During his speech on stage at the most recent Emmy Awards, while preparing to announce the winner in the category of best supporting actor in a drama series, Pedro Pascal clarified, for anyone who asked, that it was a injury to his shoulder—not his arm—which forced him to wear a sling. He also offered some sort of explanation for the injury.
“Kieran Culkin beat the shit out of me,” Pascal said, using a word that was censored for the television audience.
The injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Pascal, who was nominated for three awards on Monday, including best actor in a drama series for The last of us. In the last two weeks alone, she has had to attend three red carpets in front of a sea of cameras. But in each appearance, Pascal has incorporated the sling into his overall outfit, turning the medical equipment into a distinctive accessory.
The first appearance of her sling was on January 7, on the red carpet of the Golden Globes where she wore a black Bottega Veneta turtleneck sweater with white embroidery and well-manicured nails that erased “ouchy”. At the Emmys ceremony on Monday, dressed in a custom Valentino, his right arm was held in a sling adorned with a black fabric rose that matched an identical one on the cuff of his left sleeve. .
But it was her Critics Choice Awards outfit, a monochromatic ensemble custom made by luxury menswear brand Zegna, that may represent the most ambitious integration of sling and suit yet.
Alessandro Sartori, Zegna's artistic director, had no interest in trying to hide the injury.
“It's much better that we create something around the sling than try to hide it,” Sartori said of the ensemble, whose layered, bandage-like straps could evoke a freshly wrapped mummy.
Sartori and his team worked with Pascal and his personal stylist, Julie Ragolia, to create a look that was not only fashionable, but also functional for the actor. When he began designing a sling prototype, comfort was the primary consideration.
“When we decided to make it in leather, we were trying to make the posture the best to avoid any pain in his arm and shoulder,” said the designer. “So we actually did some testing in the right positions and the right angles with Pedro.”
The sling offered additional support with a band that wrapped around Pascal's waist, keeping his arm tucked up elegantly. The actor sported a long-sleeved, collarless button-down shirt and matching loose-fitting pants, all in a shade that the brand defined as “monochrome pearl gray.”
When designing the accessory, Sartori consulted with Ragolia and did his own research to ensure the sling would provide the actor with complete support on the red carpet and during the awards ceremony. Part of his decision to use leather, rather than fabric, was due to the strength of the material.
“The key component is the material,” Sartori said, “because the leather is very soft, but at the same time it is very durable, quite resistant.”
The final product was finished in two weeks, including design, production, and a series of online tests with Pascal via Zoom.
“We like a personalized look for each talent,” Sartori said, “and that's why we wanted to do this with Pedro. This was not just a look, but it was something comfortable and above all safe.”
Although Pascal's sling has been making waves during this year's awards season, he isn't the first to be photographed on the red carpet during his recovery process. Matt LeBlanc wore a black leather sling from Los Angeles luxury brand Chrome Hearts to the 1996 Emmy Awards after dislocating his shoulder while filming a scene for Friends. She paired her sling with a black bodysuit and custom sunglasses also from Chrome Hearts.
The Emmys might have been the last major appearance of Pascal's sling: at the premiere of his latest film, strange talesOn Thursday at the Sundance Film Festival, she showed off her arms without any support.
Dressed in an off-white jacket and pants set that featured a head-to-toe chain-link print, Pascal posed for photos with one of his co-stars from strange talesactor Jay Ellis from the series Insecure. he video of the arrival of the stars shows Ellis approaching with visible caution as he prepared to hug Pascal for the cameras. However, attendees were nervous.
