Celebrity fashion a vital part of the show
The outlandish fashion is what it’s all about for many film fans
Cher was in a snit. She felt she had been cheated out of an Oscar nomination for her performance in the film Mask. So she decided to retaliate by making a Cher-type statement at the 1985 Academy Awards ceremony.
So when she walked on stage to present a best supporting actor award to veteran actor Don Ameche, there was a collective gasp both from the live audience of dignitaries and millions of viewers. Everything about her — all the way from those kinky leather and satin boots right up to that towering head dress created out of 800 rare feathers — was giving the finger to decorum and tradition.
“To hell with it,” she had complained earlier to courtier Bob Mackie. “They didn’t nominate me so — f--k it — let’s have fun.”
She later confessed that she wanted to show the world that, at 40, she still had what it takes. And if that meant concocting her own version of a middle-aged, navel-baring punk queen, so be it.
In their book, Oscar Dearest, Hollywood historians Peter Brown and Jim Pinkston say that Cher’s $12,000 outfit ensured that “sex literally dripped from her arms, breasts and shoulders.”
But this moment also dramatically breached the dike of propriety when it came to the way Hollywood celebrities chose to look in putting themselves on display at Tinseltown’s most hallowed event.
Cher’s kitschy demolition job on stuffy Oscar tradition paved the way for many more examples of wardrobe exhibitionism, most of it awful.
For example: Bjork’s notorious swan dress (2001); Diane Keaton’s androgynous Ralph Lauren suit, complete with spats and ill-fitting bowler hat (2004) or Gwyneth Paltrow’s sheer and braless goth outfit (2002).
So forget the awards and the boring speeches. A lot of viewers tune in these days just for the fun of ogling the outfits. And the odds are high that the upcoming 2017 Oscars will continue to provide juicy fodder when it comes to celebrities dressing badly.
Yet, this fashion obsession is a comparatively recent Oscar phenomenon. Until the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences began televising the awards in 1953, the way celebrities dressed was of little importance. For example, in the 1930s, Bette Davis collected her two statues wearing an ordinary suit. In 1935, Claudette Colbert was dressed for train travel when the academy surprised her by naming her best actress for It Happened One Night.
Still, once TV cameras arrived at the ceremonies, rigid fashion protocol initially ruled. Legendary Hollywood designer Edith Head became the gatekeeper, and for 16 years she had right of approval over what was worn by presenters and winners. Back then, a taboo-breaker like Cher would have never made it on stage.
“Because the television censors were so strict, I was appointed guardian of hemlines and bodices,” Head said in an 1979 interview.
She had her own little booth at the stage entrance, and from here she was able to cast an eagle eye on every outfit. Beside her was a box full of shawls, wrap-around skirts and other paraphernalia if she deemed it necessary to cover an immodest display.
The Oscar-winning costume designer said “cleavage covers” were her most important emergency item.
“We couldn’t trust the stars who were to go onstage. After I approved their gowns, some would push up their cleavages just before going on.”
Head’s reign started cracking in 1966 when Britain’s Julie Christie managed to get on stage in a miniskirt and again in 1969 when Barbra Streisand materialized in what appeared to be black see-through pyjamas.
Even so, futile efforts to stem the rebellion of the stars were to continue. In 1977, director William Friedkin took control of the show, and promptly banned sequins, beads and rhinestones. He also decreed that colours be restricted to black and white and that all actresses submit their gowns for his personal approval.
In 1979, the academy began offering free gowns if actresses agreed to allow officials to garb them in a desirable fashion. But by this time, the dye was cast. Many stars were pushing back — and there finally came that moment when Cher pushed back with a vengeance.
Still, when it comes to the fashion craziness engulfing the Oscars every year, perhaps awardwinning documentary filmmaker Jessica Yu said it best a few years ago: “You know you’ve entered new territory when you realize that your outfit cost more than your film.”
Because the television censors were so strict, I was appointed guardian of hemlines and bodices.