A girl with a spikey outfit, a man with socks and sandals and a man in a dress enter the Eurovision opening ceremony venue. This is not the beginning of a joke but only a glimpse of the madness that took place yesterday in Malmo on the Turquoise carpet.
If to describe the outfits from yesterday’s event in one word I would with no doubt choose “camp”.
I took a look back at the outfits we saw in past opening ceremonies and I was shocked at how low the level of style is this year compared to former editions. We always had better and worse outfits. Some memorable and some completely forgettable ones. But never in the history of the competition, do I remember so many outfits and so little style. Don’t get me wrong. Eurovision is THE place to do any kind of madness one can think of. Yet, when it came to the looks, something just wasn’t working.
Therefore, this year the “Shock or Mock” will focus on the odd outfits. Outfits that made me raise an eyebrow, question and sometimes even want to knock my head against the wall.

 

Finland

Finland is all about making it as camp and as ridiculous as it gets this year when it comes to appearance. The same outfit is used over and over again both on stage and on the red carpet. The same goes for the denim-made egg. If it didn’t look like the cheap replica of Lady Gaga’s appearance on the Grammy’s red carpet back in 2011 where she came there sitting inside an egg it could have been something refreshing perhaps. But this simply wasn’t it. I also think that choosing this as your outfit for the ESC opening ceremony is a disrespect all by itself.

 

 

Malta

I remember waiting for Malta’s artists to appear on the carpet every year, Not because their outfits were always the finest of fashion creations but because they usually looked good. This year wasn’t the case. The spikes all over the outfit as well as the hat and the bag make it look more like something one would wear to a Halloween party rather than to such an event. The whole thing together looks uncomfortable and disturbing for the eye to see.

 

 

Australia

Australia’s case is a bit different. I wouldn’t wear any of these outfits out of choice simply because that’s not my style. But the prints fascinated me. Both outfits look great. The prints make them look much more alive and they bring a small drop of sanity in this bunch of weird and out-of-this-world outfits.

 

 

Austria

Austria is a good example of how to get dressed for an opening ceremony or almost any red-carpet event without being boring and managing to stand out the right way. The dress with the exaggerated shoulder pads and the revealed yet not-too-revealed cleavage along with the choice of fabric make the dress a great piece which could have stood out in other editions of the contest and always remain memorable for good reasons.

 

 

Czechia

The first thing I thought of once I saw Czechia was that it looks like a bride and her 4 bridesmaids but in different colours. I loved all the dresses one by one. Aiko’s dress was completely fit for the event. The backing singers had some great choices too. Especially the fact that all the dresses were made from the same fabric yet looked so different made the challenge of designing such outfits result in great creations.

 

 

Ireland

Did someone summon a devil or something? We all know by now that Bambie Thug isn’t the Chanel suit and a Birkin bag kind of girl. She isn’t the jeans and T-shirt kind of girl either. But this outfit seems artistry on one hand with a look which makes her look like some kind of a sea creature. Still, I do find the fact that her corset closes so low and the dress almost makes her derriere slightly visible, something a bit provocative for no reason. Especially not on the esc turquoise carpet.

 

 

The Netherlands

Oh, The Netherlands. What have you done? Don’t get me wrong. I own a blue suit myself. But mine doesn’t have exaggerated shoulder pads that help with anything. Also, mine comes with pants and not a skirt but that’s a different topic. And then the EU flag vest and the EU tie for the blue bird. It all looks and feels so cheap and cringy that I simply can’t. I truly believe that after such fashion choices, the EBU should put in place a dressing code for the next editions before someone comes in his PJ or simply underwear and a tank top.

 

 

Switzerland

Switzerland had the most perfect outfit! But not for such an event. This mix between a dress, a kimono, a blanket and a fishing net might be fit for costume parties of some sort but most definitely not for an event of such importance. Want to make an appearance no one will ever forget? No problem. Make sure to be remembered for the right reasons.

 

 

Albania

I will divide the Albanian look to two parts. The black dress and the white cape and skirt. The dress looks fantastic It’s modern, cut in the right places, revealing yet not too revealing. The white skirt adds another dimension to it which doesn’t harm the overall look at all. But then the cape looks like a melted whipped cream all over the top of the dress and I doubt how I actually feel about it. Overall the look is nice. Not my go-to look for such events but it does its job just right.

 

 

Israel

Knowing who is behind the dress for Eden, I was just waiting to see what she would wear for the opening ceremony and I couldn’t be sadder when I heard Israel won’t be making it to the opening ceremony. Yet, I can assure you all that Eden could have been the best dressed if she had appeared on the carpet. The skeleton-like corset along with the white skirt makes Eden look like a mythological creature. I could never get enough of this dress whatsoever.

 

 

What do you think of the participants’ outfits? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Credits:

Eden Golan: Eran Levi for Maariv TMI

Ireland: Alma-Bengtsson for EBU

Rest of participants: Cain Cooper for ESCBubble