Dan Levy Is Choosing “Clothes That Say Something” This Awards Season

At tonight’s 78th annual Golden Globes, fan-favorite Schitt’s Creek leads the pack with five nominations, including for best TV musical or comedy series. Co-creator and star Dan Levy, who portrayed David Rose on the hit show, is also nominated for best supporting actor in the television category. This year’s recognition from the Globes ends the series’ six-season run on a high note. “Every time Schitt’s Creek is recognized, it’s a testament to our incredible cast and crew who worked so hard over the last six years,” Levy says. “It is completely surreal to look back and see how far this tiny little show from Canada has come.” 

Like many of the nominees and presenters, Levy will be tuning in from home for tonight’s event, and says he will be “popping a bottle of champagne, opening my laptop, and watching with my dog—who, let’s be honest, is the true award of the night,” he says. But staying home won’t stop Levy from celebrating with a striking fashion look, with or without a red carpet. “There’s been something fun about dressing up at home—maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much of the year in sweatpants,” Levy says. “Either way, I’ve really enjoyed having an excuse to put on something shiny, if only for myself and my computer screen.”

With help of his stylist, Erica Cloud, Levy chose a zesty yellow Valentino suit with a sequined top and metallic shoes to match. The outfit first appeared in the spring 2021 couture collection, the first time the Italian label did couture for men. Levy says they were both instantly smitten with the look, sending each other the same exact screenshots the moment it walked down the runway. “[Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli] infuses this infectious joy and emotionality into the clothes he creates, so much so that it’s virtually impossible not to embody that spirit when you’re wearing them,” says Levy. He found it perfect for a Zoom appearance like the Globes. “It just felt like the perfect balance between formal and casual, festive and laid back, polished yet unfussy,” he says. “And the color! Citron? Lemon? Whatever you’d like to call it, it was the best of what men’s fashion has to offer: statement-making, without taking itself too seriously.”

As awards season continues on, Levy says he will be gravitating towards, “clothes that say something” and, “make you smile.” Certainly, he has an eye for such looks, like the Thom Browne skirt suit he wore at the Emmys last year (Browne also created a similar design for David’s wedding look in the show.) “At the Emmys, I thought, ‘If I’m going to either win or lose in a tent, why not do it in a Thom Browne kilt,’” says Levy. “I feel the same way about the Globes [tonight]. If I’m going to lose, let me lose in borrowed couture!”

While Levy is excited to dress up for his big night this evening, however, he also recognizes the elephant in the room this year. The Golden Globes—and more specifically, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association [HFPA], which decides its winners—is under scrutiny, as it does not include a single Black member. Levy is honored to be a part of the nominees, but wants to see the HFPA diversify. 

“Our show receiving five Golden Globe nominations is a level of recognition that will continue to open doors for the entire team, largely due to the visibility that comes with being included in a ceremony that is broadcast on a global scale,” says Levy. “And while I am grateful for any opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our cast and crew, I would be doing the core values of Schitt’s Creek a disservice by not adding my voice to the timely and necessary conversation calling for a more inclusive HFPA. One that acknowledges its responsibility as a voting body behind one of the most-watched award ceremonies of the year, and ensures that its membership better reflects the diversity of the world we live in, so that its ceremony can more accurately represent all that this industry has to offer.”