Oscars 2018

We Bow Down to Janelle Monáe, Red Carpet Queen in a Literal Crown

All hail the winner of the 2017 Oscars red carpet.

By Ellie Krupnick Feb 26, 2017, 8:31pm EST

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We’re already ready to crown Janelle Monáe the queen of the 2017 Oscars red carpet for her positively regal look. But we don’t have to actually crown her, because she’s already wearing a literal crown.

The headpiece atop Monáe’s glowing head is the Artemisia Crystal Crown by designer Jennifer Behr. It topped off a glittering dress straight off the runway by Elie Saab Couture — specifically a “black tulle, sleeveless gown with bird brooches and lines of lace set with feathers, sequins, beads and crystal stones paired with a jeweled choker necklace.”

Yeah, it’s a lot of dress. Feathers! Bird pasties! Side panels that gave the dress a boxy shape like something Queen Elizabeth I would have worn! And yet Monáe, star of not one but two Oscar-nominated movies, made it work in a way that proved couture can truly be worn IRL — and that it’ll probably make you look like a literal princess, crown and all.

The most important part: rocking it like the queen you are. Take some hints from Monáe herself.