This week’s best celebrity looks were super sparkly

Some weeks there isn’t a clear theme with what our best dressed celebrities put their best foot forward in.

Sometimes, our picks encapsulate a similar feeling, are tied together in our minds because they each offer something wholly unique, if not unprecedented or they each say something.

But this week, there’s something sparkly about each of our picks.

Figuratively or literally their shine separates them from the rest of the photocall. Below, our favourite shiny looks in all their glory.

READ MORE:
* What Taylor Swift, Jack Harlow, Lizzo and other celebrities wore to the MTV VMAs
* This week’s best celebrity looks were fun, extra and ‘weird’
* NZ exclusive: Melanie Lynskey’s long overdue moment in the spotlight
* What it’s like on the front row of the world’s most extravagant fashion show

Best hard launch of a new era

Let me just say this right here, right now: Taylor Swift is not stylish. Sorry, she’s not!

Like Beyoncé, the way she uses fashion is so exacting that (I think) it lacks soul. But as titans of music and branding, personal style is almost irrelevant: neither is or wants to be known as a fashion girlie when they’re known for being literal icons.

Taylor does use fashion to drop easter eggs for her fans, and to identify her various musical eras – the Red era red lips, the Folklore cardigans and floaty dresses, the Lover pastels and hotpants, that damn red scarf. And so of course we witnessed her latest sartorial late night party girl rebrand in live time, as she used her appearance at the VMAs earlier this week to announce her new album, Midnights, wearing a sparkly Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress for the ceremony and this midnight blue star-adorned Moschino ensemble for the after party. – Zoe Walker Ahwa

Best G.O.A.T

I’ve been lucky enough to see Serena Williams play during her iconic career, and it was an incredibly powerful experience (emotionally powerful, I mean, but her play isn’t exactly weak!). I feel utterly devastated at this farewell tour but obsessed with every look she’s serving.

Stunting in tennis gear isn’t exactly new (hello, Andre Agassi) but Serena is so incredibly clever and controlled with every statement she makes. This outfit has six layers, one for each US Open she’s won. – Rebecca Wadey

Best dichotomy

That new Lord of the Rings TV show has had one the longest press campaigns in memory, but I’m not exactly complaining because it’s brought to my attention the playful fashion choices of Megan Richards, who IMDB tells me plays the part of Poppy Proudfellow.

Richards has been styled for the tour by Ellie Witt, and together they’ve picked out a lineup of designs from brands who offer really contemporary takes on femininity: like Cecilie Bahnsen, Batsheva, Sister Jane and Rotate and contrasted them each time against a slightly clunky platform heel.

For the London premiere, shown here, they chose a hand embroidered floral organza gown from Ashish’s summer 2022 collection, paired with very 90s sock boots. Bring on the next premiere! – Tyson Beckett

Best collective vibe

All the fun fashion from the crowd at the Notting Hill Carnival this week made me incredibly happy. Even though it stung to not be there, seeing the London youth packed together dancing like crazy on the streets after two years of cancellations, made me hopeful for the energy shift now that we’re officially out of Gremlin Girl Winter.

Like most festival-wear, the outfits make no sense individually, but collectively they shine. I’m counting down the days until I can wear a metallic bikini, boxer shorts and Crocs on the street. – Lara Daly

Best commute fit

Wayman + Micah are quickly becoming my new favourite celebrity stylists, working with some of the coolest stars of the moment and dressing them in the coolest looks. Keke Palmer, Jodie Turner-Smith and Kirby Howell-Baptiste (in that delightfully weird pink suit last week) are all under their style guidance, alongside Tessa Thompson who has had a series of great looks at the Venice Film Festival this week.

The actor always plays with fashion in an interesting way that’s the opposite of what is typically expected of a Hollywood star, wearing brands and pieces that are experimental and/or challenging – like this very 90s sheer dress over pants layered look, with pieces by Victoria Beckham and Vivienne Westwood. She added red leather gloves for the official part of the day, but I much prefer this ‘just walking down the street’ version. – ZWA

Best of my favourite

I’m so excited the Venice Film Festival is underway because my obsession Jodie Turner-Smith is there and within the first day, she wore three outfits so legendary I can’t even decide how I would rank them. Like Tessa Thompson above, Jodie is styled by Wayman + Micah and the result is utter perfection.

She is a complete knockout in this Raisa Vanessa dress at the cocktail function but I think it’s the Casablanca chiffon suit she arrived in that’s won my heart the most. All her looks are extensively accessorised by Gucci bags, unsurprisingly (she’s an ambassador). – RB

Best onstage merch

Elsewhere in cool girls wearing cool clothes with attitude news: Check out everyone’s favourite riot grrrl band The Linda Lindas in an incredible ensemble of clothes designed by their guitarist Bela Salazar for their set at Summersonic festival in Tokyo, Japan.

My favourite look from the lineup is the button up half lime and half white A-line dress decorated with stars and featuring an oversized square collar, but the T-shirt featuring Nino the cat (the band’s unofficial mascot) is worthy of applause too. – TB