Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

94th Annual Academy Awards, Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA – 27 Mar 2022

Ariana DeBosedared to wear bold pants to the red carpet at the 94th Academy Awards.

The Best Supporting Actress winner decided to stray from a conventional gown to celebrate her first Oscar nomination. Instead, DeBose showed up in major style rocking a plunging crimson crop top with matching wide-leg trousers and a dramatic floor-length cape, a custom Valentino Haute Couture look. She topped off the ensemble with red platform heels and plenty of diamonds, including a layered tennis necklace, sparkling bracelet, cocktail ring and drop earrings.

The actress’s hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew chopped her hair into a ‘mixie’ and styled her hair with Maui Moisture and GHD products.

“I knew what I wanted to do with Ariana’s hair the moment I saw her red Valentino pantsuit. It reminded me of Halle Barry’s 2002 winning Oscars look! The pantsuit was so chic and had a mix of masculine and feminine energy. It has this amazing flow to it,” Sturdivant-Drew said.

Neilson Barnard/Getty

Ariana DeBose

“I knew I wanted to cut her hair to honor the classic boldness and edginess of the outfit. I decided to cut her hair down on top into this layered mixie look and leave the sides and back tapered low. I call this cut a mixie and not a pixie because it’s in between both. It’s not as short as a pixie but a little longer,” she added.

It’s a big night for DeBose, 31, as the star is up for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the remake ofWest Side Story. She has been nominated alongside Jessie Buckley, Judi Dench, Kirsten Dunst and Aunjanue Ellis.

Since the film’s release, DeBose has become a household name. Her road to stardom, however, has long-been in the making as she has appeared in several fan-favorite musicals, includingHamiltonandSummer: The Donna Summer Musical.

Moreno (who also has a role in the remake)praised DeBose’s take on the character, saying the actress is “marvelous. She’s a ferocious dancer, way better than I was.” And her dancing is what initially caught director Spielberg’s eye as well, though her “tremendous personal charisma” is what sold him on her for the part,he says.

As an actresswho identities as Afro-Latina and queer, DeBose hopes touse her platform to inspire Afro-Latino and LGBTQ communities.

“I take this very seriously. I am a ‘positive vibes only’ person, especially in my social media presence,“she toldPeople en Español. “There are young people out there watching what I say or do. I don’t want to give anyone a reason to put these communities down. That being said, I say what I mean and mean what I say. Afro-Latinos have been underrepresented in our industry.

I am excited to continue to be a part of moving the needle forward so we can reach a day where there is balance in how we represent the beautiful spectrum of Latinos, and not just one ‘traditionally Latino’ prototype.”

source: people.com