Last month, the 2021 Academy Award nominees were sent a letter stating that the 2021 Oscars had a dress code. “We’re aiming for a fusion of Inspirational and Aspirational,” the letter said, “which in actual words means formal is totally cool if you want to go there, but casual is really not.”

Apparently, Questlove didn’t get the memo since he showed up on the red carpet wearing Crocs. Or maybe he nailed the dress code. Rather than opt for any pair of gardening shoes, Questlove brought out a pair in gold and paired it with an all-black ensemble that screamed evening wear. Not to mention, it was only four years ago that Balenciaga sent Crocs down the runway in Paris. Plus, gold was the biggest color trend of the night.

Still, not everyone agreed with Quest’s fashion choice. One person on Twitter claimed this was a DIY job, a bad one at that, tweeting, “Sir! Your spray paint is chipping off your Crocs.”

Sir! Your spray paint is chipping off your crocs. pic.twitter.com/Hvw7Eduy2h

— Justice served! 🖤✊🏾 (@raynebowmom) April 25, 2021

Most though were happy to see Questlove put comfort first while still staying on-trend — and we can’t help but agree.

Questlove’s golden #Oscars crocs are guaranteed to make you smile. https://t.co/YkIulRAeyi pic.twitter.com/zB30Dy0oqc

— Vogue Runway (@VogueRunway) April 26, 2021

They used to laugh at me back in high school for wearing crocs. Now look. 🔥🔥🔥

— 约翰 约翰 (@JohnPocasangre) April 26, 2021

He also wasn’t the only one who chose to go more casual with his choice of shoe. Nomadland director Chloé Zhao wore a Hermes gown, which she unexpectedly pair with a pair of white sneakers to the awards show where she became the second woman to ever win Best Director.

Chloe Zhao becomes 2nd woman ever to win Best Director Oscar.
And she does it with a powerful, concise speech.
And in sneakers! pic.twitter.com/nTT1vqNT6A

— Julie Cohen (@FilmmakerJulie) April 26, 2021

Chloé Zhao about to win multiple Oscars while wearing sneakers

— Jock Demy (@ThatSashaJames) April 25, 2021

i had already intended only to wear sneakers to formal events due to my busted-ass post-car crash back/legs, but now chloe zhao is my patron saint of the best and smartest style choices

— Anne T. Donahue (@annetdonahue) April 25, 2021

While we’ve long rejected mandated dress codes in favor of self-expression, we can’t help but note that Crocs and sneakers might be the “inspirational and aspirational,” not to mention refreshing, fashion this Oscars red carpet needed.

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When H.E.R. showed up on the 2021 Oscars red carpet in a beaded purple jumpsuit, fans immediately started making comparisons to Prince. Turns out, that’s exactly what the artist was going for.

The designer behind the look, Peter Dundas, told InStyle that H.E.R., who was nominated for Best Original Song, wanted to pay homage to Prince with her Academy Award fit. “H.E.R. expressed how Prince has been a lifetime inspiration for her and had built the foundation for her musical identity,” he said.

Specifically, the sheer, custom Dundas wide-legged jumpsuit-and-cape ensemble was inspired by Prince’s look at the 1985 Oscars. That was the year he won Best Original Song for “Purple Rain” from the film of the same name.

h.e.r. paying homage to prince with her oscars fit. pic.twitter.com/PMietGCpYP

— k.❦ (@NINETIESRNB) April 25, 2021

While it might be an homage, Dundas found a way to make the look all her own. Look close, and you’ll see that embroidered on the edge of H.E.R.’s cape and jumpsuit are the lyrics to her nominated song “Fight For You” from Judas and the Black Messiah. To complete the look, she also matched a pair of round Desierto frames with lavender lenses to her outfit.

Apparently, the color is also very personal to the singer. “H.E.R.’s mother has always wanted her to wear blue on the carpet,” her stylist Wouri Vice told InStyle. “And we felt this was the perfect opportunity.” 

Between the nods to Prince and her mom, let’s hope this look brings her all the good luck tonight.

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A post shared by H.E.R. (@hermusicofficial)

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Zendaya might not be a 2021 Academy Award nominee, but, when it comes to her red carpet fashion, the Euphoria star is still one of the night’s winners in our eyes. The presenter commanded the red carpet in not one, but two of this season’s biggest trends when she appeared in a midriff-revealing Valentino gown in yellow.

Zendaya went bold in a highlighter-like hue that will make you wish it was summer already. She even matched her mask to the dress which is making us want a big glass of lemonade while also listening to Beyoncé’s Lemonade, which just celebrated its fifth anniversary two days ago and also featured a very good yellow dress (“Hold Up”). Coincidence? We’d like to think not.

Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach posted a video of her on the red carpet trying to contend with the wind. Of course, nothing, not even Mother Nature, can stop Zendaya from slaying a red carpet and continuing her reign as one of the best-dressed award season attendees.

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A post shared by Law Roach (@luxurylaw)

Zendaya wasn’t alone in sporting a cut-out look on Sunday evening. Best Actress nominees Carey Mulligan, Andra Day, and Vanessa Kirby also rocked the peek-a-boo look, solidifying it as the biggest fashion trend of the show.

While midriff cut-outs were a huge trend on the fashion runways, we didn’t expect celebrities to embrace cutouts on the formal red carpet. Yet after seeing the impossibly glam looks, we have all the proof we need to make a case for midriffs appearing at every award show going forward.

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The Oscars statuette has some competition at the 2021 Academy Awards. A major trend on this year’s red carpet was dressing in all gold. Perhaps, the nominees were hoping their shiny looks will bring them good luck during the show. Either way, their outfits were standout.

Best Actress nominee Carey Mulligan wore a two-piece Valentino Couture look, showing off a bit of skin in a bandeau top. The Promising Young Woman star paired the crop top with a voluminous skirt that’s looked made for social distancing on the red carpet.

Fellow Best Actress nominee Andra Day also showed out in a custom-made peek-a-boo gown from Vera Wang Haute. According to E!, Wang worked with a welder to help craft the gold gown made of actual metal.

Not to be outdone, two-time nominee Leslie Odom Jr., for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Song for One Night In Miami, also rocked head-to-toe gold in a double-breasted, gilded Brioni suit. Alexa, play Harry Styles’s “Golden” on repeat. 

Whether or not, these celebrities take home the coveted statues, their looks already won the Best-Dressed Award in our book.

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Over the past few weeks, Rihanna has convinced everyone they need a leather blazer, sheer pants, and bangs. Now it’s time to add high-heeled flip-flops to the list.

Rihanna recently stepped out, in Los Angeles, wearing a comfy tracksuit with a bowling bag, trucker hat, and a pair of strappy periwinkle flip-flops. Look close, and you’ll see that these are no ordinary flip-flops, these have a stiletto. It’s comfort in the front, fashion in the back. Not to mention a throwback to the late ’90s/early ’00s.

RiRi isn’t the only one jumping on the heeled flip-flops trend for spring. The thong sandals that were once deemed controversial — and even crowned the “most hated sandal trend” — are having a moment. Fancy flip-flops were all over the spring ’21 runway popping up in shows from Stella McCartney, Acne Studios, and Tom Ford. These designers gave the humble flip-flop a much-needed makeover that played with proportions and added details that turned them into a trendy staple. (Again.)

Now with Rihanna’s latest endorsement, it’s clear, heeled flip-flops are sticking around — just in time to show off that at-home pedicure.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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The rumors are true: Gucci and Balenciaga teamed up (sort of), and the results were on full display in Gucci Aria, a film by Floria Sigismondi and Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele.

However, Michele doesn’t consider this a collaboration. According to the press release, the crossover is a “hacking” of Balenciaga’s creative director Demna Gvasalia’s “nonconformist rigor.” Here’s another way of putting it: Michele is “swiping a selection of his Balenciaga designs for the Aria collection.” Call it what you want, it’s a sight to behold.

The 15-minute clip filled with “Gucci”-centric songs by Lil Pump, Bhad Bhabie, and Rick Ross shows off Michele’s newest collection, which marks Gucci’s 100th birthday. (Highlight: The cueing up of Rick Ross’s “Green Gucci Suit” just as a model in a velvet green suit strutted down the runway.) There were major equestrian vibes, with models in riding boots and hats carrying riding crops down the runway. But these looks aren’t intended for the stable. Delicate lace layers, brightly colored feather and fur accents, and exquisitely tailored velvet suits in jewel tones made these ensembles something thoroughly glamorous.

Of course, the real standouts of the collection were the pieces that featured both the Gucci and Balenciaga logos. There were Gucci handbags with gold Balenciaga “B” buckles. And sequined suits emblazoned with the names of both houses cut in the hourglass silhouette that Gvasalia has become known for. Most exciting might be how Gucci combined Balenciaga signatures like big square shoulders and sparkly fabrics to create something entirely singular.

Both fashion houses are no strangers to collaborations: Gucci x North Face earlier this year; the Balenciaga designed Crocs back in 2017. But a collection that sees the meeting of two designers of this caliber is still surprising in the luxury fashion world, even if both brands are owned by Kering.

That said, this high-end co-op by Gucci feels rather on-brand for the Italian fashion house. Under Michele, Gucci has flipped the script of what a fashion show looks like. After leaving the official Fashion Month calendar, in November, the brand threw their own GucciFest that not only showcased the new collection in a series of films but also spotlighted emerging designers.

For Michele, this new collection is about evolution. It’s “an alchemical factory of contaminations where everything connects to anything,” he wrote in a statement. “A place where thefts and explosive reactions happen: a permanent generator of sparkles and unpredictable desires.” 

In text messages between Michele and Gvasalia, which were posted to Gucci’s Instagram Story, the two talk about missing in-person fashion shows and the importance of the 100-year-old brand. Gvasalia even remembers, in the ’90s, buying a tiny sample bottle of Gucci Envy perfume because, according to him, it was the only thing he could get in post-USSR Georgia where he’s from. “I actually still have at home,” he writes.

Gvasalia also seemed to be a fan of Gucci’s latest collection, writing that “it looks really cool how you translated those pieces into your universe.”

To see the translations IRL, watch the video below.

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Get ready to soak up the sun in a new collaboration from & Other Stories and Rejina Pyo. The London-based, Seoul-born designer teamed up with the Swedish retailer for a versatile and affordable womenswear collection that features fashion’s biggest color trend: yellow. Appearing everywhere on the fall ’21 runways, the bright hue is one Pantone said we should look out for in the latter part of this year, too. No surprise, Pyo is ahead of the curve.

The 11-piece limited collection, which will be available online and in select stores on Thursday, features Pyo’s signature sculpted dresses and relaxed tailoring in bold colors. While it is an accessible collection — the line ranges from $119 to $249 — the designer wanted it to feel luxurious, crafting it “from a combination of sustainably-sourced and long lasting premium materials.” The designs are made with a combination of premium silk and wool sourced through The Responsible Wool Standard.

The capsule collection, designed with busy women in mind, features a silk halter midi dress in bright orange and a boxy padded shoulder wool blazer that pairs perfectly with a pair of pleated high waist wool shorts. But the standout look from the collab is the marigold-hued midi dress with ruched puff sleeves, a Pyo staple. Fittingly, L.A.-based floral designer Brittany Asch models the sunflower-bright look.

“I am inspired by women who follow their passion and make it their path,” Pyo said in a press release about the collection which also features Lotta Klemming, Sweden’s only female oyster diver, and Poppy Okotcha, a U.K.-based grower and forager, as models. “That energy and free spirit resonate with me.”

For any other free spirits, the Rejina Pyo x & Other Stories Co-Lab will be available on April 15 on stories.com.

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When TikTok speaks, Celine listens. Well, at least, when Gen Z is speaking about skinny jeans being out. On Wednesday, Celine (virtually) presented its Winter ’21 collection, and baggy jeans made up more than a few looks.

Teased as a continuation of the luxury brand’s Summer ’21 collection, the new line was a “utopian parade and melancholic daydream of youth interrupted,” according to the show’s notes. Yet seeing an abundance of wide-legged denim cuts in the show, which took place in the garden of Versailles, made it clear the kids are alright.

From cardigans paired with boyfriend jeans to military jackets over bootcut denim, comfort reigned in Celine’s new collection. Perhaps, these layered denim looks are in preparation for all of us heading back into the world as vaccine rollouts continue.

The looser-fit jeans worn with oversized coats feel like an easy upgrade to our less-structured WFH wardrobe. Even better, Celine found a way to take the crop top into winter. It’s as easy as adding an oversized tweed blazer or puffer jacket on top.

The fact that this collection feels like it’s sure to get TikTok’s approval feels very on-brand for Hedi Slimane, who, since taking over for former Celine creative director Phoebe Philo in 2018, has pushed the brand in a more youthful direction. Just a year into the job, he enlisted Atlanta-based TikTok star Noen Eubanks as the new face of Celine.

See the new collection in full, below.

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White Castle isn’t just serving up hamburgers, it’s serving up fashion looks, too. And it’s all thanks to White Castle’s new collaboration with Telfar.

In honor of the fast-food chain’s 100th birthday, designer Telfar Clemens, known for his covetable Shopping Bag, is putting his own stamp on the company’s uniforms — again. In 2017, Telfar designed uniforms for White Castle team members, but, this time, he’s expanded the range, creating four new designs for the square burger joint’s 10,000 employees. The new line includes T-shirts, polos, aprons, and visors. At the request of team members, Clemens also designed a durag, marking the first time the hair accessory is being offered as part of the official uniform, according to the company’s press release.

The designs feature White Castle’s signature gothic font and royal blue hue (though workers will have color options including light blue and black). To mark the momentous occasion for the makers of the Crave Case, some of the tops read “100 years and counting.”

To launch the new White House x Telfar uniforms, employees from various chains from Telfar’s hometown of New York City were asked to model the looks as part of a portrait series shot by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr. But Jamie Richardson, a vice president at White Castle, made it clear that these uniforms look just as good off-duty.

“Telfar has taken our uniform to a new place,” Richardson said in a statement, “creating something that’s distinctive, attractive and comfortable, and something our team members will feel great in whether they’re at work or hanging out with friends and family.”

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A post shared by @telfarglobal

Of course, the next question is, “Can I get some of those?” Well, kind of. Right now, non-employees can get their hands on a limited-edition White Castle collection that Telfar designed in connection with the uniform launch. Hats, hoodies, durags, and T-shirts are available to buy with proceeds going to the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Liberty and Justice Fund, which provides bail to imprisoned minors.

While this may seem like an unexpected collab, Telfar’s relationship with White Castle goes way back. In 2015, the brand asked the fast-food chain to sponsor its show at New York Fashion Week. White Castle did — and even hosted an afterparty at its Time Square restaurant. “White Castle supported us before our success and we consider them family,” Telfar’s creative director Babak Radboy said in a press release. “It’s still the only thing open after midnight in Telfar’s hood—seeing our uniforms there means something to us, and so we take it personally.” 

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When Ariana Grande isn’t singing her favorite Disney hits — in six-part harmony — she’s using her self-quarantine to play around with her hair. In her latest Instagram post, Grande is showing off honey brown locks that are as sweet as can be. 

The weekend shot shows Grande lounging around her house with her hair half-up, half-down, accessorized with an immaculate cat eye. Oh, and the most natural-looking honey highlights that act like a halo around her face. Even better, Grande’s highlights show how you can take a sunny winter look right into spring since most people aren’t able to see a hairdresser. 

No caption needed for this selfie since this hair speaks for itself. Seriously, this is already one of our favorite things. Alexa, play “7 Rings.” Her hair? We want it — and would pay a pretty penny to get it. More importantly, though, we want to know if she did her hair herself. If so, we’d love an IG Live tutorial like, now, since it might be the only thing that will keep us from cutting our own bangs. 

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A post shared by Ariana Grande (@arianagrande) on May 3, 2020 at 11:03am PDT

Grande’s quarantine hair has been a real journey. From going a bit lighter with her brunette tresses to embracing her natural curls to giving her signature high ponytail a bit of a rest, it’s hard to know what Ari’s hair will look like when she’s done social distancing. 

That’s certainly one way to keep the TikTok impersonators from stealing your look.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex might officially be ready to spill the royal tea. 

A new tell-all called Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family is slated for release this summer. While it is certainly not the first book about Harry and Meghan Markle, this one stands out for one very good reason: the couple reportedly both gave their permission for the book — along with an interview. So this hot tea, well, it would be straight from the source.

While no official announcement regarding the biography has been made by its publisher, Dey Street Books, although Refinery29 reached out for more details, the Amazon listing for Finding Freedom promises “unique access” to Harry and Meghan’s life, which is now officially non-royal. The change has reportedly not been easy for Harry, who has been spotted volunteering with Meghan in Los Angeles, where they currently call home.

“For the very first time, Finding Freedom goes beyond the headlines to reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan’s life together,” the Amazon description of the 320-page book states, “dispelling the many rumors and misconceptions that plague the couple on both sides of the pond.”

While “few know the true story of Harry and Meghan,” the book’s writers, journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, who both cover the royal family, are in a position to get it. They are able to write about “the young couple’s lives as few outsiders can,” the book’s description boasts, and were able to get those closest to the couple to participate. 

It is unclear who in Harry and Meghan’s inner circle spoke to the writers of the book. The couple reportedly spoke to the authors before they left the U.K. It is also yet to be seen how deep the book will dive into Meghan’s relationship with her father, the birth of their son Archie, or their decision to take a step back from the royal family. 

Still, Finding Freedom promises to be “an honest, up-close, and disarming portrait of a confident, influential, and forward-thinking couple who are unafraid to break with tradition, determined to create a new path away from the spotlight, and dedicated to building a humanitarian legacy that will make a profound difference in the world.”

Finding Freedom is out August 11.

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President Donald Trump called for the reopening of America’s gyms days after unveiling the federal government’s three-phase plan to reopen the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic — and after a phone call with the owners of some major fitness companies, including SoulCycle.

On Thursday, Trump announced the guidelines for Phase One, which looked to reopen restaurants, movie theaters, places of worship, and large sporting venues, as well as gyms, “if they adhere to strict physical distancing and sanitation protocol,” according to a White House memo titled “Guidelines for Opening Up America Again.” 

Trump called for the reopening of gyms after a call with SoulCycle’s owner, Stephen Ross, and others on the president’s economic revitalization task force that includes Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Jimmy John Liautaud of the Jimmy John’s restaurant chain, and Bahram Akradi, chief executive of health club chain Life Time, according to The Daily Beast. Critics believe that call influenced his decision to include gyms in the first wave of businesses targeted to reopen. In an email statement to The Daily Beast, a Related spokesperson wrote, “Stephen Ross never discussed gyms, exercise clubs or anything like that with the President and this story is factually incorrect garbage.” 

Even if Ross wasn’t discussing the business of his gyms, which also includes Equinox, Blink Fitness, and Pure Yoga, someone was. Crunch’s CEO, Jim Rowley, told NBC News that he gave money to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) to help its lobbying efforts to get gyms included in the first phase. But even he was surprised that it worked. “It was probably the first time I’d smiled in 30 days,” Rowley told NBC. The IHRSA also thanked Trump in a personal letter, calling it a “small victory.”

The newly released guidelines are designed to “mitigate the risk of resurgence” of COVID-19 and “to protect the most vulnerable,” according to the White House. But medical experts say reopening gyms would have adverse effects. “Gyms are like a petri dish,” Lawrence Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, told The Daily Beast. 

At a gym, Gostin noted, people will be in tight indoor spaces where they will be coughing, sneezing, sweating, and touching multiple surfaces. They will be sharing equipment that will be hard to disinfect properly. “Literally all of the heightened risk factors for COVID transmission are all entwined together in a gym,” he said, adding that “there was certainly no attempt” by the White House “to put in any scientific evidence as to why they’re safe or how they could possibly be made safe.”

In an interview with Cheddar, Planet Fitness’s CEO, Chris Rondeau, talked about what social distancing at a gym might look like. Rondeau said he will be “reiterating cleaning policies and procedures with his staff,” but also plans to follow the lead of a gym that recently reopened in Asia, which “unplugged every other piece of cardio, so that forced some space between treadmills, for example,” he said. “That might be one thing we have to do at the beginning.” 

Last month, Dr. David Thomas, a professor of medicine and director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told The New York Times that there was a lower risk of contracting COVID-19 from a gym than at a church service. However, gym-goers should be careful of infected surfaces such as equipment since the virus can live on metal, glass, and plastic for up to nine days. 

It’s why Thomas suggested taking matters into one’s own hands when returning to the gym. “I’ll probably bring my own wipes,” he told The Times. “I’ll know that they’re the right wipes and they have the right concentration of alcohol.”

COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic. Go to the CDC website for the latest information on symptoms, prevention, and other resources.

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