Anna Wintour has never struck us as someone who minces words or doesn’t communicate an opinion clearly. We love that about her. And when the Vogue editor in chief called the Tony Awards red carpet styling a “disaster” back in 2014 during a talk at Central Saint Martins, you’d better believe 2015 saw a change.
As a longtime patron and supporter of theater, Wintour quickly got her hands on the event (so to speak) following her public disapproval. As The Cut reported at the time, Wintour joined costume designer William Ivey Long to, well, zhuzh the major red carpet event. In fact, she even helped stock it full of It models and some of the most elite fashion designers in the world (see Kendall Jenner, Joan Smalls, and Prabal Gurung).
“It’s no secret that William Ivey Long conspired with Anna,” Hamish Bowles said, according to The Cut. “He felt that there was such an incredible historic relationship between fashion and the theater, and the Tonys seem to have been sending some muddled fashion messages.”
WHO: Anna Wintour and her daughter, Bee Shaffer
WHAT: 2017 Tony Awards
So have things become chicer in the few years since Wintour stepped in to work her signature magic? Well, we did the research and will leave it to your discretion. One thing’s for sure: The red carpet’s lush green backdrops feel more elevated than a standard step-and-repeat banner. And while the Tonys have historically been packed with some of the finest theater actors and actresses in the world (and some of the most stylish), we’ll admit the post-Wintour Tonys ensembles do encompass a bit more Hollywood glam than in previous years.
Keep scrolling to see how the Tony Awards red carpet changed once fashion’s most powerful woman got involved.
WHO: Sutton Foster
WHAT: 2014 Tony Awards
WHO: Sutton Foster
WHAT: 2017 Tony Awards
WHO: Condola Rashad
WHAT: 2012 Tony Awards
WHO: Condola Rashad
WHAT: 2017 Tony Awards
WHO: Jessie Mueller
WHAT: 2014 Tony Awards
WHO: Jessie Mueller
WHAT: 2016 Tony Awards
WHO: Judith Light
WHAT: 2014 Tony Awards
WHO: Judith Light
WHAT: 2016 Tony Awards
WHO: Patina Miller
WHAT: 2011 Tony Awards
WHO: Patina Miller
WHAT: 2015 Tony Awards
WHO: Cynthia Nixon
WHAT: 2012 Tony Awards
WHO: Cynthia Nixon
WHAT: 2017 Tony Awards
WHO: Kristin Chenoweth
WHAT: 2010 Tony Awards
WHO: Kristin Chenoweth
WHAT: 2015 Tony Awards
What’s the biggest difference you can tell (besides that rosebud backdrop)? Give it a think, and then catch the rest of our Tony Awards red carpet coverage next week.
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