Oscars fashion: hits and misses on the red carpet
Gold dominated the red carpet this year, but not always to great effect, writes Bairbre Power
The question I want answered is: who sent out the email that triggered gold as ‘the’ colour on Oscars night? Victorious Emma Stone was a vision in Givenchy and her flapper-inspired Riccardo Tisci gown took 1920s glamour through to the 21st century. It was a textbook perfect look, from the tiered beaded tassels to old Hollywood finger waved hair and dark red lip.
Sleek and glossy in a bronze gold, Jessica Biel was the nearest to a ‘statuette’ homage but produced the Marmite factor. Personally, I loved how she danced with her hubbie, Justin Timberlake in her gilded column dress by Ken Kaufman and Issac Franco, both ex-Valentino and Ungaro. And what about that statement ‘Whispers of the Rain Forest’ necklace from Tiffany & Co, with 350 fronds in yellow gold plus pave diamonds connecting them to 200 baguette-cut diamonds weighing 60 carats? I thought 50 Shades
of Grey actress Dakota Johnson’s demure Gucci satin gown with plissé front detail and a drama-filled bow accent at the waist looked like an old wedding dress left over from a Western movie but I did covet her Cartier Paris archive 1958 baguette-cut diamond necklace flown in specially from Geneva. Nicole Kidman looked the best she has all season in nude and pale gold Armani Prive but ironically, we’ll remember her 2017 Oscars for her bizarre, sea-llike clapping on the frow rather than the halter-neck dress.
Ruth Negga’s simple but stunning Valentino dress was modern Victoriana at its best. The colour and contrast of this high-necked, long-sleeved gown to the other exhibitionist, slash front leggy dresses consolidated the Irish woman’s reputation as a true style icon.
Black is so often kicked to the kerb in favour of high octane hues but Brie Lawson proved that in the hands of master labels like Oscar de la Renta, there’s nothing better than sooty black. Kirsten Dunst’s Dior Haute Couture strapless gown with pockets was another triumph.
There were strong political messages from Emma Stone and Alicia Vikander sporting Planned Parenthood pins and Ruth Negga and Karlie Kloss wearing blue ribbons supporting the American Civil Liberties Union — the same body who helped Negga’s real-life counterpart Mildred Loving in her landmark case.