I've been working on this post bit by bit every day this week, sorry for such a delay...
I'm at work right now but I really need to get this written so that I can watch E! Fashion Police and read all of the online Oscar fashion recaps. I like to form my own opinions about red carpet dresses, rather than be influenced by what the "pros" think. One thing I'm sure of is that young designer Christian Siriano can do no wrong when it comes to red carpet fashion. I think Christian is this generation's Oscar de la Renta. I love so many of his dresses, he uses just the right amount of colour, his fits are impeccable and his ideas are original.
This is my absolute favourite dress of the night, and it's a shame that I didn't see it on either the ABC or E! red carpet coverage. This is Jacqueline Miranne (an US Magazine correspondent and her mother just happens to be Joy Mangano of HSN fame & the film JOY) in a gorgeous Christian Siriano gown.
I snagged the image below from Jackie's Instagram feed - this snap shows the beautiful movement of the dress. Christian calls the gown lime yellow silk faille, so I'm not quite sure which photo reflects the colour more accurately. Either way I love it!!
I also love this peach Christian Siriano gown worn by Louise Roe (an English television presenter, model & fashion journalist). I love the simplicity of this dress, but the "pleated fan" is just the right amount of embellishment.
Rounding out a lovely trio of Christian Siriano dresses is this lovely beaded silver & white gown worn by E! news anchor Maria Menounos. The gown was created in conjunction with Stella Artois and is being auctioned off to raise funds for Water.org - you have until 3 pm EST on March 11th to place your bid! Get more information at Charity Buzz.
Since the first three gowns were worn by entertainment and fashion correspondents, I'm going to continue with the television host theme. Guiliana Rancic, co-host of E!'s red carpet coverage wore a simple white crepe Georges Chakra gown embellished with floral embroidery at the waist. Simple can be so elegant.
The back of the dress is a lovely surprise...
Guiliana's pre-show look was also stunning - she really knocked it out of the park at this year's Academy Awards. There's just something so luxurious about the folds of fabric in this dress designed by Azzi & Osta. And that colour!!
Kelly Ripa is one of my favourite tv personalities (who recently received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame). Kelly wore this little number designed by Dennis Basso while conducting interviews backstage (if you missed it, you can watch the LIVE "After Oscars" show here). With her petite frame, Kelly is one of the few women who can successfully wear a spaghetti strap style like this.
Here is another dress that I didn't see until the day after the Academy Awards. It's Amy Poehler in a stunning Andrew Gn creation; an embroidered kimono style dress. This look is definitely a "love it" or a "hate it". Obviously I'm in the love it camp, but I can understand if you're on the other side of the fence here. (Come to think of it, this would be gorgeous as wallpaper...)
Cate Blanchett, who often rules the red carpet, did so again wearing this stunning Armani dress embellished with crystals and feathers. Cate could teach a master class in what to wear on the Academy Awards red carpet!! Let's not overlook the fact that it fits to perfection. I love this colour too...
Let's see...who's next? Probably Naomi Watts, she really knows what works for her lithe frame. This sapphire blue and purple Giorgio Armani Prive gown truly shines on the red carpet. Stunning!!
This was another one of my favourites, Margot Robbie in a "leather applique cross front drape fitted dress" created by Tom Ford. If you can't wear gold on the Oscars red carpet, where can you wear it? I think she looks great!!
I've covered my favourites, but of course there were many beautiful gowns on this year's Academy Awards red carpet. Here's a look at the others who cracked my top 20:
Chalize Theron in a Dior gown & Harry Winston jewels
Priyanka Chopra in a Zuhair Murad gown & Lorraine Schwartz jewels
Saoirse Ronan in Calvin Klein Collection & Chopard jewels
Reese Witherspoon in Oscar de le Renta & Tiffany jewels
Sophia Vergara in a Marchesa gown & Lorraine Schwartz jewels
Honourable mention goes to a few ladies who didn't knock it out of the park on the awards red carpet but then recovered at the Vanity Fair after party...
Alicia Vikander wore Louis Vuitton to both the awards ceremony and the Vanity Fair Oscar party. I would have liked the yellow dress so much more if it weren't for the balloon hem...so close. She recovered nicely by wearing a long sleeved black dress to the after party.
Lady Gaga's white pantsuit red carpet look had so much potential, but it fell short right around her chest where the fit seemed wrong. I much preferred the halter style white pantsuit that she wore to the Vanity Fair awards party. Both ensembles were designed by Gaga's friend Brandon Maxwell.
I love this portrait of Gaga taken by Mark Seliger. See his entire series of Academy Awards portraits on the Vanity Fair website: Mark Seliger's 2016 Oscar Party Portrait Studio.
