At any red carpet event, there’s always something that immediately sets social media alight.
Angelina Jolie’s left leg. Pharrell William’s hat. This year? It’s Halle Berry’s new ‘do.
Everybody is talking about it.
The 50-year-old – who incidentally also happens to still be the only black woman in Oscars history to win Best Actress – was a presenter at this year’s ceremony, which marks 15 years since her historic win.
Listen to Mia Freedman, Laura Brodnik, Brittany Stewart and Monique Bowley debrief on the 2017 Oscars. Post continues below.
She told Vogue ahead of her appearance on the red carpet that her outfit held special significance for her.
“I have always marched to the beat to my own drum, and I think this red-carpet look encapsulates that,” she said.
“The dress is glamorous with a sense of romance that made me feel feminine and fresh. With this look, I celebrate my natural hair by allowing it to be wild and free.”
However not everyone is a fan of Berry's choice.
But there's something we're forgetting amid all the jokes.
This is not an accessory like Pharrell's hat. Yes, Berry's hair might be a wig, but the style is a symbol of black culture and history and the two are inextricably intertwined.
Unfortunately, to do her hair "naturally" is still considered statement making.
To make fun of her hair feeds into the same controversy that has sparked cultural appropriation calls over cornrows and braids.
Berry also spoke about diversity and the #OscarsSoWhite controversy on the red carpet.
"I'd like to believe that all those moments when one of us goes that it matters," she told ABC's Michael Strahan.
"Ruth Negga is also nominated this year in that category this year and I'm hoping there's another woman of colour that stands beside me.
"So, I do think things are changing, yeah, maybe not as fast as we would like them to, and some years we're not represented like we would like to be, but i think if we look at it as a whole, things have progressed and are changing."
Top Comments
As a curly haired person...i love it.
I actually didn't recognise her. I was thinking, "who is that in the front row with the great hair?"