Ingenues Amanda Seyfried, Rachel McAdams, and Miley Cyrus, in Giorgio Armani Prive, Elie Saab, and Jenny Packham, respectively, were tasteful, polished, and on trend.
McAdams’ colorful, strapless gown from the Spring 2010 Elie Saab Haute Couture collection was whimsical and romantic, with a sweetheart neckline and a flowing organza skirt with prints of pinks, blues and green. She, too, rejected a necklace in favor of statement Lorraine Schwartz diamond pendant earrings.
Seyfried looked like an ice queen with her slicked back pale hair and flawless alabaster skin off-setting her sea foam green silk gown, whose structured Swarovski crystal bustier and blunt strapless neckline managed to be at once risky and classic. (One very welcome trend on the red carpet: the lack of spray tans!)
Cyrus was age-appropriate in a champagne gown with a strapless bustier bodice and flowing silk and tulle skirt. It fit her perfectly, and her loose updo was fresh and easy, accented with dazzling flower-shaped diamond and ruby earrings from Lorraine Schwartz.
The successful risk-takers of the evening were Jennifer Lopez, in Armani Prive, and Vera Farmiga, in Marchesa. Lopez’s iridescent, pale pink silk Prive could have gone horribly wrong, but it worked for a number of reasons. She paired the striking neckline and unusual silhouette with simple hair and makeup and minimal jewelry, which kept the look from being over the top. She looked elegant and ornate, and the color was beautiful against the red carpet. If you can’t wear a dress of that caliber to the Oscars, then when can you wear it?
Vera Farmiga’s fuschia Marchesa was a difficult color to wear successfully against the red carpet, and its theatrical ruffled pleats added to the challenge. However, Marchesa is a red carpet favorite, and once again the strapless cut teamed with simple hair and jewelry resulted in an overall look that was risky, eye-catching and unique. She reminded me of a brilliant sea coral—and that’s a compliment.
So who didn’t pull off the strapless/hair up trend to such good effect? Well, Kristen Stewart, for one. Although navy is always a welcome color on the red carpet, (Mariska Hargitay wore it well in her strapless Vera Wang,) Stewart’s was too stark. Her pulled back hair was harsh, and the dress seemed ill-fitting–simply too plain for her lack of jewelry.
