A STYLE REVOLUTION: OSCARS 2013

As the Awards Season draws to a close, this year’s Oscars can boast its fair share of drama: unexpected wins, history-making moments and a coup de theatre via The White House that took everyone by surprise.
While the action on stage never seemed to take pause for breath, the pace of the red carpet was just as thrilling: even from the first arrivals, it was clear that sartorial surprises would be the theme of the night.

Anne Hathaway, one of the big winners of the night (and throughout this Awards Season), not only turned up in a different dress, but one made by a different designer. Touted as being one of the actresses expected to turn up in Valentino, Hathaway made a switch at the last minute, opting for Prada.
The pale pink gown, paired with Tiffany jewels, looked to be inspired by her post-Les Miserables crop. The simplicity of the cut, with the heavy-duty satin, referenced Sixties starlet with a modern twist. Unfortunately for Hathaway, making a last-minute switch with her gown yielded mixed praise from the fashion pundits. Wearing satin is a gamble: a notoriously difficult fabric to work with, it is also tricky to wear without puckering or creasing. The gown, though not without its charms, looked like a last minute decision: the styling looked rushed, with the jewellery chosen not working with the high neckline. Luckily for Hathaway, this was her big night, and when you have a gold statuette as your chief accessory, nothing else really matters.

The pale trend continued with both Charlize Theron and Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence both opting for Dior Couture. It was a brilliant night for the French couture house, with Raf Simons ably demonstrating how to dress two very different women. Theron, a red-carpet regular, appeared in a piercingly-white two piece, with a beaded peplum detail. Matched with Theron’s new pixie cut, it was cool, sophisticated and modern couture at its best.

But if you wanted full-on drama, Jennifer Lawrence’s Dior gown offered it up in spades. The fitted three-quarter bodice flowing into a voluminous skirt photographed beautifully both on the carpet and at the ceremony. It never seemed to overwhelm Lawrence, even though it did at one moment threaten to halt proceedings when Jennifer slipped on the steps when collecting her award. Epic in scale, and impressive from every angle, it was a gown that endowed the winner with authority and elegance: for an actress taking her career to the next level, this dress was an inspired choice.

Nude shades got a lift when early arrival Jessica Chastain appeared on the carpet in a copper-toned gown by Armani Prive. Expertly beaded to enhance her best features, Chastain wisely accessorised with a maroon-coloured lip and softly-waved hair. It had all the Old Hollywood references you could wish for: combining traces of Veronica Lake and Ava Gardner, Chastain oozed glamour but her no-nonsense styling kept it contemporary.

Someone else who got the ‘softly softly’ memo was last year’s winner for Best Supporting Actress, Octavia Spencer. Staying loyal to one of her favourite designers, Tadashi Shoji, Spencer worked the pale and interesting trend to perfection. Wearing a nude beaded chiffon gown with a stole sweeping across her shoulders, Spencer looked every inch the returning star.

But where some chose to tread lightly, others decided to dazzle with colour and depth. Naomi Watts, nominated for ‘The Impossible’, arrived in a gunmetal gown by Armani Prive. With the asymmetric neckline looping around Watts’ shoulders, this was a directional look not for the faint of heart. Thanks to the attention to detail customary with Armani Prive, this beautifully-worked gown was no gimmick, but one of the most memorable looks of the night. You had to wonder if those who played it safe regretted their choice when seeing Naomi.

Red is always a red-carpet favourite, and it made a comeback with nominee Sally Field and presenter Jennifer Aniston appearing in scarlet Valentino. Aniston made a rare departure from her usual modus operandi of black and figure-hugging to venture into the world of couture. Her strapless gown, with typically Aniston low-maintenance styling, was unexpected, but showed that Jennifer is not a one-note fashionista.
Sally Field also impressed with a Valentino attention-grabber. Softly gathered at the waist, the long-sleeved gown was age appropriate without piling on the years. Covering up can sometimes be misconstrued as ageing up, but the sheerness of the sleeves and the emphasis by Valentino on fitting the fabric close to the body, made this nominee one of the evening’s Best Dressed.

There is always one attendee who’s happy to stand out in a crowd, and this year that person was Kerry Washington. Already proving to be one to watch after a sartorial grand-slam this Awards Season, Washington turned up to the Oscars in a coral gown by Miu Miu.
Taking the Sixties as her trend reference, this beaded bodice with column skirt was a fresh wash of colour, on a carpet where everyone else seemed to be wearing red, black or nude. Already accomplished at picking the best of the runway, this was a textbook red-carpet appearance for a woman known for her love of fashion, and the good news for Kerry is that the feeling is mutual.

Another attendee who bucked the trends was Jennifer Garner. At the Awards to support husband Ben Affleck, Garner had a fine line to tread. Wanting to dress with gravitas appropriate for the wife of a nominee, but not to draw attention away from him, striking the right balance can be almost impossible.
Thankfully, Jennifer made the right call with a plum-coloured gown by Gucci. From the front, the gown was a strapless column; but the back was covered with gloriously effervescent ruffles. A dress built for business and pleasure, this was a fun take on the traditional ‘supportive wife’ outfit. Paired with a stunning platinum diamond collar by Neil Lane, Garner’s was one of the stand-out looks of the night.

While some of those attending fell short of our expectations, there were some surprises that made this Oscars red carpet one of the most interesting in years. Some took risks, others upgraded their style and others just went all out to impress. Those who dared to be different made the biggest impact, choosing gowns that hinted of Oscars past and Oscars future. The vast majority of looks fell wide of the fashion radar, with many choosing to bypass trends altogether, opting for gowns that inspired and flattered. Rather than trying to dress to trend, the Best Dressed of the night wore gowns that defied categorisation making for a red-carpet that was bold, beautiful and full of intelligent choices. Invigorating and proudly individual, this year’s red-carpet bore witness to a style revolution.

HELEN TOPE

KEEPING IT SIMPLE, KEEPING IT REAL: TOP 10 OSCAR DRESSES

With the 2013 Oscars just hours away, attention again turns to the red carpet. Once dubbed the world’s most powerful catwalk, the Oscars present a golden opportunity for stars to raise their game. Regardless of nominations or wins, scoring Best Dressed of the night can boost a fledgling career, herald a comeback or make us look at a star in a whole new light.
A good dress can garner all the right kind of attention; but a great dress creates its own legend. There have been moments on the red carpet where a dress becomes part of Oscar history. These 10 dresses that follow are a purely partisan selection, but gowns that I feel have earned their place: either by virtue of marking a moment in Oscar fashion history, or simply by being beautiful.

Grace Kelly (1955)
Winning an Oscar for her performance in ‘Country Girl’, Kelly turned up to the ceremony in what was (at that point) the most expensive gown ever worn to the Oscars. Designed by Edith Head (who herself won 8 Oscars for costume design during her career), the silk used for the gown alone cost $4,000. Expertly tailored with minimal accessories, Grace Kelly’s simple-but-effective gown has become the standard by which all red carpet style is measured. This look may be nearly 60 years old, but it still looks contemporary. When fashion pundits say true style is timeless, they almost certainly referring to this gown. An Oscar’s classic.

Uma Thurman (1995)
Forty years on from Grace Kelly’s triumph, Uma Thurman re-introduced minimalist chic to the red carpet. After decades of formal, heavily decorated evening gowns taking the sartorial lead (with varying degrees of success), Uma made the pivotal decision to keep it simple.
Nominated for her appearance in ‘Pulp Fiction’, Uma went back to the drawing board. She liaised with up-and-coming designer Miuccia Prada to create a delicately-feminine gown and matching stole in lavender. Uma (a former model) worked the gown on the red carpet with aplomb. Sophisticated but still youthful, the gown was a love letter to the best of 1990’s minimalism.
Uma’s decision to go designer was a watershed moment for red-carpet fashion. The relationship between film and fashion was re-ignited, and the formal eveningwear was replaced with the best of the runway.

Sharon Stone (1996)
One year on, and thanks to Uma, the red carpet looked very different. Finesse took the place of extravagance, and no-one took this lesson more to heart than Sharon Stone.
Nominated for her role in ‘Casino’, Stone reportedly had a wardrobe crisis, and unable to go ahead with Outfit A, had to resort to a hasty Plan B. In a stroke of genius, Stone paired a trumpet skirt from Valentino with a charcoal poloneck from high-street store GAP. Finishing the outfit with a jacket and vibrant red lipstick, Stone hit the red carpet.
It was an act of sheer daring, but it paid off. The Oscars red carpet is littered with examples of bold gestures that failed to launch, but Sharon’s sartorial leap of faith worked because the detail was kept to a minimum. Looking at this picture, there is nothing dated here: everything is a classic piece and together, they work beautifully.

Nicole Kidman (1997)
Two years on from Uma Thurman’s success with Prada, Nicole Kidman showed us just what could be achieved by embracing haute couture.
Hiring John Galliano, Nicole allowed the designer free rein. As one half of the most famous couple in showbiz, Kidman was taking a huge risk, but her ability to pick the best design talent would prove uncanny in its accuracy.
This gown formed part of Galliano’s debut collection for Dior Couture. Oozing Asian-inspired influence from the silhouette down to the exquisitely hand-stitched embroidery, this dress was not just to be worn, it was to be admired as a piece of art.
Kidman wore the gown with a respect worthy of the hours spent creating it and this dress made headlines around the world, cementing Kidman’s reputation as a style icon and Galliano’s status as the next big thing. It ushered in a new era of couture, with actresses eager to take their style to the next level.

Cate Blanchett (1999)
A new face in Hollywood, nominated for her star turn in ‘Elizabeth’, Blanchett took the couture mantel laid down by Kidman and ran with it.
Also opting for John Galliano, Cate’s gown was very different to Nicole Kidman’s theatrical glamour. Worn close to the body, the selling point of Cate’s bohemian-style dress was all in the back. With hummingbirds and flowers delicately stitched onto a sheer panel, the result looked as if the detail had been tattooed onto Blanchett’s skin.
It was a left-field choice for the actress who was expected to turn up in something grander, more befitting her role in the film for which she was nominated. But Cate went in the other direction, creating a first impression on the Oscars red carpet that was individual, intelligent and intriguing.
This style blue-print has been Blanchett’s motto throughout the years. She eventually picked up an Oscar in 2005, turning up to the event in a canary-yellow silk gown from Valentino, accessorised by a burgundy velvet sash. Fearless in her choices, Cate has been one of the red carpet’s most reliable stars when it comes to understanding (and wearing) high-fashion.

Kate Winslet (2002)
A modern red-carpet veteran, Winslet has been seen in everything from an emerald, empire-line gown by Alexander McQueen to a futuristic silver column dress by YSL. Choosing to bypass trends, Kate has won her Best Dressed laurels by going for looks that optimise her best features.
Nowhere was this more evident than in her appearance at the 2002 Oscars. Wearing a red gown by British designer Ben de Lisi, the gown’s asymmetric shoulder was crowned with a garland of flowers. Expertly fitted to Winslet’s curves, this feminine, sensual gown was a no-brainer for Best Dressed.

Charlize Theron (2004)
A great tip for nominees: if you really want to win, dress the part. Both Charlize (and Sandra Bullock in 2010), in their zeal to win the statuette, went for gold.
Charlize, who won for her performance in ‘Monster’, turned up in a custom-made Gucci gown. In the palest shade of gold, and beaded from top-to-toe, this dress was a triumph of subliminal messaging.
Theron, who had already proved her fashion nous, styled the gown with 40’s inspired finger waves and delicately-glowing make-up. Charlize not only shimmered on the red carpet, she was the absolute centre of attention. A favourite to win in the months leading up to the ceremony, this show of self-confidence was touching. In an awards circuit where modesty is the default setting, Theron’s bold decision to dress as the front-runner was not only audacious, it was downright inspiring. This is as close an interpretation of girl power as red carpet fashion gets.

Michelle Williams (2006)
An actress who marches to the beat of her own drum, Williams is one of Hollywood’s most ambiguous talents.
Nominated for her moving performance in ‘Brokeback Mountain’, Michelle’s red carpet choice won hearts – and raised eyebrows. Turning up in a mustard-yellow, softly-ruffled gown by Vera Wang, this outfit divided opinion, but those who got it, loved it.
Paired with a deep-red lip colour, Williams’ choice was one of those Oscar moments you either adored or loathed. For my money, this was clearly a selection Williams made with her heart, not her head, and this is why I feel it works. A woman in the wrong dress is obvious: despite her best red-carpet training, her body language will always be awkward and uncomfortable. The smile feels forced, rather than genuine.
What Williams did was to go with the choice that may not have seemed right, but it felt right. Going with her instinct, Michelle’s look made fashion history. Not because it was ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, but because of her absolute confidence in the dress, Michelle was utterly convincing.

Jennifer Lawrence (2011)
Another unashamedly personal choice, Jennifer Lawrence has seen her profile rapidly ascend in the space of two years.
Pictured here nominated for her stunning performance in ‘Winter’s Bone’, Lawrence returns again in 2013 as one of Hollywood’s hottest names. But her inaugural appearance at the 2011 Oscars was a master-class in how to make yourself memorable.
Lawrence did this by utilising the first rule of Oscar dressing: if in doubt, keep it simple. She wore a custom-made jersey gown by Calvin Klein creative director, Francisco Costa. It was red, slinky and effortless – and completely at odds with the heavily detailed gowns in favour that year such as the Givenchy Couture dress worn by Cate Blanchett, or Mila Kunis in lilac lace by Elie Saab.
By going against the grain, Lawrence became the ingénue we all remembered. In being brave enough to be different, Jennifer showed her star potential.

Gwyneth Paltrow (2012)
Like her peers, Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslet, Paltrow’s personal history with the Oscars is extensive.
Winning in 1999 for her performance in ‘Shakespeare in Love’, she appeared in a classic Ralph Lauren ballgown in pink taffeta. Turning up in 2002, she arrived in a gothic-inspired sheer gown by Alexander McQueen. Ill-fitting, and sheer in all the wrong places, this was by any standard, an epic fail.
Since then, Paltrow has redeemed herself many times over, with some great looks. But any future appearances will have to work hard to eclipse her triumph at last year’s Oscars. Head-to-toe in arctic white, Gwyneth’s outfit was tailor-made by Tom Ford. Wearing an asymmetric column gown with matching cape, this was a mastery of fabric and form. It was cool and contemporary, but in its sophistication, it was totally appropriate for Paltrow. This outfit erases Gwyneth’s early reputation as the ‘next Grace Kelly’ and transforms it into something far less expected. Her latest incarnation is modern, fresh and unique – and couldn’t be further removed from that pink ballgown.
In not being afraid to change and adapt, Gwyneth has learnt from her mistakes, and has followed her instincts to create a style that’s emphatically her own. As far as red-carpet fashion goes, there is no more worthwhile lesson. Keep it simple, but keep it real.

HELEN TOPE