by Dior with a square neckline; Ana de Armas in a pale pink gown with ruffles at the bust by Louis Vuitton; Emma Mackey in a black Saint Laurent with tiny glitter stones; Nicola Coughlan in a Valentino in white satin embroidered with black lace flowers and electric blue silk crepe; and Sara Sampaio in a princely Zuhair Murad all black. However, the two most dazzling ladies of the BAFTAs opted for the purple sequin and crystal combination: Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jodie Turner-Smith. Catherine eschewed the Morticia look and instead wore an old-fashioned Tony Ward, paired with wavy side-swept hair and smokey eyes. Jodie wore a Gucci gown studded with feathers and crystals, accentuated by a drape that picked up the colour of the outfit and a shower of gems applied to her face like freckles. Her make-up was applied by Joey Choy with products by Charlotte Tilbury.