Tems might not have taken home an Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday, but she did leave a big impression thanks to her eye-catching outfit.
The 27-year-old singer-songwriter was in attendance at the awards show on Sunday, where she was nominated for Best Original Song for her contribution to Rihanna’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever track “Lift Me Up.” The award ultimately went to “Naatu Naatu” from the Indian action epic RRR, but that didn’t stop people from talking about Tems.
She showed up in an elaborate white gown from Lever Couture, which featured a particularly large headpiece. People couldn’t help but comment on how obstructive for those who were sat behind and next to her.
While the outfit was mostly praised, photos of her in the crowd went viral. Of particular note was the man who sat next to her, who seemingly had to dodge the headpiece on a few occasions. Another clip showed a woman trying to look around Tems, who is 5’9” even without the headpiece adding to her height.
“Imagine waiting your whole life to be at the Oscars and you end up sitting behind a stratus cloud,” wrote one user, while another described the man sitting next to her as “fighting for his life.” Others suggested that it was commentary on Black women in a historically white space, with one user describing it as “an ironic symbol.”
Check out some of the notable reactions to Tems’ outfit below.