As Holywood (and millions at home) prepare for the biggest awards night of the year, I decided to take a look back at some of the most memorable dresses to ever grace The Oscars' famous redcarpet. From Gwyneth Paltrow in that Ralph Lauren to Lupita Nyong’o in Prada here are my faves...
First up, in the 1999 awards Gwyneth Paltrow chose this beautiful soft pink taffeta gown by Ralph Lauren. Paltrow picked up the award for Best Actress for her role in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ and accessorised her look with stunning Harry Winston jewels. The look divided commentators but it was so perfect for her WASP-y shape and personality at the time. And here at The F Words it will always be a classic.
1999 - Gwyneth Paltrow in Ralph Lauren
The 1954 Academy Awards saw Audrey Hepburn shine in this stunning gown by Hubert de Givenchy - who went on to dress the talented actress for seven of her later films. The dress featured a gorgeous floral pattern finished with a skinny belt. Hepburn won ‘Best Actress’ for her role in ‘Roman Holiday’.
1954 - Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy
Beautiful Spanish actress Penelope Cruz wowed in her dazzling, blush feathered Versace gown in 2007. She looked absolutely flawless in this dress which oozed opulence and immediately earned a place as one of the most iconic dresses to ever grace the Oscars' red carpet.
Emma Stone slayed in this dramatic Giambattista Valli gown back in 2012. The strawberry red/fuchsia colour against her skin and hair colour was bold, add to that a statement bow, a perfect updo and a Louis Vuitton clutch and, voila! There is nothing we don’t love about Emma’s look!
Also making a statement was Halle Berry in her dress for the 2002 Academy Awards, where she took away the gong for Best Actress, and wrote history by being the first black woman to do so. I loved this Ellie Saab dress at the time, but not so much now - however I thought I would include it here anyway, because it was so of its time. With hindsight, the dress was super daring and wowed onloookers; plus she deserved all the attention that night in this show-stopping gown with its satin train, sheer top and some modesty-covering embroidery.
Cate Blanchett looked every inch the Holywood Queen as she stepped onto the 2014 Academy Awards' red carpet. She paired the beautifully embellished gown by Armani Prive with subtle makeup and tousled waves; creating some super styling waves of her own.
Rachel Weisz looked simply beautiful wearing Vera Wang at the 2007 Oscars. The year before she had won a Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in The Constant Gardener and this time she returned to the red carpet to present an award.
Her champagne coloured dress was beautifully embellished with diamante detailing on the bust and a short train embellished with plaited satin and tulle. She completed her look with a loosely-waved updo and berry-stained lip. With its figure-hugging cut and draped bodice the new mum looked every inch the glamorous Holywood star.
Back to red again - and the year 2013 when Jennifer Anniston wore the colour of love as she stepped onto the red carpet with then beau Justin Theroux. The strapless Valentino creation was simple yet glamorous with its romantic red hue and full bodied skirt.
The world fell in love with relatively new actress Jennifer Lawrence back in 2013 (lucky for some!) when she tripped and fell in this stunning Dior gown; (shame some are falling out of love with her of late, for showing off a bit of leg, but hey - that's a whole other blog). The intricate design and daring silhouette looked incredible on her beautiful, youthful and athletic frame, so it was no surprise that her Oscar gown knocked her right to the top of all the best dressed lists - and lists of actresses that designers wanted to dress. She stuck with Dior for 2014 though (when she fell AGAIN!)...
I have saved my (so far) all-time favourite Oscars look for the 2014 awards and Lupita Nyong’o's powder blue PRADA dress, which totally stole the show at her first time nomination for her role in Twelve Years a Slave. The gown, with its stunning floaty fabric, soft tone and plunging neckline will go down in red carpet history. And PS - her green dress at the Cannes Film Festival is one of my favourites on that red carpet too. Girl got style!
