THE red carpet is perhaps the most dangerous catwalk on earth. An hour before the 81st Academy Awards Sunday night, there was fashion gridlock on the red carpet, which had turned into a gauntlet as evening attire, jewelry, hair and makeup were scrutinized by an unforgiving fashion press. The fashion winners were those who kept their looks personalized and tender.
As Hollywood seemed to step on a minefield, 300 million eyes were glued to the TV, taking in the couture confections. Some stars could claim victory in taste?Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (emerald drop earrings) were tops. Others bombed (Miley Cyrus? couture explosion).
Fortunately this year, there were only a few moving style violations.
The gowns and tuxedos have achieved a marked maturity in design and editing. Call it ?compelling simplicity? and ?show-biz honesty?: These were the buzzwords of Oscar fashion as used by industry giants Valentino, Rodarte, John Galliano and Elie Saab. The necklines to beat were strapless or one-shouldered. The looks reminded historians of Old Hollywood.
Important yet minimal fine jewelry by Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels featured the Big Necklace and Drop Earrings as classic yet jaw-dropping accents. Makeup looked natural and golden, hair was upswept or had finger waves. The overall look was polished yet young and sexy.
The major fashion trends and the actors who wore them:
COUTURE COLUMNS turned women into goddesses. They were architectural in cut and fit, their fabrics in matte chiffon or crepe or shiny satin and silk. Dominant were black, all shades of white (ivory, bone, blush) and red-carpet red. Other favorite colors were peacock blue, many guises of pink, and the new metalesse copper.
And the Best Dressed Awards go to:
1) Angelina Jolie in black strapless chiffon by Elie Saab, paired with large emeralds by Lorraine Schwartz
2) Natalie Portman in bubble-gum pink bustier gown by Rodarte
3) Anne Hathaway shimmering in square sequins by Armani Privé
4) Tilda Swinton in gray and black by Alber Elbaz for Lanvin
5) Alicia Keys in lilac by Giorgio Armani
6) Heidi Klum in lipstick red by Rouland Mouret
7) Frieda Pinto in electric-blue lace by John Galliano for Christian Dior
8) Robin Roberts in coral orange by J.Crew
9) Melissa Leo in copper silk chiffon by Badgley Mischka
10) Jennifer Aniston in silver bugle beads by Armani Privé
Ball gowns
Then there were the big ball gowns in petticoat tulle or bouffant satin skirts. This had labor-intensive beadwork, appliqués and no jewelry, and drop earrings in colored diamonds. The waist accessory was a fabric-covered or patent-leather belt. The best in this were:
1) Sarah Jessica Parker in barely mint beaded tulle by John Galliano for Dior
2) Reese Witherspoon in black and blue draped-and-beaded knit and chiffon by Rodarte
3) Penelope Cruz in a 60-year-old Pierre Balmain draped, scalloped and beaded tulle ball gown worn with perfect pink diamonds
4) Marion Cotillard in black and petrol-blue ball gown by John Galliano for Dior
5) Sophia Loren in curry-color ruffled organza by Valentino, who was a guest in the ceremony
Mermaid gown
Another trend was the difficult mermaid gown. Blame it on Barbie who has turned 50, but some stylists decided to pour some actresses in hour-glass bodices with exploding fish tails. This style is hard to get away with unless you?re Beyoncé. Here are the ones who endured this serpentina style.
1) Vanessa Hudgens in black satin and tulle by Marchesa
2) Beyoncé in printed black and gold cotton sateen
3) Nicole Kidman in beaded Chanel
4) Diane Lane in black corseted Dolce & Gabbana
5) Taraji Henson in yards and tiers of nude-colored organza by Roberto Cavalli
Trainspotting
Finally, the hardest style to wear I will call trainspotting because of the extra yardage you must drag all night while wishing nobody would step on it or worse, trip.
This style is so last century, for it is not comfortable and will need at least two assistants to wear. Those actors who dared were:
1) Marisa Tomei in multipleat blush-colored organza by Donatella Versace. The gown seemed to swallow her. It arrived the day of the Oscars.
2) Meryl Streep in dove-gray off-the-shoulder by Alberta Ferretti
3) Queen Latifah in navy blue with rhinestones (she looked tight yet she had a songbird?s voice)
4) Kate Winslet in blue and black satin with appliquéd tulle overlay by Atelier Yves Saint Laurent by Stefano Pilati
5) Amy Adams in real red with black piping by Carolina Herrera, with a big collar of stones by Fred Leighton
