Mark These Words, Janelle Monae’s 2017 Oscars Gown Will Go Down In History

The Academy Awards are all about celebrating a year’s worth of Hollywood filmmaking. But the Oscars red carpet is all about celebrating fashion. The elite put on the most dramatic outfit they can pull off (and sometimes reaching for the moon and wearing something they can’t pull off). If you’ve ever seen a model walk down the cat walk and thought to yourself “Where on Earth would you wear something like that” the answer is an opulent red carpet.

Every year there are dresses — and occasionally tuxedos — that make an instant statement. Halle Berry’s burgundy and floral Ellie Saab gown. Jennifer Lawrence in her blush Dior. Lupita Nyong’o arriving in a sky blue Prada confection. And now Janelle Monae in Ellie Saab. This look is bound to go down in Oscars history. It takes the floral peekaboo of Berry’s Oscars gown and adds 18th-century French couture, which makes sense as both dresses are from the same design house. Panniers may be unrealistic for everyday wear, but if you can’t wear a dress you have to walk through doors sideways to the Oscars, where can you wear it If we’re very lucky, this look will usher in a new era of French elegance to high fashion.

Perfection.