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Oscar fashions
25/03/2002 09:16 - (SA)
Los Angeles - Gone were the wacky hairpieces, mink eyelashes and helmet hair of Academy Awards shows of years past.
A muted elegance and subdued glamour instead were the rule
on Sunday at the 74th annual Oscars, where the best accessory, for men or women, was a naked golden man.
Best supporting actress winner Jennifer Connelly was resplendent
in a confection of neutral chiffon by Nicholas Ghesquiere for
Balenciaga, a cream coloured chiffon scarf wrapped around her neck.
"I'm bold! I'm going neutral," she said, her hair pulled back,
her ears adorned with simple, sparkly studs as she strolled the red carpet accompanied by her father.
Best actor winner Denzel Washington needed little adornment for
his Giorgio Armani tuxedo but his wife, Pauletta Pearson, dressed
in strapless lilac, as he sped down the red carpet.
Last year's best actress, Julia Roberts, traded her vintage
Valentino gown and ornate hairdo for a backless, long-sleeved
Armani gown and a simple updo, with red curls springing wildly
behind her megawatt smile.
Halle Berry, Roberts' successor on the best actress throne,
clutched tightly to the hand of her husband, Eric Benet, as she
showed off, to great effect, a chocolate Elie Saab gown with a
sheer top featuring strategically placed flower and leaf-shaped
appliques and long full skirt.
Pale pink was the colour of choice for Cameron Diaz in an
Emmanuel Ungaro gown covered with red flowers and adorned with a
Fred Leighton necklace as a belt, nominee Nicole Kidman, in Chanel, and Jennifer Lopez, who wore a rather demure but tight Versace sheath to accessorise her voluminous hairdo.
Kirsten Dunst, too, chose pale pink, a sequinned sleeveless
number from John Galliano for Dior.
Opting for something different than her usual Armani tuxedo,
best actress nominee Sissy Spacek was turned out in a high-necked
white satin jacket with brocade buttons over a full-length black
skirt.
Nominees Will Smith, Ethan Hawke and Ben Kingsley strayed from
the conventional tuxedo and bowtie combination, choosing long
skinny ties, with Smith going for the gold, Kingsley sporting a
shiny pinkish tie to accompany his gleaming bald pate and
meticulous sliver of a goatee.
A heavily bearded and shaggy haired Russell Crowe wore what has
become a podium uniform for the New Zealand born Oscar winner - a
long Armani frock coat, vest and pocket watch.
Supporting actress nominee Kate Winslet wore red, a
one-shouldered flowing number by Ben Delisi. She had said prior to the evening that she was seeking something comfortable, and shoes that wouldn't make her feet scream after half an hour.
Another fashion plate in that category, 1992 Oscar winner Marisa
Tomei, wore a long, black strapless Jurgen Simonsen gown, beads and a loose updo.
Reese Witherspoon wore a cap sleeved Valentino gown, Naomi Watts
was dressed in Gucci and Oscar winner and supposed fashion icon
Gwyneth Paltrow was decked out in an odd ruffled skirt paired with a skimpy sheer tanktop leaving nothing to the imagination.
Oscar host Whoopi Goldberg changed her gown and accoutrements
several times over the course of the nearly four-hour show, donning costumes reflecting each of the five best picture nominees and closing the show in a red velvety cape with insignia for the New York fire and police departments on the back.
The most valuable of the attendees was Mexican-born actress
Laura Elena Harring who was wearing a red embroidered velvet Armani dress, a 27 million-dollar diamond necklace and a million-dollar pair of shoes.
And the five million-dollar diamond-studded dress created by
Anne Bowen? The "Hearts of Fire" sparkley gown fit Jules Avner, a
presenter for a US cable entertainment television show. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA
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