Danielle Ferguson, Staff Writer
The 84th Academy (Oscars) Awards ceremony, hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored the best films of 2011. The ceremony took place on February 26, 2012, at the Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood, Calif., and was televised live in the United States on ABC. As much as we all love hearing about the winners and nominees, the real buzz is heightened around the fashion dos and fashion don’ts. So who stole the real award of a fashionista on the red carpet but even more so who flopped miserably? Look no further!
This year’s talent on the red carpet was criticized for being afraid to take fashion risks, however, I think the male population should be heavily credited for their immense style-savvy. Gwyneth Paltrow shone in a somewhat daring look, which was a white stark Tom Ford dress and floor-length cape. The dress could have worked better on its own and most definitely without the superhero-like cape that she draped on her shoulders. The pale colors were a trend, including Jennifer Lopez’s body-hugging Zuhair Murad number, Shailene Woodley’s Valentino Couture gown, and Cameron Diaz’s buttery beaded Gucci dress. More standouts for the female sector included Jessica Chastain’s gold embroidered Alexander McQueen dress and Michelle Williams’ coral Louis Vuitton dress with a peplum waist.
The best couple honors went to the ‘Hollywood glamour guy’ George Clooney and his model girlfriend Stacy Keibler, who wore a strapless Marchesa gown which was reminiscent of the Oscar statue. This was similar to Meryl Streep who brought the carpet alive with her gold Lanvin dress that swept the floor and everyone with it. The neck plunged and gathered around the waist. Streep color-coordinated everything – her hair color, shoes, and accessories to both the dress and the Oscar statue that she took back home.
The definite head-turners included Angelina Jolie who wore a beautiful black Versace gown, which was picture perfect with her red pout and Brad Pitt on her arm to ogle at. Jennifer Lopez also fell into this category, by leaving little to the imagination in a see-through and wide-neck Zuhair Murad dress. The fabric draped her body like a second skin and moved just as rhythmically as she did.
A personal favorite was Rooney Mara, who has been photographed in black dresses at a number of red carpet affairs, however, this time went the opposite route and chose an ivory Givenchy dress for the Oscars. Its plunging neckline, droopy folded bodice, and lingerie-style back earned her a thumbs up from many fashion insiders.
When I was doing interviews across campus, freshman Genesis Serrano stated, “The Oscars fashion is definitely the highlight of the awards ceremony. I loved Emma Stone’s dress. She wore a red kind of high neck dress with a huge bow that started at her chin. It appealed to me because it oozed elegance which is exactly the look one should go for when stepping out onto the red carpet. It tapered along her body and flowed down on the floor as she walked on it. A mix of the old meets new – a soft, yet structured, no-fuss look.”
Jade Valdalez, another freshman interviewed on the topic, had mixed reactions on the fashion spectrum of the Oscars stating, ‘Sandra Bullock was stunning she had like a wide neck and low back ivory top with a black fishtail skirt it was pretty retro. On the opposite end though I’d have to say Natalie Portman is kind of disappointed. She wore a vintage Dior black and red polka dot gown but it lacked the red carpet glam- a case of wearing the right dress to the wrong address.”
Traditionally, the Oscars are a girl’s night and the men are just arm candy. Men are rarely spoken or written about when it comes to the Oscars, however, the men this year, as already mentioned, were overwhelming and definitely stole the show. The black-on-black look worn by Jonah Hill and Christian Bale was a classic for the event. Christopher Plummer dawned a velvet tuxedo, which was a more modernized version of the traditional worn by Hill and Bale. Pharrel Williams also added to this thought by wearing a structured three-piece suit in grey with a black piping, black velvet bow, and a two button-short fitted jacket.
The Oscars inspired an assortment of beautiful and unique fashions on the red carpet. There were so many different styles and designer gowns, worn by the biggest stars in entertainment. White was a favorite color this year, although there was an assortment of different colors on the red carpet this year. An online poll on the ABC network website concluded the five best-dressed stars and looks from Oscar night, ordered from first to fifth, were: Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton, Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad, Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji, Viola Davis in Vera Wang and Cameron Diaz in Gucci.
All in all, the Oscars this year revealed another fashion showdown success. Aside from some mixed views across the campus, the general consensus was highly positive. There was a special appreciation for the classic entertainment aspect of the television program and the quick escape that it gave from studies.
