Viva Magenta was supposed to be the colour of 2023, but not according to last night's Critics' Choice Awards. Marvellous Michelle Yeoh did, I grant you, wear a set of truly spectacular fuchsia sleeves, but another trend dominated the red carpet - and you first saw it on TikTok.
I'll give you a clue. It involves wearing a sumptuous colour palette of milk white, panna cotta cream and, if you're feeling adventurous, maybe biscuit. You guessed it: vanilla girl, the trend for dressing like the blandest flavour of ice cream on the menu that has clocked up an impressive 355.2 million views on TikTok. Except, there was nothing 'vanilla' about the looks last night.
Anya Taylor-Joy looked like actual ice cream cone in scalloped Dior Haute Couture. Niecy Nash-Betts, who won for Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, chose a double cream-coloured dress that was subtly dazzling by Jason Wu.
Phoebe Dynevor and Elle Fanning, who brought the drama with a beautifully deconstructed gown by Alexander McQueen, arrived wearing the equivalent of a one-shot latte, heavy on the froth, light on the coffee, and definitive proof that vanilla can be daring.
And finally, Sheryl Lee Ralph, who upped the ante with a gown that looked like it was made out of gold leaf, custom-made by Jovana Louis, that was definitely at the exhibitionist end of the vanilla girl spectrum. Delicious all round.