Acting Up: The Screen Actors Guild Celebrates 25 Years in High Style

Yara Shahidi wasn’t even born when the first Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony took place 25 years ago. But the 2019 SAG ambassador took on her role with aplomb, wearing one of the most memorable looks of the night. Working with her stylist, Jason Bolden (who also dresses Taraji P. Henson, Zazie Beetz, Ava DuVernay and Janet Mock, among others), Shahidi gave us versatile, of-the-moment It girl glamour—with a transitional twist.

The look was sweet, sexy, and plenty sparkly. Shahidi, who last year memorably wore a custom black strapless jumpsuit with a bow train by Ralph Lauren, defied the red carpet gown trend yet again, wearing a blush sequined mock-necked catsuit from Fendi Couture’s Fall/Winter 2018-19 collection that gave body-skimming glamour without going for maximum exposure.

But while many stars may have stopped there, Shahidi and Bolden completed the runway to red carpet look with a matching crystal and sequin-embroidered tulle dress with a jeweled Peter Pan collar. And of course, Shahidi’s sparkling personality was the perfect accessory.

Last year, Shahidi may have wowed us with Diana Ross-like naturally textured extensions, but this year, longtime hairstylist Nai’vasha Johnson played with the star’s natural length and a bevy of products from the Suave Professionals for Natural Hair line. In fact, Johnson, a Suave Professionals ambassador, used the line’s Sulfate-Free Cleansing Shampoo, Moisturizing Curl Conditioner, Cream Detangler Spray and Curl Defining Cream before diffusing Shahidi’s hair on low heat and brushing her curls into a halo around her head.

“The inspiration for Yara’s SAG look [was] ‘Romantic Whimsy,’” Johnson told us in an email. “I wanted to play closely with the whimsical blush-toned jumpsuit, so I opted for big, luscious romantic curls.”

Another ingenue giving unconventional glamour on the red carpet? This Is Us star Eris Baker, who topped the custom, halter-necked butter yellow gown she designed with stylist Neishea Lemle with a matching printed head wrap.

The two told The Hollywood Reporter that the look was an homage to Wakanda, and in a sea of stilettos and under her floor-length skirt, the 13-year-old wore Timberlands customized by Los Angeles-based artist Michale Fredericks. The look? “New York meets Africa,” Fredericks told THR.

What other trends were prominent on the SAGs silver carpet? Baker hit on one, as yellow and gold made several appearances, including on a stunning custom Christian Siriano gown in buttercup yellow on Baker’s onscreen mom, Susan Kelechi Watson. Another trend? Sky high slits—which were the natural counterpart to the plunging necklines we’re accustomed to seeing during awards season.

As always, we’ve compiled a slideshow of our faves in their SAGs Sunday best, so you can see who killed it—and who may have killed the winning mood with their fashion choices. Enjoy!