The Oscars 2013: Red Carpet

Posted in Awards, Beauty, Celebrity, Fashion, Film, Red Carpet by nlcorner

The Oscars Red Carpet is the peak of the awards season, and it signals the end of all the boozing and schmoozing. What I love the most about this red carpet, is the anticipation and build up of which designers the stars will pick to wear.

It could be the making of a fairly unknown designer’s career, or it could be the Kings and Queens of red carpet dressing are displayed in all their glory, like the obvious pairings of Jennifer Lawrence and Dior, Anne Hathaway and ~~not this time~~ Valentino, Jennifer Lopez and Zuhair Murad, Jaime King and Jason Wu, and Diane Kruger and Chanel/JasonWu/Giambattista Valli…

What I hope for the most is for someone to be daring, for a celebrity to be brave and genuinely shock critics and viewers alike by picking something unexpected. The only person on the Oscars red carpet that managed that on Oscars night was Jennifer Aniston.

Don’t be mistaken I don’t think she was the best dressed I’m just glad she wasn’t wearing black. Her red Valentino Haute Couture gown didn’t translate as well as on the red carpet as it did on the runway, but kudos to Jennifer because everyone expected her to stick to her usual monochrome palette instead she pushed that envelope a little by going with strapless red bustier dress, safe but interesting for her.

Jennifer Aniston in Valentino Couture at The Oscars 2013.

Another person in red was Sally Field, although she lost out to Anne Hathaway for Best Supporting Actress, she looked gorgeous in Valentino Haute Couture. Showing the younger ones how it’s done by wearing a sheer gown with a nude underlay , it was a worthy effort and she certainly looked better in her red Valentino than Hilary Swank who chose a similar gown from the Spring couture collection.

Sally Field in Valentino Couture at The Oscars 2013.

I give the award of Best OTT Frou-Frou Moment to Amy Adams, another strapless bustier gown but this time a dove grey Oscar de la Renta creation that the actress struggled to manage down the red carpet. This was just one of many colourless gowns that was on display, it could have been epic if it was a vivid pink or even yellow.

Amy Adams in Oscar de la Renta at The Oscars 2013.

My obvious choice for Best Princess Moment has to go to Jennifer Lawrence she just simply shone on the Oscars red carpet.

I’ve been trying to figure out for weeks what she would pick from the Dior Spring Couture collection, her BAFTAS dress threw me and the dresses I had earmarked for her were worn by Marion Cotillard, instead she chose a blush pink brocade strapless (!) bustier gown.

A twitter picture showing her getting ready was released just before she appeared on the red carpet, I was glad because I genuinely thought I’d be waiting all night for her to appear. I think what made the look was the Chopard necklace draped down her back, such a modern touch.

I’m so glad she won the Best Actress Oscar because after her previous two nominations this was deserved, and also simply because she is adorably clumsy as proved when she tripped going up the stairs to collect her award.

JLaw getting ready.

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior Haute Couture at The Oscars 2013.

Stunning.

I think what the trouble was with the Oscars red carpet was that it was pretty mediocre, I mean don’t get me wrong there were some nice dresses but that’s all they were just nice and if not pretty boring. So many stars chose to go the strapless look, either a coloumn design or a big full skirt there was hardly any variation. That’s why as soon as Naomi Watts stepped onto the red carpet I knew she was going to be my best dressed without fail.

Naomi Watts in Armani Prive at The Oscars 2013.

It all rests on the cutout, otherwise it is simply another sparkly column gown, Naomi had said that she wanted something different and this was the perfect choice to stand out on the red carpet. I’m surprised more people didn’t choose a cutout design, it’s such an easy way to add something special without it being tacky (I’m looking at YOU Brandi Glanville). Naomi’s gorgeous teased updo, jewels, and flawless make up made the whole look.

Another actress who dared to do something different was Zoe Saldana, her red carpet style is so unpredictable it was great to see her in a lavender Alexis Mabille Couture gown with an ombre style train. The floral applique hem made the strapless element more exciting, and noticeable with her hair wavy but pushed back to expose her drop earrings.

Zoe Saldana in Alexis Mabille Couture at The Oscars 2013.

Another stand out gown came from Stacy Keibler, this is her second year as George Clooney’s plus one at The Oscars so well done to her for keeping hold as we all know George is notorious for getting a girlfriend just for awards season maybe she’s a keeper… Anyway she wore a gun-metal grey Naeem Khan embellished gown that just made her look stunning, she made my best dressed list last year as well in Marchesa so she obviously knows what looks good on her and isn’t afraid to flaunt it. I’m warming towards these faux wavy bobs as well I wish my hair would do something like that…

Stacy Keibler in Naeem Khan at The Oscars 2013.

I was really looking forward to seeing Kerry Washington on the red carpet, and whilst she impressed me in Miu Miu with her coral pop of colour and embellished bust, it was once again a strapless gown. I really was expecting something dramaticlike the amazing Giles dress she wore to the UK premiere of Django Unchained. Now that was epic.

Kerry Washington in Miu Miu at The Oscars 2013.

When I saw Charlize Theron on run the red carpet, what struck me was how gorgeous she looked with her ice blonde pixie crop with a matching ice white Dior Haute Couture peplum gown. Yes it was another strapless dress, but with Charlize she’s able to bring something that sparkles without really having to do anything. The only factor that may have pushed Charlize down further on my best dressed list is heat magazine associating her with Brigette Nielsen…

Charlize Theron in Dior Haute Couture at The Oscars 2013.

It’s really the case of the best of an OK bunch, as Salma Hayek wore a black velvet Alexander McQueen dress with gold halterneck applique, Jennifer Garner playing the part of proud wife in a purple ruffled Gucci gown, Samantha Barks looking sexy in black Valentino, Sandra Bullock wearing one of the only Elie Saab gowns in black, Olivia Munn in a burgundy and gold Marchesa with stunning make up and hair, Fan Bingbing wearing an extremely vivid pink Marchesa, and of course one of the shocks of the night Anne Hathaway wearing Prada NOT Valentino, it was a pretty dire dress to be fair as the darts on the bust of the gown made her nipples look erect the whole time.

Salma Hayek in Alexander McQueen at The Oscars 2013.

Jennifer Garner in Gucci at The Oscars 2013.

Samantha Barks in Valentino at The Oscars 2013.

Sandra Bullock in Elie Saab at The Oscars 2013.

Olivia Munn in Marchesa at The Oscars 2013.

Fan Bingbing in Marchesa at The Oscars 2013.

Anne Hathaway in Prada at The Oscars 2013.

And a special award to Funniest Hair Faux Pas has to go to Melissa McCarthy, her hair disaster was beyond epic. You could see her bouffant bobbing along in the crowd from space. Otherwise her David Miester dress was quite pretty.

Melissa McCarthy in David Meister at The Oscars 2013.

27Jun2012

Blake Lively Savages press tour

Posted in Celebrity, Fashion, Film, Gossip Girl, Style Crush by nlcorner

She’s back, and she’s hotter than ever. (Is that even possible?!)

Blake Lively kicked off the press tour for her newest movie, Savages, last week and has had hit after hit on the red carpet.

We haven’t really seen much of Blake recently, what with Gossip Girl filming earlier in the year and her dating Ryan Reynolds, one of the hottest guys in the movie business, she has been greatly missed.

One of my style crushes, Blake has the perfect mixture of legs, boobs and hair and she knows how to work each of these to her advantage. She’s not scared to flash her pins with a hint of boob, it comes across as sexy and not slutty, she can work a suit just as well as a mini dress and that’s always a good thing when you have a press tour for a movie that requires numerous different looks to keep the fashion critics on their toes.

Her first big WOW moment of the Savages press tour was at the LA premiere, wearing Zuhair Murad Couture. After just been announced as the face of the new Gucci Premiere fragrance, Blake went old Hollywood glamour with Veronica Lake-esque classic waves with a voluminous twist and a form-fitting gown with matte red lips and matching nails.

The nude gown had black bead detailing which perfectly outlined Blake’s honed body, and she was serious competition for Salma Hayek, her co-star in the movie, who wore a fully embroidered teal Gucci Premiere dress. Each dressed to the max for the occasion and I really hope they keep it up, and that Salma doesn’t let the team down.

Side note :- It just occurred to me that Blake and Salma starred in this movie together, and that Salma’s husband Francois-Henri Pinault is the CEO of PPR which owns the Gucci Group, this includes Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, [formerly] Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Sergio Rossi, and Boucheron. I’m only speculating here but did someone put in a good word for a certain rising Hollywood actress…? Blake could get there on her own merit, as she did as the face of Chanel Mademoiselle handbags, but everyone benefits from having friends in high places! (Not to mention her BFF Florence Welch whose US tour wardrobe was also created by none other than Frida Giannini…

Blake Lively in Zuhair Murad Couture at the LA Premiere of Savages

Salma Hayek in Gucci Premiere at the LA Premiere of Savages

Next up was an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Blake turned up in a pretty blush pink Jenny Packham dress with an encrusted neckline and the most beautiful Christian Louboutins. She left in a similar Marchesa dress, I was slightly disappointed with this as the fit seems off but the hair and shoes seem to pull it together.

Blake Lively in Jenny Packham at the Late Show with David Letterman

Blake Lively in Marchesa at the Late Show with David Letterman

The second WOW moment so far has to be the red-hot Michael Kors suit she wore for an appearance on Good Morning America. The last time she wore a suit was an electric blue Elie Saab number, and although slightly less dramatic this red suit was classic and gorgeous without being overtly sexy. And yet again the Christian Louboutin shoes are to die for, as some may remember she is BFF’s with the shoe king and so I bet she has plenty of the red-soled wonders in her wardrobe for this tour.

Blake Lively in Michael Kors at Good Morning America

Next stop New York premiere, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before Blake called upon her newest Gucci partnership for her press tour. Blake donned a buttery yellow Gucci halterneck gown with turqoise drop earrings. I think this summery dress would have been suited to the LA premiere and then vice versa, but she still looks beautiful and the make up is much fresher and the pop of turquoise against the yellow is fantastic. Blake opted to tie her hair up on this occasion, I am particularly jealous of her fishtail plait and think it complements the neckline of her dress.

Blake Lively in Gucci at the New York premiere of Savages

11May2012

MET Gala 2012

Posted in Beauty, Celebrity, Diane and Josh, Fashion, Hair, Models, Red Carpet, Style Crush by nlcorner

This year’s Costume Institute Gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was held in honour of Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli - I’m not going to pretend I’m totes fashion and had heard of the latter until this exhibition – andwith rumours abound that Miuccia was running a tight ship, it was with a hush of excitement that news of who was dressing who began to filter through.

The biggest news before the Gala went ahead was that the head honcho had put a stop to Coco Rocha being dressed by her designer bessie Zac Posen, she instead had teased on Twitter she was wearing vintage Givenchy. Now in my mind vintage Givenchy would be elegant, dramatic and gorgeous, what Coco Rocha wore was far from any of this… A vintage suit previously owned by Elizabeth Taylor may be majah but she looked like a hot mess and to top it all off she added some poor 13 year-old girls bubblegum pink clip ins. If there was ever a Worst Ever Dressed Award it would go to you Mrs Rocha, please stick to what you know.

Coco Rocha in Vintage Givenchy at the MET Gala 2012

To follow on from my Worst Ever Dressed, I’ll direct you to my next worst dressed. If you read my previous post on this young woman you would probably see who I was going to say a mile off.

Kristen Stewart in Balenciaga at the MET Gala 2012

Honestly the dress isn’t really that bad, I think the red next to the blue is sending me shivers but I like the bodice of the dress. It’s just those SHOES. They could honestly be the most horrific shoes ever made on earth. And of course you know I’m going to have a problem with that hair, yes I know if she’d had it all posh and preened it would not be her style but surely something like her hairstyle from the BD premiere could be done here.

Everyone else seemed to think that Karolina Kurkova looked uh-mazing, but I really think Rachel Zoe was given too much creative control with a roll of tin foil. The turban Kurkova sported was an almost spit of Kate Moss’ Marc Jacob’s ’09 MET Gala outfit, and if Zoe had just left it off I would have let her get away with the standard gold sparkly dress that every designer has to make.

Karolina Kurkova in Rachel Zoe at the MET Gala 2012

It’s easy to pick apart the looks you don’t like, it always is but when it comes to those jaw-dropping dresses there can only really ever be one that just made you wish you could wear that dress. That’s the only way I can pick which celeb knocked it out of the park…. Or maybe there will have to be a three-way tie…

For me Beyonce’s Givenchy Couture gown was a jaw-dropper, that train, the sheerness, and her post-baby body, but when you think about it as stunning as she looks she has worn just as risque outfits on stage. So to me this is a normal look for B, in fact I think I prefer her Emilio Pucci from last year’s MET Gala.

Beyonce Knowles in Givenchy Couture at the MET Gala 2012

Someone who never fails to look smokin’ hot is the ever sexy Rihanna, her Tom Ford dress fit like a second (snake)skin. It was on par with her black lace Stella McCartney look from last year, still with the crazy hair but a little more toned down, despite the one inch talons adorning her hands.

Rihanna in Tom Ford at the MET Gala 2012

Now my number one Style Crush let me down a little on the night, after her showstopper Jason Wu number last year, Diane Kruger rocked up in a purple Prada number. Not the usual high glamour she goes for on the red carpet, in fact it was a little dressed down. The skirt half was gorgeous but the top half was a little on the slouchy vest side, not something I would expect from such a first class dresser, still I can’t bring myself to say I hate it…

Diane Kruger in Prada at the MET Gala 2012

Two very different women, two very different dresses, one designer. Cate Blanchett and Florence Welch were both guests of Sarah Burton, they both wore Alexander McQueen gowns, one I adored the other was a little extreme but to be fair suited the wearer’s personality down to the ground… Can you guess which I liked?

Florence Welch and Cate Blanchett with Sarah Burton in Alexander McQueen at the MET Gala 2012

Yup you guessed it… Cate Blanchett!

Cate Blanchett in Alexander McQueen at the MET Gala 2012

One of my main contenders for Best Dressed was, surprisingly enough, Gwyneth Paltrow, going for a shorter length than her fellow attendees, she wore a Prada dress with embellished pockets. I really like the shape of the dress and if I had a body like that at 39 I would be proud of it too. The hair and make up along with those earrings really top off a fantastic look from Gywnnie, almost harks back to that Balmain dress at the Iron Man premiere in 2008.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Prada at the MET Gala 2012

I loved Kate Bosworth’s Prada look. Yes I said it I loved what Kate was wearing, the dark ombre feathered dress, the Miu Miu shoes the flawless make up and the slicked back hair. I want it all, I want it all NOW!

Kate Bosworth in Prada at the MET Gala 2012

It was nearly a draw with Kate, but I think Camilla Belle just pipped her to the post in her Ralph Lauren silver fluid gown. The fact she went full length adds even more glamour, both had similar make up looks – it seems that wine coloured lips were the majah look of the night – and Camilla’s hair just topped off that old Hollywood glamour that I adore so much.

Camilla Belle in Ralph Lauren at the MET Gala 2012

Here are the best of the rest from the MET Gala 2012:

Lana Del Ray in Altuzarra, Fashion Critic over at Red Carpet Fashion Awards made the genius comparison of Lana being the Bad Witch to Gwyneth Paltrow’ Good Witch at the Oscars this year.

Ginnifer Goodwin in Monique Lhullier. I really love this look, the colour suits Ginnifer down to the ground and her pixie cut is as perfect as ever.

Bianca Brandolini D’Adda looks verrrry gold in Dolce & Gabbana the epitome of their label really. I kinda like it on the Italian socialite, glitz and glam in the most obvious way.

Nina Dobrev in custom-made Donna Karan. Nina knows how to do the red carpet, ever since she wore that red Donna Karan at the Emmy’s this was a match made in heaven.

Victoria Justice in McQ by Alexander McQueen. The young star dresses her age in a beautiful McQ dress, the colour explosion and the puff ball skirt make a really great look.

Solange Knowles in Rachel Roy. Amazing colour.

Emma Stone in Lanvin. I enjoyed this look, but Emma can do sooo much better than this.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Burberry. We get it R H-W has the perfect body, but this look really bores the hell out of me even if I do love the make up.

23Jan2012

Shailene Woodley vs. Jennifer Lawrence

Posted in Awards, Celebrity, Fashion, Film, Style by nlcorner

I was thinking about The Descendants and how Shailene Woodley is only 21 (born in 1991 makes you sick) and how good the film was, and then I realised that she is basically Jennifer Lawrence a year later.

Jennifer was the big young name throughout awards season after her plethora of nominations for her role in Winter’s Bone, according to IMDb she was nominated 29 times including a Best Actress nod at the Oscars, and won 10 awards including the Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. A massive haul for the now 21 year old, and a massive promotional tour of the red carpet.

My absolute favourite will always be the Calvin Klein she wore to the Oscars, a super 10/10 on the sexiness scale and I said before that she was too sexy for the Oscars but looking back the gown was perfect, sleek and simple and she didn’t go over the top.

Shailene also opted for Calvin Klein on the red carpet at the Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards 2012 but in a more refined gown from the Resort 2012 collection. It wasn’t red-hot like Jennifer, but icy cool and fresh with minimal make up. The minimal make up look is a definite recurring trend for Shailene, her natural beauty literally shines through, no layers and layers of eyeshadow and eyeliner needed, she keeps it simple and understated.

Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein at the Oscars 2011

Shailene Woodley in Calvin Klein at the 2012 Critics' Choice Awards

White & Lacy: Jennifer Lawrence in Dolce & Gabbana at the Independent Spirit Awards 2011 // Shailene Woodley in Honor at the 2012 AFI Awards.

Golden Globes glamour: Jennifer in Louis Vuitton // Shailene in Marchesa

Quirky & Cute: Jennifer Lawrence in Viktor & Rolf // Shailene Woodley in Jason Wu Resort

12Aug2011

Kristen Stewart for W Magazine

Posted in Beauty, Celebrity, Fashion, Film, Front cover, Hair, Magazine, Twilight by nlcorner

Who is this? Who is she? What has happened to the lank hair, skinny jeans, t-shirt and Converse pumps that has so become Kristen Stewart’s uniform? She has been given an almighty makeover for the September issue of W Magazine, the credit goes to stylist Edward Enninful and to the famed duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. They are so amazing at what they do, that it had to be the photographers that captured the raw beauty that KStew has deep down (deep deep deep down) below. I say I’m not a fan of Kristen because she always seems so unwilling to be a celebrity, this is what she is now and it seems like she is finally coming around to it despite the occasional moody stare.

But these images from W Magazine and the video interview that goes with it, have started to break down the wall of hatred that I built up when KStew stole my beloved RPattz. She looks gorgeous, and I kind of wish that’s how she would style herself when doing red carpet. I can all but wish, I think those Converse are going to be around for a little while longer…

All images from W Magazine, photographs by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott

That Gucci dress....again

This is similar to the GQ shoot RPattz did a couple of years ago...

Ahh there's the KStew we all know and love...

Fab.U.Lous.

9Jun2011

Prince William and Kate Middleton look amazing.

Posted in Beauty, Fashion, I Adore, OMG by nlcorner

Wow, Kate Middleton or rather the Duchess of Cambridge radiates with beauty in a gown by designer Jenny Packham. And THAT ring of course. I don’t think I even paid one bit of attention to what Prince William is wearing she looks that good. What a perfect party debut as a couple. (Images from Just Jared)