Behind the Scenes of Jon Batiste’s Two Bespoke Zegna Suits for Oscars 2024 (Exclusive)
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Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald dressed five celebrity clients for Oscars 2024: nominees Jon Batiste, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Colman Domingo, presenter Regina King and Olivia Munn. But two days before the show, the star-styling duo’s stress levels remained firmly set to zero.
The secret? “Pre-planning, pre-planning, pre-planning,” McDonald told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday evening. “We made PDFs mapping everything out, even down to how many minutes it takes to get between hotels.”
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“At the [Dec. 3] Academy Museum Gala, we had nine people attending,” Bannerman added. “That went quite well, so we also knew we could use that as our awards-season fire drill.”
Their client Batiste — a best original song Oscars 2024 nominee for “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony — already enjoyed a reputation as someone who loved fashion before joining Wayman + Micah’s impressive roster. “We started working with Jon in the latter part of last year,” noted Bannerman. “He is a really fun collaborator, because he has a sense of fashion that’s related to his culture, and we love to bring that out in his red carpet dressing. He’s also really big in his personality and individuality, and we love celebrating that as well with cool looks and colors and interesting silhouettes.”
For the 2024 Oscars, that translates to two custom suits — one look for the red carpet, the other for Batiste’s performance — by Zegna, designed by the Italian house’s artistic director, Alessandro Sartori. (See all the star-studded Oscars red carpet 2024 arrivals.)
“What we love about Zegna is that they are masters of men’s fabrics,” Bannerman said. “Alessandro also finds really creative and interesting ways to manipulate men’s suitings to make them feel truly special. Also, these looks are not traditional tuxedos; they have nuances about them that make them feel unique, and the fabrications selected are so cool and interesting — though I haven’t had my hands on them just yet.”
“Literally they are landing [at LAX] tonight,” McDonald added with a laugh on Friday evening. “But we know they’re going to be great.”
On the carpet, Batiste is wearing a burgundy wool blazer with matching wide-leg pants and a shirt with stand-up collar, which he paired with a necklace, bracelet and rings by Jared Jewelry.
For his performance, Batiste will change into a Zegna made-to-measure blazer with stand-up collar in sand-hued wool, matching trousers with a split-leg detail, guru-tab shirt and, in lieu of a tie, a satin scarf. Both looks will be paired with shoes by Zegna.
“Given that I adore Jon’s musical creativity and I’ve always liked his style, I loved working with him and the team because it’s a 360 conversation,” Sartori explained to THR. “Jon’s aesthetics merge with mine and his art identifies with his work flawlessly. The creativity and modernity of Jon aligns with my vision, and we are also very similar when it comes to the use of color.”
Another priority was making sure that Batiste could sit comfortably while performing, while never veering from looking anything but stylish. “We make sure every detail is addressed, like keeping everything vented throughout the jacket,” McDonald said. “It’s all about a look that’s nice and linear, even while sitting.”
That latter thought is another reason Zegna was an ideal choice. “The tailoring is always impeccable,” Bannerman said. “We also just love working with their team, because they bring the best of what they do while also understanding our wants and needs for our client.”
For Sartori, the process begins as soon as the previous awards season has concluded, he said, “from the silhouettes to the research of materials, from design to styling.
“It is a job that is as demanding as it is rewarding,” continued Sartori. “My team and I love doing it, especially when we manage to collide our aesthetics and philosophy with the talent. This is exactly what happened with Jon; he embodies Zegna and our values perfectly.”
Batiste’s stylists agree. “These suits express Jon in a way that makes him look very pristine on such a large stage,” Bannerman said. “He’s timeless and classic but still nuanced. We also feel like there’s an essence of his music that comes out in his look, and we love bringing attention to that.”
“We’re really excited by the opportunity to take the idea of Jon Batiste at the Oscars and play a role in what that will look like,” McDonald added. “And it’s not the ubiquitous tuxedo with shirt and tie; we’re dealing with a true quality and unique personality, and to play off of that was amazing.”
See more of the best fashion and beauty looks, check out THR‘s full Oscars issue and follow all of our Oscars 2024 coverage for the winners, memorable moments and what the cameras missed.
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