What do you know, it's that time again—another Hunger Games installment is upon us. And as the plot stopped making sense a while ago, we're left with the spectacle we're really truly hungry for—the Red Carpet Games!
The franchise, you see, has one of the best female ensembles of all time, this go-around adding Julianne Moore and Natalie Dormer to the mix. Their joint red carpet appearances, especially when all eyes are on Jennifer Lawrence, couldn't be more intriguing: Who will nail it? Who will fail and fade away?
Once again, for what seems to be the trend since the first film (back then, J.Law nailed it in shiny, fierce gowns), Elizabeth Banks is upstaging everyone else. This is not a given. Banks, ever the funny woman—who recently became the first lifestyle guru with a sense of humor—could probably totally fail at fashion and still be a crowd favorite. Her appearances, however, manage to tickle every fashion taste bud and her ability to shine next to Lawrence and Moore garners her extra points. Unlike Lawrence, who lost her spark and healthy cool-girl sex appeal in the hands of Dior and Saint Laurent, Banks still has the knack for a good dramatic moment.
Her Mockingjay press tour is all about color, and love for color is a rare quality among Hollywood royalty. Moore loves a good print too, but hers are more ethnic, while Banks opts for avant-garde and—hallelujah!—animal prints. Further, she never shies away from embellishment. She indulges us with luxury fabrics and little extras known to wow audiences: a long train here, a sexy slit there. And her triumphant facial expression, be it as herself, promoting the film, or as her eccentric character Effie Trinket, says, "I. adore. fashion." Whereas Lawrence's mostly says, well, "Get. me. outta. here."
Her trail-blazing style—as well as its leading role in the female cast's press tour—is actually a celebratory moment for women in their forties. Banks' unapologetic, sparkly style could only be pulled off by someone confident, fashionably mature and unfazed by critics and trends.
And that's something only time can achieve.
