Oscar night is officially over and fashion blogs are buzzing with the who wore what and who snagged the titled of best dressed. The 2014 Academy Awards were certainly full of glamour and headline generating gowns. Many celebrities rose to the occasion, while many feel that most of the actresses selected ‘safe’ fashion choices. New York fashion designer, Tom Ford, complained that the Oscar’s was nothing more than, “a bubble of 1950s Barbie clothes”. He went on to explain that he hates dressing celebrities for awards season red carpets because “…When you’re dressing an actress…you’re working with them and fulfilling their dream, their agent’s dream, their husband’s dream”. He adds, “…It’s not a creative process dressing actresses for the Oscars”.
Our New York fashion photography team has long noticed this with awards shows this year, especially at the 2014 Grammy’s. For a long time now, gowns for the Academy Awards have seemed quite formulaic: V-neck, jewel toned and with a silk/satin based fabric material. After the whirlwind of fashion week, the Oscar’s red carpet must seem quite dull to the fashion photographers snapping those red carpet photos. United Kingdom’s Telegraph describes the Oscars red carpet as a place where “…actresses shunned runway trends to showcase colours and silhouettes inspired by Hollywood’s golden age”. Channeling ‘Old Hollywood’ glamour at an event designed to celebrate Hollywood is not exactly the most original style idea. It seems a shame especially when the acting awards ceremony featured a stylish superheroes theme (no spandex, please). If that wasn’t enough style inspiration, the awards show also paid tribute to The Wizard of Oz’s 75th Anniversary. Actresses could channel the subtle glamour of the 1920s/30s, as Evan Rachel Wood did, as opposed to the 1950s.
It will be interesting to see the reception of Tom Ford’s comments in the fashion community and if celebrities will attempt to ditch the retro-inspired looks worn to most red carpets. While some actors may not align themselves with the fashion world, many celebrities do in attempt to increase their branding empires and star power. So, will the next big red carpet event bring out the avant-garde in celebrities and their stylists? Probably not, but we can keep our fingers crossed.
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