Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Lily Gladstone Were among the Awards Season’s Fashion MVPs

Lily Gladstone arrives for the 96th annual Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 10 March 2024. (EPA)
Lily Gladstone arrives for the 96th annual Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 10 March 2024. (EPA)
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Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Lily Gladstone Were among the Awards Season’s Fashion MVPs

Lily Gladstone arrives for the 96th annual Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 10 March 2024. (EPA)
Lily Gladstone arrives for the 96th annual Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 10 March 2024. (EPA)

This year’s red carpet season failed to disappoint, fashion-wise, with plenty of drama, personal style and new takes on Old Hollywood.

Sometimes, in the case of Margot Robbie and her all-Barbie, all-the-time looks, it was about nostalgia. For others, including Jeremy Allen White, it was a color that made the statement: white, like his name, in his case.

For Danielle Brooks, it was about the fun. Look no further than her part gown, part tuxedo and touch of purple at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, thanks to designer Christian Siriano.

While much of the fashion energy came at awards shows and related events, Zendaya headed for the desert as she promoted “Dune: Part Two” in a variety of cutting-edge designs. They included a silver cyborg suit straight from the archive of Mugler.

While Zendaya and her co-star, Timothée Chalamet, often wow on red carpets, there were other MVPs this time around. Here's a look at a few:

COLMAN DOMINGO Whether it's a textured gold coat and mustard yellow suit by Valentino Haute Couture at the Critics Choice Awards or a custom black Louis Vuitton tuxedo and man brooches at the Emmys, the star of “Rustin” has left no fashion crumbs. Domingo has offered a new vision of how a leading man can dress. He loves to play with fashion and his joy shines through. He was elegant at the Oscars in a custom Louis Vuitton double-breasted tuxedo with crystal buttons and gold-tipped cowboy boots.

LILY GLADSTONE The Indigenous actor and recent British Vogue cover star has approached her red carpet coming-out with intention, supporting Indigenous jewelry designers while promoting “Killers of the Flower Moon.” At the Golden Globes, she paired her Valentino gown and cape with beaded earrings by Lenise Omeasoo, who is Blackfeet and Cree. For the Oscars, she wore a custom Gucci gown in midnight blue that was created in collaboration with Indigenous designer Joe Big Mountain.

CILLIAN MURPHY Is the “Oppenheimer” star the anti-Ken? Look no further than his sheer shirt and black pinstripe Saint Laurent suit at the film's London premiere. More dark pinstripes from the same design house followed at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, this time with a loose bow at the neck. The man loves a pinstripe. In lots of neutrals, he's been the perfect counter to all that sugary pink over at “Barbie.” His custom black Atelier Versace tux for the Oscars was adorned with a gem brooch by Sauvereign.

AYO EDEBIRI The co-star of “The Bear” was on a red-hot fashion streak, earning official “It” girl status. There was her black 3D molded custom Louis Vuitton petal dress for the Emmys. And her smashing red custom Prada strapless gown with a floor-length train at the Golden Globes. The dress fell playfully, and youthfully, just above her ankles. Never underestimate young Hollywood.

BARRY KEOGHAN Adventurous is the “Saltburn” star's middle name when it comes to fashion. Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Givenchy were among his go-tos. He mixed patterns in a red Vuitton evening jacket and trouser set for the Golden Globes. Keoghan loves his bling, accessorizing his red-on-red moment with a golden belt chain, pearl necklace and Tiffany & Co. jewel earring. A little punk. A lot fab.

DA'VINE JOY RANDOLPH It was a draped ivory mermaid gown with 3D roses at the neck at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for this longtime lover of fashion and co-star of “The Holdovers.” It was by Valdrin Sahiti. At the British Film Academy Awards, Randolph wowed in a colorblock peach-and-black body-hugger by Robert Wun. The fashion spotlight has been soaking up Randolph and the drama she has provided. She picked up a supporting actress Oscar in a custom Louis Vuitton gown in pale blue with oversize, fringed sleeves.

PEDRO PASCAL Few could make an arm sling as sexy as “The Last of Us” star did. At the Golden Globes, his sling came with nail art that spelled “ouchy,” the best accessory of the night. He wore the sling, actually for a shoulder injury, with black trousers and a matching turtleneck that had a white yarn knot design, all by Bottega Veneta. But his big sling moment came at the Critics Choice Awards, when he wore it with a sand-color ensemble the exact shade of his fashion-forward medical device.

GRETA LEE In the color of the season, red, and with lots of help from Loewe and some from Bottega Veneta, the co-star of “Past Lives” was a fashion sensation. The latter designed her futuristic red sculptural mood for the Governors Awards. She paired the dress with silver metallic heels. Loewe's Jonathan Anderson was behind her modern classic off-white voluminous gown for the Golden Globes, her waved, cropped bob and Tiffany & Co. jewels the perfect touch. At the Oscars, it was a black-and-white velvet halter-neck gown by Loewe with white strips of fabric draped across her neck and down her back that attached at her hips.



Puma Shares Plunge 20% as Weak Profit Shakes Confidence

The logo of German sports goods firm Puma is seen at the entrance of one of its stores in Vienna, Austria, March 18, 2016. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
The logo of German sports goods firm Puma is seen at the entrance of one of its stores in Vienna, Austria, March 18, 2016. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
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Puma Shares Plunge 20% as Weak Profit Shakes Confidence

The logo of German sports goods firm Puma is seen at the entrance of one of its stores in Vienna, Austria, March 18, 2016. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
The logo of German sports goods firm Puma is seen at the entrance of one of its stores in Vienna, Austria, March 18, 2016. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

Puma lost a fifth of its market value on Thursday after the German sportswear brand reported lower than expected fourth-quarter sales and a drop in annual profit, raising questions about its ability to compete with bigger rivals Adidas and Nike.

The poor results late on Wednesday came after Adidas reported strong sales and profitability, highlighting the work Puma still faces to boost its brand and take a bigger slice of the $400 billion global sportswear market.

Puma shares were down 20% at 33.5 euros as of 1330 GMT, on course for their worst day ever and hitting their lowest level since March 2018.

Puma has been relaunching shoes such as the 1999 motor racing-inspired "Speedcat" as it tries to muscle into a market dominated by Adidas' retro Samba soccer sneakers, but JPMorgan analysts said sales trends for the Speedcat have been weaker than expected so far.

Newer, fast-growing brands such as On Running and Hoka have shaken up the sportswear industry, eroding the dominance of Nike , which has seen slowing sales, and creating more competition for shelf space at top sporting goods retailers.

"This will make investors question what the competitive advantage of Puma is," said Deutsche Bank Research analyst Adam Cochrane.

"If Puma is not really taking market share, at a time when its biggest competitor (Nike) is weak, is the customer not accepting the brand premiumisation it is trying to put through?"

Puma has increased spending on marketing to boost its brand perception, and the Speedcat is priced at 109.95 euros ($114.44) on its website, on par with Adidas' Samba – whereas Puma shoes have traditionally been cheaper than Adidas and Nike.

Puma has said it aims to sell between 4 million and 6 million pairs of the Speedcat in 2025.

Puma's fourth-quarter sales rose 9.8% in currency-adjusted terms, below the 12% growth expected by analysts. Net profit last year fell to 282 million euros ($293 million) from 305 million, in part due to higher interest payments on its debt.

The company did not explain what led to its weaker than expected sales. CEO Arne Freundt had said in November he was confident about demand heading into the year-end shopping season, Reuters reported.

The strength of the US dollar poses a problem for Puma, which pays its Asian suppliers in dollars but makes a big share of revenues in euros.

On the back of the weak profit, Puma launched a cost-cutting programme aiming to reach an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margin of 8.5% by 2027, up from 7.1% in 2024.

"While we achieved solid sales growth in 2024 and made meaningful progress on our strategic initiatives, we are not satisfied with our profitability," Freundt said in a statement.

Puma said it would continue to make "strategic investments" in its brand to boost growth.

But Barclays analysts said there was a risk the cost-cutting drive would take management's focus away from increasing sales.

"At this stage, we see more questions than answers about the path that Puma will take in the next three years to 2027," they said in a note.

Puma is scheduled to provide more detailed guidance when it publishes its full-year report on March 12.