The Fashion Was Tame At The Fashion Media Awards

If before there seemed to be clear-cut fashion seasons, these last few years have felt like a non-stop stream of events, parties, shows, and photo-op moments, each providing an opportunity to shine on the red carpet. That's why it seemed so odd that no one really brought it, so to speak, to the Third Annual Fashion Media Awards, held in NYC earlier this week.

True, the red carpet was star-studded with celebrities, designers, models, and musicians — a group that, it's safe to say, knows how to push the envelope and make a statement — but still, somehow, the FMA's fashion was pretty tame.

Sophia Coppola wore a quirky jumpsuit, as usual. Toni Garrn accentuated her mile-high legs with a mile-high slit —again. Laverne Cox, who was presented with the Maybelline New York "Make It Happen" Award, looked gorgeous in a body-hugging, pin-up style gown (as always).

All this is not to suggest that anyone looked less than beautiful at the Awards. It was definitely a time to celebrate achievements, and there was a lot for the recipients to be proud of. I just would have liked to see a bit more creativity. This is the Fashion Media Awards, after all!

Here's some of the stars and their looks from the FMA's.

1. Taylor Hill

Hill picked up a much-deserved award for Model of the Year, Social Media. A quick scan of her Instagram account shows that indeed, Ms. Hill does love to wear black. This dress is a bit too somber, and doesn't seem to embody the spirit of social media, which should be a bit more light-hearted. Still, you've gotta love those edgy grommets.

2. Laverne Cox

I love the asymmetry of the dress, and of course the way it fits her like a glove. And certainly, she looked every bit the part as she explained her #transisbeautiful message. But this seems more suited to a fund-raiser than the Fashion Media Awards, n'est pas?

3. Helena Christensen

Did she stop by the awards on her way back from a luncheon at the Hamptons? And, is that a shoulder strap I see? I'm pretty sure that's illegal on red carpets! Props for the shoes though.

4. Gigi Haddid

She normally emanates SoCal cool, but none of her Malibu swagger seems to be shining through with this look. Where's the playfulness?

5. Katie Couric

How many times have we seen her in some variation of a black suit? Just saying...

6. Toni Garrn

She looks absolutely stunning, almost as if to say "Hey, Leonardo. What's good?" She was also the presenter for the evening, and I've seen her put as much effort into a party look as into this outfit, which she wore to present awards to fashion media's top tier.

7. Sara Sampaio

This is literally the same dress (well, maybe not literally, but it could definitely warrant a "who wore it best?") that model Vita Sidorkina wore to last year's Awards:

8. Anna Kendrick

Sigh. I'm pretty sure this was an outfit on Call The Midwife. She can be so quirky and humorous and youthful, and fans love that she rarely takes herself too seriously. Why didn't she bring that to the FMA's?

9. Alan Cumming

Loving the monochrome suit look, up to and including the see-through shirt. Now this is how to answer the age old, snooze-worthy riddle of how guys can play around with a suit on the red carpet. And to think, he's not even in the fashion industry...

10. And this guy, who wore a three dimensional bolero.

Not all heroes wear capes. But this one does.

I can't help but recall the decidedly more festive vibe from the Fashion Media Awards just last year; Naomi Campbell wore a laser-cut halter top and mini skirt, Alessandra Ambrosio wore Tinkerbell's dress, and heck, even Cox deviated from her signature mermaid-y gown and instead rocked a long sleeved, super short dress with pleats.

This was Cox at last year's red carpet:

And here's the barely-there ensemble that Cambell wore when she picked up her award for Best TV Personality Of The Year:

And Ambrosio looked like nothing less than a supermodel.

I mean, look at this crew!

Hopefully next year, we'll get to see fashion's playful side again. Until then, we have NYFW to keep us entertained.