(NEW YORK) There was nearly as much intrigue on the red carpet as there was inside Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre last night for the 86th Annual Oscars. From gasp-worthy gowns to tapis rouge tumbles, who emerged victorious on the frock front? (And who headed to the Vanity Fair after-party empty handed?). With Ellen DeGeneres on hostess duty, decked out in Saint Laurent, who knew the eve would turn into a pizza-filled social media fest? Without further ado, all the gorge gowns worth discussing…
BY DENA SILVER
White Hot: The Oscars are more about classics than experimental fresh trends, and this year’s showing was no exception. The ladies of the eve kept their looks classic and demure, with white and cream gowns in abundance. Naomi Watts chose a simple cap-sleeved Calvin Klein Collection column gown, encrusted with thousands of delicate white beads for pitch-perfect texture. Her Art Deco diamond Bulgari choker completed her luxurious look. Meanwhile, presenter Kate Hudson donned a chic miniature capelet over her plunging, old Hollywood-esque Atelier Versace gown, complemented by that killer bod and golden ringlets.
Black Is The New Black: There weren’t all that many bright colors in the mix this year, but there was plenty of noir on deck. Anne Hathaway avoided all red carpet drama this year with a Gucci column dress that featured an ample dose of bling, while Charlize Theron turned to Christian Dior Couture for a formfitting mermaid gown with a ruffled tulle train. Givenchy Haute Couture fit Julia Roberts in a lace gown complete with a sweet peplum and a plunging neckline. With 18 Oscar noms under her belt, Meryl Streep went a bit casual this year, in an off-the shoulder white Lanvin top paired with a sweeping black skirt and accessorized with a belt. Olivia Wilde was a vision of maternity chic in a sleeveless mock-neck Valentino while Wolf of Wall Street’s Margot Robbie paired her Saint Laurent stunner with a dark ‘do. Presenter Emma Watson donned a metallic black and grey Vera Wang number, opting to pile on a ton of sparkly rings instead of a karat-covered necklace.
Champagne Toast: Cate Blanchett’s stunning champagne-hued Armani Privé number was foretelling of the celebratory bubbly she’d be sipping after scoring her Best Leading Actress statuette. The nude tulle fit and flare dress, splashed with sequins and beads, paired very nicely with her opal Chopard shoulder dusters. And it’s a no-brainer that Goldie Hawn opted for a strapless gold gown from Atelier Versace with a beaded sleeve detail. After all, she’s California’s consummate golden girl.
Jewel Tones Galore: For those who opted for color, jewel tones reigned supreme, paired with loads of actual jewels. Case in point? Idina Menzel aka Adele Dazeem, who performed best song winner “Let It Go” from Frozen, wore an emerald green Vera Wang draped dress and a serious diamond encrusted neckpiece by Chimento. Lead actress nominee Sandra Bullock wore a pair of $1.8 million dollar Lorraine Schwartz earrings with her midnight blue sweetheart-necked Alexander McQueen frock. American Hustle’s Amy Adams opted for a Gucci column gown, also in midnight blue, accompanied by a colorful pair of Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Collection yellow gold earrings. We couldn’t leave out Liza Minnelli in vintage Halston, who completed her blue silk getup with a coordinating blue highlight in her coif. The two ladies in red of the eve were Jennifer Lawrence, in Christian Dior Couture, and Bette Midler, in Reem Acra, although Midler’s best fashion moment happened when she sang “Wind Beneath My Wings” in a custom Alaïa gown that flattered her figure. Both kept their frosty blonde ‘dos simple and swept back (and only one took a little tapis rouge tumble).
Pastel Power: New fash fave Lupita Nyong’o delivered last night in a custom Prada gown, the color of which is dubbed Nairobi blue. The pleated gown with a barely-there bodice had a pared-down princess-y vibe, highlighted by a Fred Leighton headband. Also dashing in pastel was Camila Alves, done up in a baby pink Gabriela Cadena long sleeve dress with just the right amount of glamour. Others partial to pink for the occasion included Jada Pinkett Smith in Atelier Versace and Penelope Cruz in Giambattista Valli.
The Boys Club: Black tuxes avec bowties were the safe, but handsome M.O. for Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bradley Cooper, Channing Tatum, Ethan Hawke, and Jonah Hill. But that wasn’t the case for all the dapper gents, a few of whom opted for dashing hues, mismatched looks, and not-so-classic cuts. Pharrell Williams opted for a Lanvin shorts suit on the red carpet, but ditched it for his oversized go-to Vivenne Westwood chapeau when he took the stage to perform his Oscar-nommed hit “Happy.” Calvin Klein Collection wardrobed Zac Efron, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Barljad Abdi. Blue was a fave as well, with Jason Sudeikis in a navy Prada getup and Kevin Spacey in a royal blue Burberry outfit. The Dallas Buyers Club blokes lightened up in cream-colored suit jackets paired with black tuxedo pants. Best Lead Actor winner Matthew McConaughey wore his Dolce & Gabbana version, while Jared Leto, Best Supporting Actor winner, donned Saint Laurent, and finished his look with a burgundy bowtie.
PLUS! A full rundown of who wore what, right this way…
Julia Roberts in Givenchy Haute Couture
Anne Hathaway in Gucci
Naomi Watts in Calvin Klein Collection
Cate Blanchett in Armani Privé
Emma Watson in Vera Wang
Lupita Nyong’o in Prada
Kate Hudson in Atelier Versace
Penelope Cruz in Giambattista Valli
Meryl Streep in Lanvin
Charlize Theron in Christian Dior Couture
Jessica Biel in Chanel Couture
Kristen Bell in Roberto Cavalli
Dax Shepard in John Varvatos
June Squibb in Tadashi Shoji
Laura Dern in Alberta Ferretti
Idina Menzel in Vera Wang
Viola Davis in Escada
Amy Adams in Gucci
Liza Minnelli
Sarah Paulson in Elie Saab
Kristin Chenoweth in Roberto Cavalli
Portia de Rossi in Naeem Khan
Sally Hawkins in Valentino
Jennifer Garner in Oscar de la Renta
Julie Delpy in Jenny Packham
Goldie Hawn in Atelier Versace
Anna Kendrick in J. Mendel
Glenn Close in Zac Posen
Sandra Bullock in Alexander McQueen
Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior Couture
Bette Midler in Reem Acra
Lady Gaga in Atelier Versace
Kerry Washington in Jason Wu
Margot Robbie in Saint Laurent
Chrissy Teigen in Monique Lhuillier
Brad Pitt in Tom Ford
Angelina Jolie Elie Saab Couture
Pharrell Williams in Lanvin
Jamie Foxx in Giorgio Armani
Olivia Wilde in Valentino
Jason Sudeikis in Prada
Leonardo DiCaprio in Giorgio Armani
Christoph Waltz in Prada
Kevin Spacey in Burberry
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Calvin Klein
Jared Leto in Saint Laurent
Bradley Cooper in Tom Ford
Matthew McConaughey in Dolce & Gabbana
Camila Alves in Dolce & Gabbana
Channing Tatum in Gucci
Jenna Dewan-Tatum in Reem Acra
Ethan Hawke in Dior Homme
Zac Efron in Calvin Klein Collection
Check out our Gallery to review all the best looks from the night!
