Choosing the right dress? A balancing act. Gwyneth Paltrow once advised novices “not to appear too avant-garde.” A tip that Jennifer Lawrence took to heart when she appeared at the Oscars for the first time in 2011. She plays it safe and opts for bright red, which has brought many actresses worldwide attention. Her dress is simple, but it has a plunging neckline that makes her look sexy and like the girl next door at the same time. A short time later, Lawrence received the lead role in “The Hunger Games” as well as an advertising deal with a Parisian luxury brand. And just a year later she won the Oscar for best actress in “Silver Linings.”
When Angelina Jolie first attended the Oscars in 1986 with her father, actor Jon Voight, she wore a white lace gown that could have passed for a wedding dress. Jolie was ten years old and her sense of fashion was still influenced by the bizarreness of the eighties. She shows how well she masters the rules of the red carpet when she later establishes herself as an actress. The eccentricity disappears from her wardrobe, but she repeatedly causes a stir with her scandalous lifestyle, which includes drug use, the falling out with her father and three failed marriages including the War of the Roses. But at public appearances like the Oscars, only one thing counts: the appearance of perfection. Like in 2004, when she presented herself like a Greek goddess in a white satin dress and long sash.
The flashiest outfit doesn’t always get the most attention
She is the mother of protest fashion: Because Bette Davis felt ignored for her role in the film “Of Human Bondage” in 1935, she publicly criticized the film studios’ awards policy the following year. As an actress, it is not her ability that is in question, but rather the question of whether she is in the favor of the film bosses. As a sign of her dependence, she puts on a shapeless dress that “a domestic servant” would have worn at the time. The red carpet is rarely the scene of protests in subsequent years, but in 2018 the stars are using the optical power of their clothes and taking a stand against sexism and discrimination. In the spirit of the #MeToo movement and the protest against Harvey Weinstein’s abuse of power, they launched the “Time’s Up” initiative. There is a clear symbol on their jackets and dresses: a protest pin.
Lupita Nyong’o is honored in 2014 for her supporting role in “12 Years a Slave” and wears an ice blue chiffon dress with small crystals. She was named the most beautiful woman of the evening. Her gown, which even has its own Wikipedia entry, is considered one of the most elegant in Oscar history. The model was a dress by Elizabeth Taylor, who always presented herself like a goddess with a large cleavage and wasp waist. What Nyong’o’s look shows: The flashiest outfit doesn’t always get the most attention. The biggest expert on shrillness, on the other hand, is Cher. Although the singer has been causing offense with provocative looks since the 1960s, she ensures that Oscar fashion does not fall into uniformity and lose its appeal. If there were a fashion Oscar, Cher would have deserved it.
94 years of Oscar history: The most beautiful gowns are shown in the illustrated book “Oscars – Glamor on the red carpet” by Dijanna Mulhearn, Prestel Verlag, 59 euros
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
