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Solidarity at the BAFTAs: Women set to dress in black as part of the Time's Up movement

The BAFTAs are set to follow the tone of this year’s previous award ceremonies. [Photo: Getty]
The BAFTAs are set to follow the tone of this year’s previous award ceremonies. [Photo: Getty]

The Time’s Up movement has spread far and wide following allegations on some of Hollywood’s biggest names, and it’s the award ceremonies this year that are helping to show widespread support.

The BAFTA ceremony is up next after the Golden Globes and the Grammys and the show of solidarity is continuing.

The ‘British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ Awards are the UK equivalent to the Oscars, and will take place on February 18 this year.

2018’s nominees include Margot Robbie, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lesley Manville, Annette Bening, Frances McDormand, Sally Hawkins, Saoirse Ronan, Allison Janney, and Octavia Spencer.

‘The Shape of Water’ will lead this year’s awards with 12 nominations, followed by Martin McDonagh’s black comedy ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ and ‘Darkest Hour’, both of which received nine nominations.

This year, the ceremony will take place at Royal Albert Hall.

WWD reported that members of the industry wish to show their support for the Time’s Up movement, following the ‘blackout’ unofficial dress code at the Golden Globes earlier this month.

And it seems the idea to dress entirely in black is a relatively new one. With only weeks to go until the event, designers are reportedly rushing to replace existing outfits with a more sombre choice of clothing.

A BAFTA spokesman told WWD that the event does not dictate a certain dress-code, and that people are free to wear whatever they want to the ceremony. But he declined to comment on whether or not the women attending had made specific plans to dress only in black.

Bafta Chief Executive Amanda Berry said rumours of wearing black started a few weeks ago.

But wearing black isn’t the only positive step forward for women at the BAFTAs this year, because for the first time since journalist Mariella Frostrup took the lead in 2001, a woman will be hosting the event.

Actress Joanna Lumley will take over from Stephen Fry as the awards host.

She said she was excited to take on the role but acknowledged it would be difficult to follow the right tone as the sexual harassment scandal continues.

“My job will be to let other people set the tone. If they want to wear black, they will wear black, if they want to speak about abuse within the film industry, they can. If they want to celebrate film or talk about a particular role … how thrilling, how marvellous.

“We want people to feel proud to be there, happy to be there, thrilled to hear what is said.”

The SAG awards saw people donning coloured clothes again, although the focus remained on female empowerment following the #MeToo movement.

At the Grammys, artists wore white roses to show their support for those affected by sexual harassment in the music industry.

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