On that day of “awards and demands” – as the director Pedro Almodóvar would describe it last night – which is the Goya Gala. And one night a year, film professionals have the opportunity to have before them an unrivaled speaker. And they take advantage of it. One night a year, it is the politicians’ turn to be the ones who remain in the background, attending as spectators, watching, hearing and remaining silent. But what do they transmit with their image in those moments when it is not their turn to be the ones who monopolize the universe of words?
1. Pedro Sánchez, license to govern
The President of the Government attended the gala dressed in the purest 007 style, but it was not enough for him to be just any James Bond: the lapels he wore on his tuxedo seemed a nod to that Pierce Brosnan of the 90s, perhaps the most analogous version in terms of that by physical refers to Sánchez himself. However, some details made one suspect that the leader of the PSOE had limited himself to extrapolating his suits, suitable for the plenary session in the Lower House and other day-to-day meetings, to a tuxedo version. The peaked lapels with a slight notch, breaking with the purism of classic elegance, conveyed an image of a businessman, an executive with power. Also, as often happens, they were too narrow in relation to what protocol recommends, a characteristic that, however, he usually uses to his advantage in order to highlight the size of his torso. Likewise, the slim fit pants, which have already become his personal trademark, were excessively tight for a tuxedo. And her greatest chromatic contrast was embodied by her naturally grayish mottled hair, something that would have been prohibitive for any woman holding a political position in such an event, but which is socially considered a sign of attractive maturity in the case of men.
2. Yolanda Díaz, in the comfort zone
The Minister of Labor honored the formality required for the occasion, choosing a look that, for her, actually means staying strictly within her comfort zone. The chosen brand: Purificación García, a Galician fashion house par excellence to which the vice president regularly turns. The PSOE red of the dress is already Díaz’s favorite hallmark for those occasions in which she decides to go out of white and send a “here I am” message typical of power-dressing. The red, added to the midi length and the satin made the look very trendy, the most groundbreaking element being the neckline that revealed her back. The culmination of this message of sobriety – which does not necessarily imply having to go unnoticed – was provided by the gold accessories, the lips matching the dress and the hairstyle collected in a ponytail.
3. Ana Redondo, made into a painting
The Minister of Equality, who since her arrival at Moncloa had been predicted to have a low profile to calm the waters agitated by feminism in recent years, surprised with one of the most disconcerting and least discreet models of the night.
The design of this voluminous princess-style dress in lilac – the emblem of feminism and Valladolid, Redondo’s hometown – was carried out by the hyperrealist artist Rosana Largo, also from Valladolid. Among the hundreds of embroidered flowers, the image of the Infanta Margaret of Austria and other enormous figures of religious symbolism appeared. Redondo, as soon as he took office, faced his first controversy by transcending images of him as a brother of Holy Week, something that was shocking in a feminist profile. Thus, it seems that Redondo has chosen to replicate the strategy that her predecessor and party colleague Carmen Calvo used in her day, who on several occasions was disgraced by the fact that she was a bullfighting fan and declared herself a feminist. “There is nothing more modern than an afternoon of bullfighting,” the former minister even said to publicly reaffirm her conservative hobby. Something similar to the declaration of intentions that she seems to have sought to enunciate the new Equality, for whom, in any case, these Goyas stood as her great moment. Redondo, being responsible for Culture and Tourism at the Valladolid City Council, had been in charge of managing the relevant negotiations with the then Minister of Culture, Miquel Iceta, so that the city would host the delivery of the statuettes in 2024.
4. Ernest Urtasun, politics does not rest
Ernest Urtasun, in general, seems more comfortable going completely ‘sports’ or, at least, without a tie, but on this occasion he opted for a classic tuxedo with a rounded tie that he dressed with ease and correctness. The Minister of Culture did not stand out especially during the Goya for his ‘outfit’, but he did acquire a role appropriate enough for the portfolio he holds in the field of discursive matters. Before the media, she denounced sexual violence against women, in line with what was one of the leading themes of the night: “women in cinema, like everyone else, do not want to try to live, it is urgent that we all demand certainty of equality. Here, in the cinema, it is also over,” proclaimed Ana Belén from her loudspeaker as presenter. In addition, Urtasun chose to wear one of the badges in solidarity with the Palestinian people – ‘Stop arms trade. Ceasefire now in Gaza’ – which was also carried by other personalities during the event, including the actress Alba Flores, who asked from the stage for “peace for Palestine” and stated that “as we know that this is a loudspeaker, that people can hear and authorities come, I hope they reconsider and I hope the Government of this country can do things.”
5. Óscar Puente and Fernández Mañueco, the two Spains
Although since the Great Male Renunciation of the French Revolution the general feeling is that all men go to events dressed the same, the truth is that it is in the small details where the identity of those who have not yet broken the aesthetic barrier and preserve, Still, that apparent homogeneity can be read. Such was the case of these two politicians, both men and from Castilian-Leonese, who during the celebration embodied two antagonistically different ways of understanding the world, despite what it might seem at first glance. On one side was the Minister of Transport and former mayor of Valladolid, Óscar Puente (PSOE), with his peak lapel and somewhat rickety jacket that was left half open under the buttons, offering that tacky image that has made the flag of the Time to build your political profile.
On the other hand, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco (PP), president of the Board, was wearing his classic rounded collar jacket, probably in an active attempt to comply with the requirements of etiquette. However, the garment was a little big on her, almost as if it were borrowed.
6. Juan García-Gallardo, the target of all eyes
There were few looks as premonitory in these Goyas as that of the vice president of the Junta de Castilla y León, Juan García Gallardo, who, attending the event in a white tuxedo, ended up becoming the target of all criticism. The one from Vox, a group that was attending the celebration for the first time, had stated before the beginning of the event before the media that “many” would be “stinged” by their presence, since, according to him, “they are determined to transmit “a message that Vox has a problem with culture.” But García-Gallardo chose white, not recommended outside of the summer season, something that could be interpreted as a gesture of delegitimization and discredit towards the gala. A sensation that was not helped by the fact that he directly attacked the majority of attendees, winners and awardees, describing them as “gentlemen” who “want to make a living by producing cinematographic works that no one sees later at the expense of millions and millions of euros that they pay with great effort.” “Spanish taxpayers.” In response to this provocation, just before the end of the gala, Pedro Almodóvar responded from the stage amidst applause from the audience: “the money that we filmmakers receive as an advance we more than return to the State through taxes and Social Security, in addition to creating thousands of jobs.”
