Cillian Murphy closed out a truly sterling awards season at tonight’s Oscars ceremony, capping off a run that saw him collect acting and sartorial accolades in spades. The Irish actor accepted the Golden Globe, Emmy, SAG Award, and now, Academy Award for best actor for his performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s historical epic, and even during the moments in between, he did so in style: in sharp-shouldered jackets, pinstripes, floppy ribbon bow ties, and precision-cut suits.
For his triumphant night at the 96th Academy Awards, Murphy wore a custom Versace tux with a festive black silk bow tie and custom Chelsea boots, styled by Rose Forde.
Courtesy of Versace
“Cillian looks exquisite in this Atelier Versace tuxedo,” Dontella Versace tells GQ via email. “This is Versace tailoring at its best. Every refined detail from the silk of his shirt to the cut of the jacket has been carefully considered. I love collaborating with him on his clothes—he understands and appreciates every stitch. He looks so sharp and powerful.”
(Pinned to the actor’s lapel was custom brooch by the Hong Kong-based design house Sauvereign, who crafted the starburst design as a reference to the real-life Oppenheimer’s world-altering invention: the atomic bomb.)
Murphy’s black patent leather boots—which the brand dubbed “the Dublin boot” in homage to his motherland—were made especially for the occasion. The one-of-one pair features Medusa hardware in gold: a signature of the Milanese label, yes, but couldn’t the reptilian symbolism also be an indirect reference to the Emerald Isle? If you really think about it, Medusa’s serpentine locks could also be a nod to the one and only Saint Patrick, who, as the lore goes, banished all of Ireland’s snakes into the sea. It’s been a megawatt year for the myriad Irishmen of Hollywood, but Saint Patrick’s Day is still a week away.
