WORDS Louise Hynes
The anticipation that surrounds red carpet fashion from the Oscars is almost equal to that surrounding the awards themselves. Much like the nature of the ceremony, last night’s red carpet was slightly tame, but pleasant none the less. In terms of trends, plain blocks of colour dominated, while eccentricity took the form of several colour muted beaded numbers, and Pharrell’s tuxedo shorts.
Below are the greatest hits and misses from the night:
The Best
Jared Leto’s man bun unfortunately did not make an appearance last night, but his suave Saint Laurent suit certainly made up for its absence. Jared Leto’s choice in tuxedo was arguably one of the more adventurous choices of attire from the night and for that he earns himself major fashion credit.
Undoubtedly, ‘less is more’ was the mantra behind many dress decisions this year. Although slightly underwhelming at first, there definitely was an irreverence to the understated glamour that prevailed. The silhouette of Jennifer Lawrence’s Dior couture dress was classical and the touch of a delicate Neil Lane necklace draping down her back was a tasteful companion to the simplicity of the dress.
The billowing, blue Prada gown solidified Lupita Nyong’o’s position as a member of red carpet royalty. The dress carried an effortless pristine, synonymous to that of the aforementioned Dior dress. The real culminating factor of the look was Lupita’s diamond headband, an accessory we haven’t seen used to such effect in a very long time.
Although everyone loves to see an obtrusive meat dress dominating the red carpet now and again, it’s refreshing to see that Lady Gaga is now taking a slightly more modest approach to her choice in red carpet fashion. Modest but no less striking. Last nights selection of a pink and silver Versace gown was commendable in it’s ode to unadulterated glamour but the added touch of a floor length scarf, draping nonchalantly from her shoulders, reassured us that Gaga hasn’t lost any of her drama.
Stakes were high for who had the greatest embellished nude dress when Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, Jessica Biel, Sally Hawkins and Jenna Dewan-Tatum all arrived en masse in strikingly similar dresses. In the end, it was Cate Blanchett’s Armani Prive that served up the overt glamour that we long-desired from the night. This combination of an almost diaphanous torso with a flowing tulle skirt embroidered by Swarovski crystals was unrivalled.
The Worst
Whoopi Goldberg’s slightly bizarre choice of dress was immediately likened to Julia Robert’s choice for the Golden Globes back in January. But considering that Julia Roberts’ attempt was crudely unsuccessful it was illogical that someone should even try this look again, especially just two months after the original fashion faux pas. At least now, it’s been well proven that an office white shirt worn underneath a strapless black dress will never equate a successful red carpet look.
Dressing a pregnant body is no easy task in red carpet fashion but last night proved that it can be done: both Kerry Washington and Olivia Wilde looked positively vibrant in their maternity attire. However, Elsa Pataky’s Ellie Saab dress, although a masterly crafted piece, failed to achieve this level of grace. The plunging neckline did little to flatter, and the way in which the dress tightly cinched under her voluminous baby bump looked particularly uncomfortable.
Anna Kendrick’s J Mendal black number definitely strayed from the spectrum of muted pastel dresses that her colleagues donned, but it doesn’t mean that this a sensible choice. The cut of the dress never wholly committed to being thigh high, leaving the entire look a bit uncertain of itself. Meanwhile, the sheer paneling detail was spoiled by thick black seams and was further unbalanced by the placement of an irrelevant red embroidered detail around the waist.
Penelope Cruz is usually dependable for selecting elegant yet sensuous gowns for the red carpet. Unfortunately her Giambattista Valli gown held neither of these attributes. Instead, the wrap around, half-cape was much too excessive considering the lightness of the fabric and the black bow feature didn’t really have much of a purpose apart from adding a peculiar touch of childishness to the dress.
It’ll never be acceptable to accessorize a violently blue satin ensemble with a violently blue streak of hair. The extremity of Liza Minnelli’s fashion errors last night were borderline comical which could have quite possibly been the aim – it is Liza afterall. But, that being said, there’s nothing comical about blocky, rubbery shoes on the Oscars red carpet.
Images by Style.com
