The 87th Academy Awards was a night of pearls, embellishments, simple high ponies, lots of red, strapless downward turned necklines, and statement necklaces.
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THE HITS:
LUPITA NYONGO, custom Calvin Klein Collection
FAITH HILL, J. Mendel
DAKOTA JOHNSON, St. Laurent
MARGOT ROBBIE, St. Laurent
JENNIFER ANNISTON, Versace
ROSAMUND PIKE, Givenchy
ZOE SALDANA, Atelier Versace
SIENNA MILLER, Oscar de la Renta
REESE WITHERSPOON, Tom Ford
JENNIFER LOPEZ, Ellie Saab[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]
THE MISSES:
FELICITY JONES, Alexander McQueen
NAOMI WATTS, Armani Privé
JULIANNE MOORE, custom Chanel
KERRY WASHINGTON, Miu Miu
VIOLA DAVIS, Zac Posen
GWYNETH PALTROW, Ralph & Russo
JESSICA CHASTAIN, Givenchy
NICOLE KIDMAN, Louis Vuitton
EMMA STONE, Ellie Saab
SCARLETT JOHANSEN, Versace
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St Laurent did not do exclusives this year and for the brand, it was a good thing — the designer made several home runs on my HITS list as well as my “best of the night” pick— Margot Robbie. Her low cut, black dress was steamy, elegant and Oscar perfection. The romantic, sheer poet sleeves flowed beautifully with her chunky statement necklace by Vanclef and Arpels and her deep, side part slicked hair. A close second for me was Dakota Johnson, also in St. Laurent. She chose red, a very popular color this year on the carpet. I loved the single, jeweled snake strap on her left shoulder, as well as the sleek lines of the cut of this dress.
Another winner for me was the red dress worn by Rosamund Pike. The neckline followed a prominent trend on the red carpet of the strapless, downward curved neckline. Her tiny waist, which will make most new moms jealous, was accentuated by the corset detail. (Corsets are a great way to get your tummy to flatten out right after childbirth!)
Our home run ladies, who rarely disappoint, both chose nude this year. Jennifer Lopez sported a deep plunging neckline, and managed to keep everything in place by great fitting or some strong, double sided tape. Her Ellie Saab gown was sparkly and romantic, she looked like a fairy tale princess and donned her signature sleek high pony. Jennifer Anniston was a sight in Versace. The body conscious dress fit her curves in all the right places with strategically placed geometric mesh panels. A win win for Jennifer and Versace.
Lupita Nyong’o is known for taking risks and once again succeeded. Her 6,000 pearl embellished gown by Custom Calvin Klein Collection must have been heavy, but was well worth the weightlifting. She looked stunning.
A closer look at our other leading ladies:
I had a guttural response to Scarlett Johansen’s emerald gown. The beaded neck piece looked like she was hiding something, and the dress overall had a prom feel to it. The beading was the saving grace, but also the reason the dress failed for me.
Following the beading vein, Nicole Kidman, who is typically elegant and doesn’t often miss, failed with her sequined ivory dress. The red belt distracted from the overall look, and was not flattering at all and neither was the cut of the dress.
Speaking of cuts, can we talk about Gwyneth? Her pale pink gown had a beautiful cut, but why did the designer attach that ugly pink rose to her left shoulder? The dress alone would have been simple and elegant. Not to mention her bad tan lines, which were severely distracting. She must have just gotten back from school vacation week somewhere warm.
I’m actually torn about Felicity Jones’ dress by Alexander McQueen. Upon first look, I put it on my “miss” list because I felt it had too much going on, with the pearls and the flowers, and then the over the top duchess satin skirt. The bulky ruching of the skirt, which was reminiscent of Kate Middleton’s wedding gown, was off-putting to me at first. But when she gave her award presentation during the show, she looked elegant and graceful, and the bulkiness of the skirt pleats didn’t really bother me.
The night was filled with such gorgeous fashion, I wish more had taken risks. The bulk of my misses were deemed so because of being just plain boring. Jessica Chastain — double layer tank sleeves never work well in sequins. Kerry Washington — why was she wearing a mother of the bride gown? Emma Stone — the moss creature lives, in the form of an Ellie Saab gown! Naomi Watts — why was she wearing a sports bra at the Academy Awards? Then we had our typical fit issues — Viola Davis had a food holder on the top of her dress, or at least what would have caught some great crumbs for me had I worn it. Kudos to my top picks (Margot Robbie, Dakota Johnson, J Lo). Ladies, bring it next year, we are looking forward to it!
Our top four who really missed the mark:
