This awards season, with its mixture of in-person and virtual ceremonies, was a confusing one to dress for. After all, the look has to translate within a tiny Zoom box in some cases. But one actor who’s managed to shine through it all is Leslie Odom Jr., a breakout red carpet star and a relative newcomer to best dressed lists. Working with stylist Avo Yermagyan, the star—who has been nominated this season for his role in Regina King’s One Night in Miami—has brought vibrant style to the mix and stood out with his flavor for color, modern silhouettes, and fresh-off-the-runway pieces.
Yermagyan began working with Odom Jr. back at the 2018 Tony Awards, when he dressed him in a classic, black pinstriped suit. A standard choice for a leading man, but a far cry from, say, the ombré Berluti suit he wore for this year’s SAG awards. “My challenge has been to tailor his overall look—not only to what he is currently promoting, as either the actor or musician, but also by dressing him with the full career trajectory ahead in mind,” says Yermagyan. “What I admire most about Leslie’s approach to fashion is that he is a risk taker. He is curious, trusts my vision, and fully commits.”
This year was the first time either Odom Jr. or Yermagyan have done the full awards show marathon, so it proved to be a learning process for the both of them. “We wanted to make a statement with each look,” Yermagyan says. “To show that this is just the beginning for him, and give the world a taste of the multifaceted artist that he is.” In other words, no neutral suits. Yermagyan’s personal favorite was the two Versace suits—both in bright colors—that he styled Odom Jr. in at the BAFTAs. “I wanted to play with prints and patterns and colors and mix them up,” says Yermagyan. “The Versace looks caught my eye on the runway because it broke out of the norm of tonal dressing, which has become the new go-to in men’s styling.”
In Versace at the BAFTAs
Photo: Courtesy of VersaceThe ruffled Celine top and suit at the Critics Choice Awards, and the aforementioned multicolor Berluti suit for the SAG Awards, were another highlight. “The Berluti look was very special because it was a look that had never before been seen,” says Yermagyan. “Luckily, Kris Van Assche allowed me to pull the look five days before it even walked down the virtual runway in Berluti’s fall 2021 collection.”
When thinking of these bold red carpet (or Zoom) looks together, Yermagyan’s biggest challenge was ensuring the statement finishes still felt polished and refined. “We kept the cuts classic and made sure that the tailoring was immaculate for the actor in him, but we added an unexpected shock value and notes of color for the musician in him,” says Yermagyan. He also wanted to properly capture the feel and messaging of his film through their fashion choices. “The men he has portrayed have an irreverence to them and buck the system,” says Yermagyan of Odom Jr.’s work. “The men in the film One Night in Miami were change-makers in their time, so taking a cue from them, I didn’t want to play it safe with the looks. Our only rule was to break away from convention.”
If there’s one fashion takeaway from his work with the actor this year, Yermagyan hopes it inspires fellow men—whether big Hollywood stars or not—to experiment more with their look. “We are seeing more men take risks not only in Hollywood, but also on the streets,” he says. “Men are embracing bolder looks and having more fun when it comes to dressing. It is so refreshing to see the guys breaking away from the traditional gray, blue, and black as default colors for dressing—and there is a trickle down effect to this, as young men are no longer trying to fit in, but making every fashion choice with the intention of standing out.” That philosophy has made Odom Jr. the breakout star—and the best-dressed—of this awards season. Now, let’s see what the Oscars this weekend will hold.