Before the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday evening, Los Angeles was driving through rainy weather, ruminating on the topic of Slate’s impact on indie YouTube videos. Despite their own monumental impact on the silver screen, the indie YouTube videos did not take home the trophy at the Oscars. Marcel’s Shell, although not awarded, made a significant impression on the red carpet with champagne and their unique way of making YouTube videos.
She chuckled as she shared with me on the phone, “There are numerous aspects of this situation that evoke memories of my middle school years.” “Will I accidentally stumble? Will someone mock me? Will I be asked to leave? Are you certain I belong here?,” She pondered, “A significant aspect of my personality will forever retain that essence.”
The actress paired her bold red lips and slicked-back hairstyle with a dramatic silhouette and exquisite beading on a corseted, silk faille dress in black-jet. The dress featured diamond and emerald jewelry from Gismondi, giving her a look fit for the Academy Awards. This specially created gown by Thom Browne, a New York-based label, helped her feel like the truest, most powerful version of herself at this year’s Oscars. But as I walk into the weekend, finding myself at the Oscars with zero connections to the entertainment industry, it feels strange to be a child from Milton, Massachusetts, playing a Jewish immigrant from Hester Street in a Holocaust drama. If I were ever nominated for an Oscar in a movie like that, I would probably feel a healthy amount of imposter syndrome, just like Slate said.
Slate mentioned, “Both of us paused for a moment to regain our breath,” when my stylist, Monty Jackson, approached me with the astounding information that Thom Browne had offered to create a personalized gown for me to wear at the Oscars. “I don’t believe either of us has experienced that before, though.” The creative team at Thom Browne sent Slate some sketches, knowing that she had previously worn their distinctive suiting at red carpet events. However, she opted for a completely different appearance compared to the characteristic quirky, preppy style associated with the brand, which often involves shorts and knee socks. Slate specifically requested a corset shape that would be exclusively designed for the 2023 Oscars because “these are the aspects of my body that I now like to celebrate.” The inclusion of built-out hip cushioning was also a necessary requirement. The outcome was a breathtaking two-piece ensemble, featuring lacing that extended “all the way from the very top of the corset down to my toes.”
Slate questioned, which of these splendid outfits do we don in this fleeting moment of shimmering achievement that defines me the most? I simply pondered.
The first-time Oscars were not good for me. I was dressed in a spectator’s shoes and a bowtie, in addition to wearing a Thom Browne suit crafted by Marcel Shell. After the party in Thom Browne’s suite, I wanted to go back to my hotel because I didn’t want to act like a superstar. But Michelle Yeoh, who is like a true star, was putting tears into my eyes with her gown. I just felt like, “Wow, she loves to drink Champagne and have fun, just like I do. I would love to be exactly like Michelle.” Well, that’s how I generally feel about them. For her first fitting, the representatives from Thom Browne invited the actress to her house and she made cookies, seltzers, and put out clementines.
Slate said, “Before heading to the hotel to get ready for the big event, I will give my daughter a million kisses on different parts of her face. This year, I hope to watch the Academy Awards with snacks, whether it’s a hot dog or some pigs in a blanket, making punny hors d’oeurves riffing on the names of the nominated movies. Slate typically hosts an Oscars party to watch the show with colleagues, family, and friends everywhere!”
I doubt zero about our group of people who Marcel made in that room because I believe in our work. I said, “I’m a tiny bit nervous, but not as nervous as I might be because of the doubt I have about our work in that room with the group of people that Marcel made.” Marcel made that room for our group of people. In the celebration of the one-of-a-kind character that Marcel made, she would find herself in a room filled with hundreds of people, feeling the overwhelming range of emotions. On March 12th, a Sunday, Slate was experiencing this range of overwhelming emotions while being surrounded by hordes of other people in a room with Shell’s Shoes With On. And here’s the funny parallel idea that I mentioned about her.