What to wear while paying tribute to Alanis Morissette? That was the question Olivia Rodrigo faced ahead of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala in Toronto on Saturday; the pop superstar was set to induct Morissette onstage with a heartfelt speech. Luckily if there’s any chart-topper equipped for the moment, it’s her.
Rodrigo channelled the ’90s, the decade in which Morissette released Jagged Little Pill and burst onto the scene. It’s also the era that’s had the heaviest influence on Rodrigo’s signature grunge-glamour aesthetic, which was out in full force for the evening. Above a cream lace-trimmed satin Saint Laurent slip dress, the Grammy-winner wore a soft-focus red lip and cascading waves with delicate braids woven in.
“I love how effortless and ethereal the whole thing was, but with a slight grungy twist,” says hairstylist Clayton Hawkins. “There were actually about 12 different braids and twists throughout her hair. We love doing braids so much and are always trying to find new spins on how we do them.” Hawkins notes that what gave her accent braids a distinctly cooler, more laissez-faire finish was skipping elastics and letting the plaits unravel at the ends.
A similar atтιтude characterised the make-up — the lips especially. “We wanted [Olivia’s look] to be classic, but with a young, cool edge,” says make-up artist Lilly Keys, who gave Rodrigo smoky gunmetal kitten flicks, wispy individual Velour Beauty lashes, and a not-too-perfect “slightly blurry” crimson mouth. While red lips and waves are a timeless combination, Rodrigo proves the pairing can easily be tweaked for a more lived-in, punkish feel. Update your beauty mood boards accordingly.
