WWD and Variety brought fashion and Hollywood together for their inaugural Stylemakers event at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, California, on November 19, 2015, honoring influential figures whose work helped shape red-carpet and entertainment style.
The blue carpet offered an equally interesting snapshot of mid-2010s fashion. Kerry Washington mixed Saloni stripes with graphic Nicholas Kirkwood pumps, Freida Pinto grounded a vivid Roksanda dress with black Casadei sandals, Kourtney Kardashian went tonal in olive suede with Gianvito Rossi pumps, and Viola Davis kept things classic in a structured white Zac Posen dress and black heels.
💫 Jump to a Stylemakers Look:
More than a decade later, the footwear is particularly revealing: Washington embraced pattern-on-pattern dressing, Pinto used barely-there black sandals to offset saturated color, Kardashian matched her suede pumps to her outfit, while Davis relied on the enduring contrast of a white dress and black ankle-wrap sandals. Here’s a closer look at all four outfits and the shoes that finished them.
1. Kerry Washington Mixes Saloni Stripes With Nicholas Kirkwood Chevron Pumps
Scandal star Kerry Washington took the stage to present an award to costume designer Lyn Paolo, wearing a striped look from Saloni’s Spring 2016 collection.
The matching two-piece set paired an off-the-shoulder crop top and contrasting black necktie with a high-waisted midi skirt. Alternating vertical and horizontal stripes emphasized the shoulders and waist, giving the look a nautical feel.
Kerry Washington makes a graphic entrance in Saloni’s black-and-white striped Spring 2016 separates, finishing the look with equally bold Nicholas Kirkwood chevron-print pumps (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)
A sleek ponytail, luminous makeup, and vivid pink lipstick add a sharp pop of color to Kerry Washington’s monochrome Stylemakers look
From the off-the-shoulder neckline to the full midi skirt, Kerry Washington’s striped Saloni set plays with direction and proportion while keeping the palette strictly black and white
Washington carried the graphic theme all the way to her shoes, choosing black-and-white Nicholas Kirkwood chevron-print leather pumps. The pointed-toe stilettos echoed the stripes of her Saloni separates rather than competing through color.
Rose-gold Anita Ko diamond orbit earrings, a sleek ponytail, and bright pink lipstick finished the look without adding another pattern.
Nicholas Kirkwood’s pointed-toe pumps mirror Kerry Washington’s striped outfit with tightly layered black-and-white chevrons and a slender stiletto heel
The pumps made this the most pattern-heavy footwear choice of the four looks. A solid pump would have made the outfit quieter, but Kirkwood’s zig-zag design turned Washington’s shoes into part of the striped composition rather than simply a finishing accessory.
Seen from the side, Kerry Washington’s Nicholas Kirkwood pumps reveal the more dramatic geometry of the design, with oversized zig-zag panels wrapping around the heel and sides
2. Freida Pinto Brightens the Blue Carpet in Roksanda and Casadei Sandals
Freida Pinto provided the strongest burst of color in a neon yellow Roksanda dress. Designed by Roksanda Ilinčić, the high-neck style relied on a clean, sculptural silhouette and softly structured folds rather than embellishment.
Freida Pinto lets the vivid yellow Roksanda dress take center stage, grounding its sculptural silhouette with a black clutch and Casadei velvet sandals (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)
She grounded the saturated color with black accessories, including a box clutch and Casadei velvet ankle-tie sandals. The open-toe heels featured slim straps across the foot and criss-cross velvet ties wrapped around the ankle, giving the otherwise minimal dress a softer, more tactile finish.
Freida Pinto’s black Casadei sandals feature open toes, curved velvet panels, and delicate criss-cross ankle straps, with red polish providing a subtle flash of color
3. Kourtney Kardashian Goes Monochrome in Olive Suede and Gianvito Rossi Pumps
Kourtney Kardashian took a tonal approach, pairing an olive green Alice + Olivia suede racerback crop top with the label’s matching “Tani” pencil skirt. The close color match and continuous suede texture made the two separates read almost like a single dress from a distance.
Kourtney Kardashian keeps her beauty look understated with center-parted, pin-straight hair, defined lashes, and a soft nude lip
The rich olive suede of Kourtney Kardashian’s Alice + Olivia racerback top brings texture to an otherwise streamlined monochrome look
Rather than breaking up the monochrome palette, Kardashian continued it with olive Gianvito Rossi suede pumps. The pointed-toe silhouette and deep-cut vamp visually extended the leg line, while the matching suede kept the shoes closely connected to the Alice + Olivia separates.
It was a relatively understated choice for the event, but the tonal styling made the footwear feel deliberate: instead of using the pumps as a contrasting accessory, Kardashian treated them as an extension of the outfit.
Kourtney Kardashian pairs an olive Alice + Olivia suede top and “Tani” pencil skirt with pointed-toe Gianvito Rossi pumps, extending the tonal look from dress to shoes (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)
4. Viola Davis Contrasts White Zac Posen With Black Ankle-Wrap Sandals
Viola Davis pairs a crisp white Zac Posen fit-and-flare dress with black ankle-wrap sandals, creating a clean monochrome contrast on the blue carpet (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)
Viola Davis chose one of the evening’s most classic color combinations, pairing a crisp white Zac Posen midi dress with black ankle-wrap sandals. The sleeveless design featured a structured bodice and pleated fit-and-flare skirt, highlighting Posen’s precise tailoring.
Her black open-toe heels added more detail than a traditional pump, with slim toe straps and wide ankle ties finished with bow-like accents at the back. Against the structured white dress, the darker footwear created a sharp contrast without competing with its clean silhouette.
Viola Davis finishes her look with softly curled hair, smoky eye makeup, berry lipstick, and sculptural drop earrings
Taken together, the four looks show how differently a shoe can shape a red-carpet outfit. Kerry Washington doubled down on graphic pattern with Nicholas Kirkwood, Freida Pinto used black Casadei sandals to ground neon Roksanda, and Kourtney Kardashian extended her monochrome palette with matching Gianvito Rossi suede pumps. Viola Davis took a classic contrasting approach, finishing structured white Zac Posen with black ankle-wrap sandals.
The clothes capture a distinct moment in 2015 fashion, but the footwear strategies—matching, contrasting, grounding bright color, or deliberately mixing patterns—remain just as relevant.