The writers strike is officially over and Hollywood’s elite are ready to celebrate as the A-list fashionistas are getting primped to turn heads on the red carpet this Sunday for the biggest award show of the season–the 80th Annual Academy Awards. And Hollywood.com’s fashion experts say ditch the drab black and white gowns of award seasons past–this year’s Oscars ceremony is all about color, color, color!
“With the arrival of spring I expect to see more pastel colors, soft hues as well as more eye grabbing and deep colors such as plum purple, red, fuchsia, sun yellow and the [different shades of] metallic,” couture fashion designer Georges Chakra told Hollywood.com. “We cannot deny the appearance of the classic black dress, but I also expect more rebellious cuts that accentuate the body.”
Designer David Meister, who’s dressed screen sirens like Sharon Stone, Mandy Moore, Felicity Huffman, and last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner Jennifer Hudson, says he expects Hollywood glamour will be back in full force. “There haven’t been many red carpets and everyone’s saying it has been tough year, but I think it’s it going to be a glamorous red carpet. I do think we are going to see Hollywood glamour, with strong bold colors–a lot of purples, greens, teals and deep rich colors,” he said, as well as “sexy draping, siren-type gowns. I’m kind of thinking strapless and one shoulder gowns.”
Chakra, who recently designed Beyonce’s citrine strapless gown for the Sony BMG Grammy after party (pictured above), agrees that showing off the neck and curves could be a trend among many of the actresses this year. “We will see a lot of the strapless dress, the one shoulder, and many fitted dresses with movement in the skirt,” he said. “This eliminates stiff material such as taffetas, and introduces more airy material like chiffon, silk crepe, and possibly a touch of silk satin.”
[IMG:R]And the Winners Are…
It may be hard to tell who will come out on top with the Oscar for Best Actress, but when it comes to fashion the experts already have their picks. If Meister could dress one of the nominees, the winner would be… Marion Cotillard. “She’s young, fresh looking and she’s the kind of person that has a modern look but can pull off wearing a grand couture gown…Marion Cotillard is going to do something so glamorous, old couture.”[PAGEBREAK]Ellen Page, he advised, should continue to keep it simple. “She’s young and I think it’s important that she keeps her unique sense of style. Do I see her in a ball gown, no. Maybe even a great cocktail dress that’s very glamorous to accentuate her young spirit and young energy.”
For Laura Linney, Meister said he can see her draped in a sexy glamorous gown. “I’m not feeling a lot of embellishment, adornment, or beading, but much cleaner and simple,” Meister said.
Julie Christie, with her legendary sex appeal and 1950s glamour, he said, may wear vintage, but not just any frock from your grandmother’s closet. “Vintage Valentino because she looks great in black and white,” Meister recommended.
But everyone is weighing in–and waiting with bated breadth–on what the couture diva herself, Cate Blanchett (pictured above at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last month), will be wearing on her double Oscar-nominated night. “She is always really Oscar-ready all the time on the carpet,” said jewelry and style expert Michael O’Connor. “Obviously she is pregnant and there is more of Cate to love…She knows she looks good in blue–probably black or vibrant blue or deep purple. She’s probably going to end up being classic.”
[IMG:L]But with all the talk about what the women will wear, the Oscar-nominated men are just as fashion worthy.
“I think when comes to the selection of men you have more–George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and hotties like Viggo Mortensen,” said O’Connor.
But O’Connor is looking to Depp to wow the fans and fashion critics with his signature sense of style. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Johnny Depp because he never lets you down when it comes to style and he loves jewelry. He can do an open shirt and phenomenal lapel pin. I’m really going to count on him,” he said.
O’Connor, who has worked with Kate Hudson, Renee Zellweger, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Aniston, said to look for chunky platinum and diamond bracelets, statement necklaces with simpler gowns, and put away those chandelier earrings because this time they’re staying big but going shorter.
[IMG:R]It’s All About the Accessories
Handbag and shoe designer Mary Norton is quickly becoming known as the red carpet accessories expert. This year she is working on custom pieces specifically for the Academy Awards, including shoes for Best Actress nominee Julie Christie. Stylists have also stopped by in droves to her boutique on Melrose Place to pick and pull pieces for their A-list clients, including Miley Cyrus and Lisa Rinna.[PAGEBREAK]So what’s Norton expecting to see in the hands of Hollywood’s famous females? “I think we’re going to see important accessories that really mean something,” she said. “They’re not just a plain clutch to disappear into your black gown. They’re a statement,” Norton told Hollywood.com.
So far a favorite among the stylists has been Norton’s ‘Cornwall’ clutch adorned with big heavy stones of pineapple jasper, sunstone and white granite. And there’s even one bag that’s no longer in her showroom because it’s already out to all the celebs and that’s the ‘Roseanna’–a soft satin clutch with an enormous tassel. Norton said that should definitely hit the carpet, but mum’s the word on who will be the lucky glamour girls.
“My way of translating movement is to do tassels where there’s a lot of swing and sway on the red carpet where the girls can be real flirty when they’re walking,” she said.
[IMG:L]From the hand to the toe, the ‘Bunny’ shoe has also been popular as well as the ‘Blanche’ and the ‘Betty.’ And those who you may see donning Mary Norton’s accessories on the red carpet are Queen Latifah, Katherine Heigl (who gave that memorable Mary Norton shout-out at the Emmys), Calista Flockhart who will be joining her leading man Harrison Ford, and presenter Penelope Cruz.
And you can’t have a major red carpet event without hearing one of the most legendary names in fashion–Daniel Swarovski. For the second year in a row, Swarovski has come out with a line of 10 handbags–The Red Carpet Collection–exclusively for the Academy Awards.
“Everybody likes to be a one-of-a-kind person on the red carpet, so you need one-of-a-kind shoes, one-of-a-kind bags–and we have the one-of-a-kind handbags,” said Swarovski representative Francois Ortarix.
[IMG:R]This year’s collection explores the world of the legendary New York disco Studio 54, with names like ‘Famous,’ ‘Fabulous’ and ‘Foxy.’ Ortarix says that when it comes to accessories, stylists and celebrities will opt for silver, gold and black bags because the colors have to match everything. The ‘Fairy,’ whose clasp is a ball paved in crystal, smooth black patent python and charcoal sequined stingray leather is the one signature piece that they see fellow countrywoman, Marion Cotillard, carrying as she accepts her Best Actress trophy. “She is the new French actress coming out into this Hollywood world,” he said. “So we would love to be with her for this particular moment.”
So many style choices, so little time! I guess we’ll all have to wait and see for ourselves when the Oscars ceremony airs on ABC at 5 PT/8 ET Sunday, February 24.
