Hunter Schafer, Oprah, Fantasia: best and worst dressed at Golden Globes

BEST

HUNTER SCHAEFER

The whole point of a red carpet is to create a moment that creates a bridge between the keen eyes of adoring fans and the inventive stitchwork of fashion designers. Schafer's gown is a dramatic moment that brings much-needed whimsy to the first big carpet of the awards season.

The translucent Prada gown is a picture-perfect choice for Schafer, who allows the moment to shine with minimal beauty, hair and shoes.

NATASHA LYONNE

It's very rare that stars go wrong in Schiaparelli, and Lyonne is proof of that. The otherworldly gown is a backless masterpiece that elongates the tiny actress without letting her be swallowed up in the eye-catching tassels. The look also nods at the hype around minimal makeup that works best with achromatic colours.

ERIKA ALEXANDER

Alexander has made many generations of sitcom fans laugh, but for the red carpet she was looking to drop jaws. She stuns in a gown by viral sensation Claude Kemani, who has Alexander in an Ankara-esque print topped with colourful locs that complement the electric colours of the gown. While the skirt's mermaid tail is something we should leave behind as a forgotten trend, the shape created to accentuate Alexander's curves makes an argument for the cut to make a comeback.

JANELLE JAMES

Looking to get all eyes back on pelvage, James takes one of her biggest fashion risks in a black asymmetrical Monsoori gown donned with chartreuse detachable floor-length sleeves. Perhaps it's high time James gets her Met Gala invite if she is capable of bringing not only drama but appropriate amounts of glamour to the Golden Globes carpet.

RED CARPET TREND: PUNK

WORST

OPRAH WINFREY

Oprah in the colour purple.. As one of the head honchos in the musical remake of The Color Purple, Winfrey was a bit on the nose and could have opted for looks from Altazurra, ChoCheng or the violet shades from designers such as Christian Siriano.

FANTASIA

Fantasia's Dolce & Gabanna gown is a recipe for success. However, the mixed elements moving from velvet to sequins to velvet looks cluttered without much effort in the beauty department. A geometric cat-eye or a smokey dramatic eye would have brought it home. Embellishments or colour that matched the sequins or velvet would have helped bring the look together or she could have achieved the same effect with highlights or bright colour shades in her hair.

Then again, when you are the front-runner star of an Oscar-nominated production, there's only so much you can do, making this a commendable feat for the Enough singer.

ROSAMUND PIKE

According to interviews with Pike, she had a recent ski accident that inspired her headpiece. However, in behind-the-scenes images of her getting ready, the scarring from the accident isn't visible. Regardless, the gown works without the veil that gives the ensemble a Halloween costume finish. Another option her stylist could have gone for was a structured veil that resembled a visor to hide the injuries.