Eurovision 2017: Highlights from the Red Carpet

Ukraine 2017

by Eleanor Cooper May 7, 2017 11:27 pm 5,410 views

ESCToday team was live at today’s Red Carpet and Opening Ceremony event which took place in Kyiv, Ukraine! We saw first-hand the glamour and the amount of effort all the delegations have gone to for their looks tonight.

Red Carpet parade

The event kicked off today at 16:00 CET where the 42 countries as well as the 3 hosts, crossed the 265 meter long red carpet, right outside the Mariyinsky Palace. The show was broadcast online and featured a mixture of 3 different interviewers, the parade of the artists and the release of the Eurovision balloons carrying the flags of the 42 participating countries.

You can rewatch the whole event here

Top 11 outfits

Everyone looked gorgeous, and it was wonderful to see all the participants so beautifully presented, but here are few highlights worth mentioning.

Albania

Lindita was the first contestant on the red carpet today, and set the bar high by wearing such a striking outfit! Her gown has a long train at the back, but at the front it has a daringly high-cut mini skirt. The bodice of her dress is embellished with sequins and beads in complimentary tones along the illusional sweetheart neckline. The dress has a further feature of voluptuous frills on Lindita’s shoulders.

Lindita’s gown was designed by the Albanian designer, Joni Peci. In an interview with esctoday, Lindita said “I let him take charge over the outfit – he told me to wear this and I said sure whatever you say!”

Belarus

Navi band from Belarus are, as always, beautifull coordinated! Arciom wears red trousers and a red shirt flecked with black spots. His wears a black hat and jacket to finish his look.

Ksienija looks particularly stunning in red and black; two colours which suit her very well. Her loose-fitting jumpsuit gives the same effect as a long gown, cinched at the waist with a black belt. The top of her jumpsuit is styled in the on-trend cold shoulder look, with spaghetti straps and draping fabric across her upper arm. The low semi-sweetheart neckline leaves room on Ksienija’s upper chest for an elaborate necklace, reminiscent of the traditional embroidery on the Belorussian flag.

Cyprus

Hovig provides us with one of the classiest suits of the evening, dispelling the myth that black and navy don’t go together. His suit is by Athens-based designers NO NAME. It’s all well-tailored, and navy coloured. The shirt and tie Hovig wears are black, as are his lapels. This gives him a very sophisticated modern look.

Estonia

Estonia have proved again to be one of the best-dressed delegations of the competition this year! Koit wears a classic tuxedo and bow tie, with sequin detail piping the lapels, but most of the focus is on Laura’s beautiful dress.

Laura’s dress tonight is red to match the carpet, with a full draping skirt and train. It is split upon to the top, revealing what looks like a shorter dress underneath. The top part of Laura’s dress is the same type of embroidery and embellishment as her stage outfit, only in red, and this continues down onto the short under-skirt. She also has on-trend cold shoulder sleeves, with long tassels which add movement. A final detail on Laura’s outfit is the embellishment on the lower leg of her tights, which matches that of her bodice, giving the effect of a beautiful red tattoo on her skin.

FYR Macedonia

One of the simplest dresses tonight is one of the most elegant, as Jana from F.Y.R. Macedonia channels Poison Ivy. She wears a silky dark green gown, with a daring low v-neck and daring slit up the thigh. Although it is such a simple gown, the unusual colour looks gorgeous on Jana, giving her a beautiful striking look.

Hungary

Joci Pápai wore the most elaborate outfit of all the gentlemen tonight. His outfit is similar to his stage costume, but even more extravagant! It’s a deep blue silk-velvet suit-jacket embellished with trimmings and golden metallic threads. He wears simple trousers and boots, ensuring all the focus is rightly on the beautiful jacket. His outfit was designed by Hungarian designers Kolos Schilling and Tímea Szivek.

Kolos Schilling is also the stylist of Joci Pápai’s team. He was the stylist for the film Berlin Calling and he is also the designer at the Hungarian National Gallop, but he is most famous for his outstanding hat designs.

Italy

The red hot favourite to win the entire contest, Francesco Gabbani, looks extremely dapper, as expected! He is dressed in a black suit and white shirt, but with loosely draped necklaces, giving him a unique twist on a classically suave look. The designer of Francesco’s suit is Daniele Alessandrini.

Montenegro

This year’s Montenegrin competitor, Slavko Kalezic, has been known for his flamboyant costumes, but tonight he keeps it toned down with a silky suit worn with a dappled metallic t-shirt underneath. He has the most pleasant modern look of all the male contestants tonight. Marina Banović is in charge of Slavko’s outfits for his time in Kyiv, and has brought 30 different formal outfits for him to choose from for various events.

Romania

Alex Florea scrubs up very nicely in a modern suit by Adina Buzatu, all-black with a gold-tinted jacket, but the focus here is on Ilinca’s gorgeous lilac dress. Ilinca’s dress has a very fitted bodice, split down to her navel, and is entirely covered in swirls of gold and purple tinted sequins. The skirt is draped, with a thigh split and is in a very subtle flattering shade of light purple. It was designed by Athena Philip, who also dressed the Romania Head of Delegation, Iuliana Marciuc. Their stylist is Rodica Puca.

Switzerland

One of the most beautiful ladies in the contest wears one of the most beautiful dresses tonight. Miruna from Timebelle wears a fitted dress with a very low neckline. The skirt is straight cut and the entire bodice is a gorgeous turquoise shade and covered in lace. Miruna’s dress is long-sleeved, and also has the cold shoulder feature of many of tonight’s gowns. It was designed by Cristallini.

The Netherlands

The final outfit we have chosen to highlight are the dresses worn by the sisters of OG3NE. These three coordinating black dresses are made by the same designer, Tycho Boeker aka Prince Charming Designs, who designed the girls’ stage dresses. Each dress is tailored to suit each individual. All three dresses are cut just below the knee. Amy’s dress has sharp cut outs at the waist, giving her an hourglass shape. Lisa’s dress is very low cut with leather and zip detail, and Shelley’s dress is more classic, with frills on the shoulders and lace patterns on the sleeves and bodice.

Which outfit was your favourite of the red carpet? Share your opinions on the comments below!

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