 
|
|||||||||||||
              
|
 Oscar brings out the dazzling, the dreary and just so-so looks Monday, March 26, 2001 By LaMont Jones, Post-Gazette Fashion Editor
It's not easy to predict who's going to win an Academy Award, but it's almost a cinch guessing what attendees will wear. Just pick up the latest issue of any fashion magazine and you've pretty much got it.
Last night, for women there was lots of classic black with some extroverted red looks, a number of gold ensembles and outfits in shades of white. One-shoulder looks kept popping up, as well as the obligatory sparkle of sequins, beads and crystals.
For guys, the penguin tux look ruled again and probably always will. But more men than last year ventured into tieless, monochromatic, retro or rock-inspired looks.
Here were some of the evening's fashion highlights:
THE GOOD
Coco Lee -- A best song nominee performer, she showed up in sparkling star-shaped earrings and a dazzling dress with colorful horizontal stripes and cascading black back.
Catherine Zeta-Jones -- She hit a home run in an elegant strapless black gown with a fitted bodice, mermaid bottom and pretty, up 'do.
Sigourney Weaver -- Festive in a dramatic red, one-shoulder dress custom made by Christian Dior's John Galliano. The gown featured large floral embellishments over the shoulder and saddle stitching down the side.
Michelle Yeoh -- The "Crouching Tiger" star in a stunning gold-and-black glittering, sleeveless, backless dress with mandarin collar. A modified tiger print.
Louis Gossett Jr. -- Rejected the boring black bow tie look and tux and stood out in a dashing black chalk-stripe suit. He and Samuel L. Jackson lead the hot no-tie looks for men.
Julie Andrews -- Regal in a black sheath with a gauzy top embellished with black crystals. Her diamond choker and earrings were the perfect accessories.
Juliette Binoche -- She worked the Coco Chanel-Josephine Baker look with long multiple strands of white pearls over a black dress with long black gloves.
Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad -- The entertainer sisters both wore gold -- Rashad's a sequined gown, and show choreographer Allen's a gold opera coat over a sexy lime, strapless Bob Mackie gown.
THE BAD
Bjork -- Her dress was a swan, its neck looping around hers and the head in full frontal view. This joke dress, which she said was made by "a friend," made you want to laugh and cry at the same time.
Jennifer Lopez -- The house of Chanel should have paid her not to mention its name. The gauzy gray one-shoulder see-through top with full white skirt looked cheap on JLo, and the sparkling chandelier earrings looked chintzy. Not even her perfect, natural-looking makeup could salvage the look.
THE SO-SO
Steve Martin -- Dressed by Armani, the host, in his black tuxedo with high button stance, was conservatively handsome. But the plain white shirt and skinny black tie killed the look's upward momentum.
Kate Hudson -- Her long gold and silver gown by Stella McCartney had a vintage-look fringed top. Interesting concept but wrong colors for her skin and hair tones.
Last but not least, a word on cable channel E!'s irreverent commentator tag team, Joan Rivers and daughter Melissa.
Melissa once again managed to look older than her mother. Brown tortoise-shell sunglasses cheapened her glimmering strapless white gown, which was further offset by a necklace that looked more like a crown that was forced over her head.
And somebody needs to show her how to gesture gracefully -- or glove her hands, which she constantly manipulates to look like spiders with broken legs.
Joan, on the other hand, looked chic again this year in a black Vera Wang dress with sheer top and sleeves, trendy Charlie's Angels-style rimless sunglasses, feathery blonde California-girl hair style and Harry Winston diamond earrings.
|
||||||||||||
