Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 23 February 2018
Oscars fashion through the years: The great and the puzzling

By LEANNE ITALIE bellished chartreuse Dior
NEW YORK (AP) — A radi- by John Galliano, Ellison
ant Grace Kelly glided from and others said.
her seat, pulling up her long "Nicole Kidman completely
opera gloves, her little eve- transformed the red car-
ning bag balanced on one pet culture," Ellison said. "It
arm, as she collected a was one of the rare times
best actress trophy for "The an actress had worn a de-
Country Girl" at the 1955 signer gown from a French
Academy Awards. couture house, cementing
She kept her speech short the union between high
and sweet: "The thrill of this fashion and the film aristoc-
moment keeps me from racy."
saying what I really feel. For Williams' look, it was as
I can only say thank you much about style and per-
with all my heart to all who sonality, she said.
made this possible for me. “The dress was totally capti-
Thank you." vating with the strong color
It was a moment that might and the red lip, all acces-
not have endured without sorized with her beaming
the cool mint satin gown smile. It earns my nomina-
designed for her by Edith tion for the best Academy
Head. At the time, Kelly was look of all time,” Ellison said.
the screen's most memo- King points to precursors
rable blonde, radiating a who took some risks.
sophisticated glamour pre- In this March 2, 2014 file photo, Lupita Nyong'o arrives at the Oscars in Los Angeles. Nyong'o, Arnold Scaasi put Barbra
wearing a light blue Prada gown, won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in "12
Princess of Monaco. Today, Years a Slave." Streisand in a see-through
the thin-strapped gown Associated Press sparkly trouser look in 1969,
is among the top fashion
moments in the Oscars' 90- 1998 ceremony. Escada's Academy Awards, when ous and most glorious gold
year history. take in sherbet green was best actress winner Janet outfit to grace the red car-
It was also an inspiration for made for Kim Basinger's Os- Gaynor wore a simple skirt pet ever," she said.
designers to come, said Hal cars turn the year before. and sweater with a casu- Today, the Oscars is the
Rubenstein, who wrote the Kelly wore the gown two al scarf draped cross her most important carpet of
book "100 Unforgettable other times, at the film's shoulders. the awards season, but
Dresses." The gently draped premiere before the Oscars "Edith Head was a cos- those moments depend as
sheath with a near-bustle and on the cover of Life tume designer rather than much on the human inside
effect received a riff in soft magazine after. It offered a a couturier. Worn with el- the outfit.
pink by Ralph Lauren for level of glamour that didn't bow length gloves and little Enter Lupita Nyong'o.
Gwyneth Paltrow (albeit a exist in 1929 at the very first other adornment, Grace It was her vibrant red Ralph
little saggy up top) for the Kelly set the bar for a new Lauren gown with cape at
modern glamour and yet the 2014 Golden Globes
the color is deliciously un- that launched her as a
orthodox," said Jo Ellison, fashion It Girl in 2014, but
fashion editor at the Finan- it was her soft blue Cinder-
cial Times and author of the ella Prada later that year, In this April 14, 1969 file pho-
book "Vogue: The Gown." with its crystal sparkle in to, actress and singer Barbra
Streisand wears a sequined
The 1960s and '70s provid- the pleats, low V neck and Arnold Scaasi bell-bottomed
ed some fashion wow, of delicate headband that sheer pantsuit as she poses
course, but red carpet fren- secured her spot, let alone with her Oscar for her role in
zy reached stratospheric on screen with "12 Years "Funny Girl" at the 41st Acad-
heights among designers in a Slave" and, now, "Black emy Awards in Los Angeles.
the 1980s, Rubenstein said. Panther." Associated Press
"If it wasn't for Armani, no- "She took it to the next lev-
body would have cared," el," said Joyann King, editor the year she tied with Kath-
he said. "He's the one who of HarpersBazaar.com. "It arine Hepburn for an Oscar
discovered the PR quality was stunning and it really for “Funny Girl.” The sheer
in dressing people for the set her apart." set with a white Peter Pan
Oscars. He's the one who The next year, Nyong'o collar, black bow at the
latched on to Anjelica Hus- wore a white faux pearl- neck and wide white cuffs
ton and Jodie Foster and embellished dress by Cal- remains one of the more
Michelle Pfeiffer." vin Klein to the Oscars. Yes, puzzling fashion moments
Among Ellison's top Oscar it's the one that was sto- for a major star in Oscar his-
moments: Lauren Hutton in len soon after but later re- tory.
1980, in a shiny gold short turned by the thieves. The pants included huge,
playsuit by Zoran. Sometimes, it's all about swishy flares that be-
"Wearing gold to the Acad- color. Oscar fashion mo- gan below the knee and
emy Awards is today such ments based on that factor tripped her up a tad on the
In this March 31, 1955 file photo, Grace Kelly, left, and Marlon a cliche. I hardly notice, include Michelle Williams in stairs on her way to collect
Brando, hold their best actress and actor Oscars in Los Angeles. but this gold lame stops me her ruffled buttercup yel- her statuette, which she
Kelly's icy green satin gown was designed by Edith Head. in my tracks every time — low Vera Wang in 2006 and greeted with a resounding:
Associated Press the glossiest, most glamor- Nicole Kidman's 1997 em- “Hello, gorgeous.”q