Lookin’ good, young Hollywood
THE 83RD ACADEMY AWARDS® Red Carpet Arrivals at the Kodiak Theatre in Hollywood. Photos courtesy ABC/Rick Rowell
It’s been a week since the Oscars, and I still can’t help but feel a little jipped. The primary reason I (and for that matter, a good number of people) watch the Academy Awards is to see what the ladies are wearing. But this year, the red carpet parade felt a bit dull. Maybe it was the absence of regulars like Cameron Diaz and Charlize Theron, two ladies I can always count on to bring classic Hollywood glamor to any event. But they skipped the ceremony and instead just showed up to after parties. No Angelina? No Brad Pitt? What’s the point?
Anne Hathaway, in one of the eight gowns she wore on Oscar night.
There were no surprises. I mean really, are we ever floored that Halle Berry looks anything but stunning? It’s the same with Penelope Cruz — I know she will always make a gorgeous entrance. Last Sunday she looked far from a sleep-deprived new mother, but there was no elaborate hair style, no extravagant jewels, nothing. Last year I thought Sandra Bullock looked amazing, and this year she did…from the front. Her red Vera Wang was perfect, except when she turned around and you caught a glimpse of the giant, dumpy bow right on her butt. I almost felt like she didn’t know it was there, like when you have a piece of toilet paper on your heel and no one has the guts to tell you how foolish you look.
There’s no doubt these women have the capability of looking other worldly, but there was a lot of glamour lacking from the awards show veterans. Where were the risks, the real red carpet moments?
The definite stand-outs of the night were the young, up-and-coming actresses — they looked fresh and polished, and made things a little more interesting.
Jennifer Lawrence
First let’s talk about Anne Hathaway, the quintessential It Girl. Hathaway’s look lends itself well to that style of old Hollywood elegance, and her natural assets (that hair! that gorgeous skin!) set off her multiple costume changes perfectly. Styled by Rachel Zoe, Anne wowed in all eight looks — from her entrance on the red carpet to closing the evening on stage. She even managed to look adorable in a tuxedo…but more adorable than James Franco? I don’t think so.
Newcomer Jennifer Lawrence really stuck in my head in a slinky, red, custom-made gown from Calvin Klein. The look was very reminiscent of the Dior dress Scarlett Johansson wore to the 2006 Golden Globes, which displayed her assets so well that she became the butt of many ‘globe’ jokes for years to follow. Jennifer caught some flack from some who said her dress wasn’t glam enough for Hollywood’s big night, but she looked effortlessly stunning. The Calvin Klein was sexy, clingy and absolutely appropriate for the twenty-year-old starlet to wear to her first red carpet gala.
Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis’ performance in Black Swan earned her a nomination this year, but it’s hard to forget her as Jackie, the spoiled, bratty character from that That 70’s Show. Even before Black Swan, she oozed a sex-kittenish vibe in corduroy bell bottoms and platforms on the sitcom.
Since she’s been making the rounds on the awards circuit this season, she’s been turning heads in one lovely gown after another. On Oscar night, she was sophisticated and alluring in a lilac Elie Saab gown.
Amy Adams
Amy Adams was, hands down, my favorite starlet that night. Though she’s no red carpet rookie, Adams is just really starting to make her presence known as a big name actress.
Decked out in a sparkly, midnight blue L’Wren Scott, accessorized with $1.35 million worth of Cartier emerald and diamond jewelry, she showed us how it’s done on Oscar night. Plus she’s a new mom to boot! Take that, Penelope.
Of course, just about everyone looked fabulous as far as I’m concerned (not sure that Joan Rivers and her crew will agree with that), but this year the newbies really showed that they are forces to be reckoned with on the red carpet.
