Oscar Gown Predictions

The hottest color in Hollywood is and always will be the color red. Not as a lip color or a glamourous ball gown, but the annual Academy Awards. The red carpet is instrumental to an actress’s career. Taking the right risks and knowing how to present yourself in front of the paparazzi can be a deciding factor on the journey to either icon or plus-one territory.
If awards season is the playoffs of Hollywood, the Academy Awards are the Superbowl. Both budding and iconic celebrities feel the sartorial pressure to shine at this event. Some of the most indelible Oscar moments have included Audrey Hepburn’s feminine Givenchy gown in 1954, which caught the attention of millions for its timeless appeal and slender silhouette; Cate Blanchett’s ethereally sculptured Givenchy haute couture gown at the 2010 Oscars made her an unlikely member of the fashion camarilla, and the eternally stylish Diane Kruger’s Chanel gown spoke volumes in 2010. It was chic, alluring, and exotic, just like her.
With the 2012 Academy Awards fast approaching, magazines and websites across the world are making bets on what each nominee will be wearing. With the fate of their award out of their hands at this point, it seems as through the only power they have is the ability to control what they are wearing. Unequivocally, safe choices will keep a star off worst dressed lists, but they run the risk of leaving her entirely forgotten. There is immense pressure on actresses to hail the look, but luckily they have their stylists to do most of the heavy lifting for them.

We begin with the best actress in a leading role category. Rooney Mara, nominated for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” has developed a much darker style since landing the role for which she is nominated. She gravitates towards edgier looks which serve her striking looks well. Mara says her choice of gown will not be about how she looks, but is “all about how I feel and if I feel good in it.” To the recent Golden Globe awards, she wore a low-cut black Nina Ricci dress which, though hardly girly, was surprisingly more feminine than expected of her. Since she rarely moves out of the black and white spectrum, she should stick to what she knows best and wear all black to the Oscars, specifically, a noir, floor-length, heavily embroidered Alexander McQueen dress from the Spring collection would catapult her to world-wide stardom. Its dramatic shape at the hips extends outwards, a feature, that would be wise to edit out of her Oscars edition. 

Michelle Williams, an Academy Awards regular, seems to have been defiled of all excitement surrounding preparations for the event. It is obvious she lives by the philosophy that she should wear the dress as opposed to letting it wear her. The downside, of course, is that she generally goes for less than exciting red-carpet options. Classic with a bit of drama, usually from the shape of the dress, is how the actress, nominated for her work in “My Week with Marilyn,” could accurately summarize her red-carpet style. At last year’s awards ceremony (nominated for “Blue Valentine”), she wore a Chanel haute couture white column dress reminiscent of Mia Farrow in her “Gatsby” days. While the dress was beautifully beaded, its overall effect was watered-down in photos. Hopefully she will stick to Chanel for 2012’s ceremony, especially a richly constructed similarly streamlined dress, possibly the Chanel archives. 

Chloe Grace Moretz, the cheeky teen star who’s film “Hugo” is up for best picture, has been known for her distinct red-carpet style. A natural risk-taker, she loves to play with her outfits, often times infusing  her own unique style into each look. Girly and young, her willingness to look her own age is refreshing, unlike then 17-year-old Miley Cyrus who tried to use the 2010 Oscars as a platform to show the world she wasn’t a little girl anymore Oscars in a very grown up Jenny Packham gown. Moretz would look great in an age appropriate, knee-length, boat-necked, Louis Vuitton Spring collection dress. While the dress sounds prude in description, designer Marc Jacobs’ floral appliques will surely look adorable when paired with Moretz’s signature I-know-I’m-cool smirk. 

Emma Stone, whose film “The Help” is also nominated for Best Picture, has not yet established what one could describe as a signature style, but continues to master a wide variety of trends. At 23, she is still very young, and has plenty of time to develop a signature style. For the Oscars, I think she should try the only trend she hasn’t yet been seen in: a black, two piece Emillio Pucci Spring 2012 gown. While not as obvious a stand out piece as her shockingly minimal Calvin Klein dress at last year’s Golden Globes, the body-conscious look is heavily embroidered and its dramatic nature will read well in photos. 

Jessica Chastain, one of Stone’s co-stars in “The Help,” is nominated for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category. The 30-year-old red-head is still unknown in  most Hollywood circles, but continues to rise in popularity because of her willingness to take risks when it comes to fashion. Her feminine demeanor shines through in absolutely anything she wears. For her Oscar dress, a black Giambattista Valli from his recent couture collections would be perfect for her. The high-neckline combined with the subtlety of the black lace on the arms proves to be both guilefully sexy and innovative.  The alternating lace panelling of the skirt reveals the wearers legs when in motion but conceal them when standing still. Judging from her sartorial choices at past shows, the gown would fit quite well within her closet of gowns while simultaneously working to further her style evolution.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was nominated for two awards, though lamentably neither of which was for acting. Though unlikely, if Emma Watson were to present, she would continue to look amazing in her penchant for feminine silhouettes, like that of a compacted bodice and full skirt. I can easily picture her in Ellie Saab’s Spring haute couture gown. It’s mint-green flowing overlay of chiffon is dotted with floral appliqués and nipped at the waist. The color would compliment her pale skin and the dress would serve as a stunning reminder that she has grown up from her role in the “Harry Potter” films. 

One of the main reasons why designers put gowns on the runway is to vie for the chance at the red-carpet. The Academy Awards draw some of the highest ratings every year, so the chance for a celebrity, especially a nominee, to wear a designer’s dress to the event is a major business opportunity for any brand. Whether or not these predictions come true, hopefully celebrities are willing to take more risks and make Oscar history with their looks this year.