Statement Sleeves Were The Biggest (& Most Dramatic) Red Carpet Trend At The BAFTAs

On Sunday, British television's buzziest stars, including The Crown’s Helena Bonham Carter and Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer, came together at London’s Television Center for the 2021 BAFTA Awards. For the occasion, attendees used the opportunity to dress up in fashion as dramatic as the roles they were there to celebrate, with many — including Bridgerton’s Nicole Coughlan and Golda Rosheuvel, as well as It’s A Sin’s Lydia West — incorporating statement sleeves into their standout red carpet looks. 

Coughlan and Rosheuvel channeled their characters from the Regency-era Netflix series: Coughlan chose a neon orange scuba dress, from Valentino's latest haute couture collection, with billowing sleeves, a voluminous skirt, and a fitted waist. Rosheuvel wore a see-through black dress by Simone Rocha, with a white Oxford shirt underneath and embellished Oxfords. 

West, along with Doctor Who's Billie Piper, joined the cast of Bridgerton by debuting bubble sleeves at the event. West’s take included a black, high-necked gown from Loewe that featured cloud-like sleeves. Piper went the more daring approach, wearing a black mini dress with one oversized, hot pink sleeve and sash from Moschino’s pre-fall ‘21 collection. Sex Education’s Aimee Lou Wood followed the cottagecore route, choosing a pink-and-white floral dress with a statement collar by Miu Miu.

Though not volumnious, I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel’s sleeves absolutely made a statement. Coel, who created and starred in the HBO show that took home two awards at the BAFTA TV Awards — one for Best Leading Actress and another for Best Mini Series — chose a black, cut-out gown from Maximilian that featured flared sleeves the color of the red carpet. 

All that’s to say, if you were considering recycling your statement sleeves in a post-lockdown closet cleanout, don’t. According to the BAFTA TV Awards red carpet, this is one trend that’s only just getting started.