If there's one sure sign that spring is on the way, it's the arrival of the Academy Awards. I was lucky enough to watch the Oscars last night in a cushy screening room with some good friends, some St Germain cocktails and practically life-size visuals of all the gorgeous gowns that made their way down the red carpet last night. The 2010 Oscars were a contrast to last years somewhat restrained event. This year, everything was oversized, exaggerated, and all about drama. Ten films were nominated in the "Best Film" category as opposed to the ordinary five, the show ran over three hours and though last year's dresses were often muted in color and design, this year the red carpet was ruled by oversize details, flamenco-inspired ruffles and glittering gold. But enough of this generalizing. Let's get down to business...
Trend #1 - Details, details.
Now, Jennifer Lopez doesn't step onto a red carpet without knowing she's going to turn heads one way or another. I've discussed this in the past. That said, her 2010 Oscar dress by Armani Prive provoked some heated discussion last night. I've come to the conclusion that I love it:
There was some concern among my friends that she had stapled a second dress to her left hip in case something happened to the first one over the course of the evening. I agree, it seems a bit odd, initially, to create a bustle on the side of a gown rather then the back, but it really serves the same purpose - it exaggerates existing curves to create a kind of inhuman but lovely silhouette. Why not? I also love the sparkly blush color. So, it looks a little Barbie-ish. I like Barbie. What.
PS, I'm glad that JLo thought to rescue Armani Prive from Lady Gaga's clutches (remember that satellite-inspired thing she wore to the Grammys? With the RINGS? That was Armani Prive. Yikes.)
Ahem. Another of my absolute favorites from last night was Penelope Cruz, of course...
I adore the romantic pleating on this dress, although I'm forced to admit it's a teeny bit bulky. The richness of the fabric, however, and the just-slightly asymetrical neckline - all of these little details add up to one fabulous dress, which is especially impressive considering how easy it is to go completely wrong with design choices like this. Not to mention the color. Yum.
It reminds me of this lovely style by Dessy Collection:
And I couldn't resist either the bubbly attitude or the lovely blue Marchesa gown worn by "Precious" star Gabourey Sidibe:
This gown is an example of a few clever design choices coming together and getting it right: the lightweight chiffon and empire waist are perfect on a full figure like hers. The delicate cap sleeves provide just enough coverage on the top of her arms, and the embroidered florals draw the eye up, lengthening the torso and creating focal points so she's not lost in a sea of fabric. And again, ruching, ruching ruching. Its my favorite. Slim, curvy, tall, short - ruching is everyone's friend.
I'm going to end this bit with my least favorite detail on a dress from last night. Or rather, two details.
Well. We know where everyone was looking during Charlize's interviews last night. The shape is lovely, the color's not bad, but there's something really alarming happening in her chestal section. She's so pretty, I'd rather people looked at her face. Joan Rivers remarked that it looked "like the designers still had their hands on this dress". All I know is that I'm suddenly craving Cinnabon.
Trend #2 - the Good, the Bad and the Ruffly.
I'm going to be nice and start with my favorite version of the ruffly mermaid cut that was everywhere last night. I though Elizabeth Banks looked stunning in this cool silver Versace:
First off, the color really stood out amidst all the golds, champagnes and blush tones everyone was wearing. I was glad someone went with a lovely, silvery grey. The ruffles at the bottom rise upwards like a mist - the lightness of the fabric here really helps, it looks like some sort of mix of chiffon, netting and perhaps organza. The extreme volume at the bottom is balanced by a super-sleek and fitted drop-waist bodice. The simple sweep of the seams here are dead sexy, adding curve and shape without adding any extra fabric or bulk. LOVE. Another nice example of this style was Demi Moore's Atelier Versace:
Apparently, Versace does this cut really well. She made the whole shape work on her, and I love the way this color is actually built from different shades of blush and rose, which are subtly layered to create the final hue. Well done. My only *tiny* complaint is that I actually wish she were slightly less tan. Somehow the color of Demi plus the color and design of this gown give me this uncomfortable mental image of a huge peeling sunburn. Ouch.
Unfortunately, there were two decidedly awful interpretations of the Ruffled Mermaid: #1, Zoe Saldana's crazy, grape-soda inspired mess by Givenchy:
Maybe this look would fly on Pandora, but not here on Planet Earth. It looks like some sort of purple swamp monster is trying to climb up her leg and hijack all that valuable bling encasing her torso. Ick. In addition, I'm sure whoever it was that had to vacuum the Red Carpet the next morning has a special hatred for this dress.
Then, there was Vera Farmiglia in this Marchesa bomb:
Somewhere, Charo is naked. I wanted to like this dress because Vera is so beautiful, but I can't deny that she appears to be under attack from a posse of giant pink coffee filters. Also that matchy-matchy shade of fuschia lipstick looks wholly unnatural.
If ruffles are your thing though, consider taking a look through Jim Hjelm Occasions' Spring 2010 collection. There are some lovely, more wearable ruffles happening in there, as seen on this sophisticated example:
Take a risk, try a little ruffle. Just practice restraint.
Trend #3 - All that Glitters...
...is gold. And gold dominated the Red Carpet this year. First shining example, Best Actress winner Sandra Bullock, wearing Marchesa:
Talk about lighting up a room! Gorgeous proportions, delicate shoulder detail, perfect red lipstick. I don't know how you can pull off this much shine without looking like an Oscar statue yourself, but somehow Sandy did it. Apparently it takes a flawless body and a fantastic personality. She worked both.
Cameron Diaz opted for a slightly more toned-down version of glittering gold in Oscar De La Renta:
I like this dress. Maybe it's a little safe, but better to be safe then wearing purple roadkill, in my opinion. The cut is classic and flattering, and I enjoy the sprinkling of gold and silver pailettes that cascade down the bodice onto the skirt. Fairy-like without being too princess-like. Very classic Hollywood, especially with that hair. Her afterparty dress was a stunner too...
And, shocker, Miley Cyrus has finally bridged the gap between teenybopper and pole dancing bad girl. She looks young, elegant and (gag, awful phrase coming up) age-appropriate.
This dress is, dare I say, understated? Go Miley. My only gripe is that it's actually so simple that I'm almost reminded of a petticoat and I want her to put something over it. It's supposed to be lingerie-inspired, but lingerie IS supposed to go underneath something, right? Maybe a little sparkle or a single stunning detail would have pulled this look together for me. And I'd really like her to stand up straight. Posture, posture....
Anyway, if you're looking for a little golden glitz of your own, how about this shining example from Scala?
Prefer head-to-toe gold? BG Haute has you covered.
(I know this is supposed to be about the Oscars, not the Grammys, but this dress absolutely screams Beyonce to me. She knows how to rock a gold dress.)
Trend #4: Paging Prints Charming...
Moving on, only two lovely ladies brought prints to the Red Carpet this year. One was Rachel McAdams, in a wistful, romantic Elie Saab:
I love the flowy cut, the full skirt and the watercolor print. The whole thing has a lovely antiqued feeling to it, and I'm glad she kept the accessories minimal so the gown could take center stage. Classic upswept hair kept things clean and simple too.
The other notable print of the evening was Maggie Gyllenhal's column-style gown by Belgian ready-to-wear designer Dries Van Noten:
In total contrast to Rachel McAdams soft print and classic cut, this dress has narrow, body-hugging lines and an outrageous print. I think she's making it work, but I have to admit that if it were me, I'd pick the Elie Saab. It must be the girly girl in me. If you're braver then I am, you might consider this similarly bold print from Faviana:
Final Curtain: A is for Academy Awards. And Awful.
I've saved the most fun for last. And now, the Worst Dressed.
Third Runner-Up: Diane Kruger in blah, lemon-pudding colored Chanel.
1. This appears to be three different dresses, stapled together.
2. I have something that looks like the middle portion living in the back of my fridge.
3. I would, however, like to see this dress do battle with Zoe Saldana's purple Swamp Monster. Or maybe that funky swan dress Bjork wore years ago...
Runner Up #2 - Faith Hill in Mysterious Gothic Mess....
I did some digging, and so far nobody's admitted to designing this bomb. It's a mystery.
1. There's something both grandma-ish and dominatrix-ish about this dress. Not a good combination.
2. That's not a hip-slit, it's like a belly-button slit - very dangerous.
3. I don't care if your husband can sing - he can't do hair. Don't let him experiment on a night this important...
...and the winner, SJP. In a Chanel sack, straight from the runway.
1. Lemon yellow was clearly the color of failure this year.
2. A stumble could easily result in the first Red Carpet strangulation on record, and the potential for stumbling is so high when you're obviously about to enter a sack race.
3. If strangulation somehow doesn't occur, I'm still worried about the possibility of her being stabbed in the neck by that lethal-looking floral detail. Either way, this dress is redefining 'fashion risk'. Too dangerous.
And, you can't see it in this photo, but her hairpiece looked like a brioche. Perhaps pastry inspired details will be showing up all over the runways for spring 2010...
However if you really want to be remembered at any black-tie event, take a cue from Ben Stiller and just go like this:
Now that's what I call a statement. Worth some kind of award, for sure.
Link back to these looks and more information at www.jimhjelm.com, www.lazaro.com, www.scalausa.com, www.faviana.com and www.bghaute.com.
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