HOLLYWOOD, March 8, (Agencies): Spectacular gowns and millions of dollars worth of jewelry lit up the Oscars red carpet here Sunday as stars opted for old-school Hollywood glamor on Tinseltown’s glitziest night of the year.
A-listers shimmered and sparkled down the most famous runway in the world taking inspiration from the silver screen itself as many of the nominated actresses chose gowns in shades of platinum and silver.
Best Actress winner Sandra Bullock set the tone with a spectacular silver beaded gown with elegant train, forties style make-up and sleek hair.
Dame Helen Mirren also chose a dress of silvery tones by Badgley Mischka, this time in sequined tulle with diamond jewelry by Hollywood favorite, the French house of Chopard.
Kate Winslet, presenting this year, chose a structured strapless column dress in silvery tones by Yves St Laurent and the most exquisite jewelry of the night: a pendant style necklace of emerald cut white and yellow diamonds by Tiffany with matching earrings and cuff believed to be worth more than $2.5 million.
Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman in Oscars history to win the best director prize, wore a simple form-fitting platinum column dress with bodice detailing.
Epitome
Diane Kruger also chose Channel Couture in a stunning white chiffon halter neck dress with black details; as gorgeous from the back as the front, something of a relief for the armies of photographers and fans catching just a glimpse as the stars spin by.
In a fifties-style gold beaded strapless gown, Cameron Diaz looked the epitome of glamour as did Amanda Seyfried in Armani Prive. Also in Armani Prive was Jennifer Lopez in a less than flattering structured strapless gown.
Other questionable choices came from Mariah Carey who was practically bursting out of her petrol blue Valentino semi-strapless gown threatening a wardrobe malfunction at any moment.
His shirt studs were each several carats worth of splendid princess cut diamonds and he wore a perfect gardenia in his lapel.
As always, Penelope Cruz, looked stunning in deep red strapless pleated gown by Donna Karan with Chopard jewelry and feathered clutch.
Sigourney Weaver also chose red in the form of a one-shouldered chiffon gown with black belt. Vera Farmiga, nominated for her role in “Up In The Air,” in a red dress by Marchesa that all but overwhelmed her tiny frame with its rippling spirals of pleated silk.
Asked what she will be doing when the award season is all over, she said “I’ll be wearing pajamas every day and will not stop eating for a week!” Maggie Gyllenhaal chose an electric blue strapless dress by Dried Van Noten, which almost worked but for the strange make-up and fuchsia lip color.
Sandra Bullock dressed the part at Sunday’s Academy Awards: She wore a gleaming, metallic, slim-fitting gown that seemed fashioned after the Oscar statuette itself.
The dress was a winner, making the best actress one of many who stepped up their style on what is considered Hollywood’s most important runway. Top actresses made bold color choices, donned stiffer shapes and used sparkle strategically to get them noticed.
“This red carpet was whimsical, thank God. It was the most interesting red carpet in a long time,” said Suze Yalof Schwartz, Glamour magazine’s executive fashion editor at large. “You want to see a dress that makes you say `Wow!’ and I saw at least six of those.”
There had been a trend in recent years to make safe choices at the Oscars, with celebrities knowing that the photos taken there would follow them for the rest of their lives. But there was a refreshing sense of fun — and some directional fashion — this year.
“We’re moving into architectural shapes and away from all the drapery. There were not a lot of `goddesses’ this year,” observed Sharon Graubard, senior vice president of trend analysis at forecasting firm Stylesight. “This was about glamour, very tasteful, grown-up glamour.”
Gold was a huge trend, with Kate Winslet looking like an old-school movie star in her sleek, strapless gold gown by Yves Saint Laurent and Deco-inspired $2.5 million yellow-diamond necklace from Tiffany & Co. Cameron Diaz, with bold red lips, was another screen siren in a gold strapless gown with metallic ribbons and pailettes by Oscar de la Renta; Miley Cyrus wore a bustier-style strapless gold number by Jenny Packham; and Sarah Jessica Parker chose a custom yellow Chanel with silver flowers around the bustline.
“I loved Sarah Jessica Parker in Chanel. It was interesting, romantic and she’s a fashion risk-taker,” said Mary Alice Stephenson, stylist and fashion commentator.
She said the same for Diane Kruger in her white Chanel dress with black bands around the neck, waist and near the knees.
Dominant
Flowers were another dominant theme at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. Bullock’s Marchesa gown had a delicate floral embroidery and Mo’Nique complemented her electric blue Tadashi Shoji asymmetrical dress with gardenias in her hair. She said she did it in the spirit of the late Hattie McDaniel, who had done the same in 1940.
Gabourey Sidibe’s blue dress was decorated with silver beads in a floral pattern, and fashion designer-turned-director Tom Ford stuck a gardenia in his lapel.
A few looks seemed sure to generate chatter because they weren’t standard-issue, red-carpet styles. Jennifer Lopez’s sculpted, strapless pale-pink Armani Prive had a dramatic slit on one side and an exaggerated modern train that jutted out from her hip. Armani said the dress was inspired by the romance and mystery of the moon.
Charlize Theron also had a futuristic vibe in her amethyst gown by John Galliano for Dior with two folded rosettes not on the bustline but on the bust itself.
“Charlize’s dress was really dramatic,” said Stephenson. “Love it or hate it, you want to talk about it.”
Carey Mulligan’s full-skirted black Prada was adorned in unusual embroidery: tiny forks, knives and scissors. She said she didn’t choose it to make a statement.
“I just thought it was really cool,” she told the AP. “It’s not a dress where I have to wear Spanx or anything, so I’m good.”
Her earrings were 19th Century cascading diamond pendants by Fred Leighton.
Another fashion-forward look was Zoe Saldana’s Givenchy gown with a sparkly light pink bodice and a lilac skirt that descended into tight ruffles in all shades of purple. Queen Latifah’s one-shoulder Badgley Mischka was a lovely shade of pink and the mermaid shape “is the right way to dress a curvy woman,” said Yalof Schwartz.