The Oscars is rapidly approaching – and Rescu. has all the gossip on just what goes into getting an actress into that vintage Dior on the red carpet…
It’s Oscar season, and behind all the fervent campaigning for a statue there are also designers clamouring to get their dress on the right figure on the red carpet.
Everybody remembers Halle Berry’s Oscar win, not just because of its symbolism but because of the gorgeous Elie Saab dress she wore. It was a night which launched Saab’s career, and every designer is keen to cache in on the Oscar coverage.
And that, according to recent reports, leads to incredible amounts of wheedling, pleading and even bribes with stylists.
It’s an ugly world with a lot at stake. There are countless tales of having dresses stolen by jealous rival stylists or held captive by US Customs, and that’s before the actresses themselves step in to criticise.
Some of them will simply refuse to wear a dress despite the combined efforts of the stylists and designers – some of whom have spent months sewing a dress just for them.
The bribery, however, is the most pervasive aspect. Often a star is flat-out paid a fee to wear a dress, though other types of bribes may be given in the form of free clothes, front-show fashion seats and other perks – all for a few minutes’ air time. There are even rumours of offers of free plastic surgery, free flights, and any manner of over-the-top gifts – simply to persuade an actress, particularly a nominee, to wear a gown.
And some designers will flat-out refuse to dress a star whose image they don’t particularly like, or whose shape they can’t dress. See Lohan, Lindsay.
So when you see Rooney Mara and Anne Hathaway walking down that red carpet, spare a thought for the amount of effort, madness and angry phone calls that went into wearing a dress – for just one evening….
Image: Halle Berry in her Oscar-winning gown.
Marni is renowned for its use of prints, its Italian cool chic and its uptown cache.
However, its downmarket incarnation as Marni For H&M is attracting criticism for being poorly constructed and letting down the brand.
Eagle-eyed commentators have noted that on the look-book Marni’s just released, the seams are badly matched and some hems appear to be wonky.
This goes against the grain of Marni’s usual style, which is always impeccably constructed. However, some are asking that we go easy on Marni for making certain sacrifices to make their clothes affordable.
It’s understandably difficult to translate high-end couture styling and construction, which can take many man-hours, into something to be sold at H&M in bulk.
High street collaborations have been earning a backlash lately, with Versace’s collection for H&M slammed for being garish; it fell below sales expectations and you can still pick up a neglected piece in H&M stores across Europe.
Now Marni is entering a controversy of its own. It remains to be seen whether buyers care about pristine construction, or would rather just get a piece of the Marni magic with a bit of sacrifice.
What do you think?
Image: Marni for H&M.
One of the doyennes of punk fashion, Vivienne Westwood, has slammed today’s fashion as boring and consumer-driven.
Westwood, who helped to found the punk movement in the 1970s through her vibrant and controversial designs, was asked what she thought about the current fashion world, and she isn’t impressed.
She accused everybody of looking like “clones”, and slammed conformity and consuming clothes “without thinking”.
Westwood continues to make world-changing fashion, but lately she’s been focussed on philanthropy, releasing lines of handbags to benefit charities in Africa and various other pursuits.
However, Westwood did have a kind word for some people – women her age and over.
“The only people you notice are my age,” she said. “I don’t notice anybody unless they look great, and every now and again they do, and they are usually 70.”
She’s tapping into an increasing trend in fashion: recognition of the avant-garde and impressive fashion of an older style set, who were brought up in the 1920s and 30s with the necessity of dressing well at all times.
Advanced Style, the street-style blog which regularly features women of 90 and above, has been a massive hit with editors and the fashion pack, and its major players are all becoming stars in their own right.
Looks like Westwood might be onto something.
Image: Westwood.
It’s come back in a big way – though some would argue it never went away.
The 1950s full-skirt, tiny-waist look made famous by Dior’s New Look is back on the runway.
McQ by Alexander McQueen featured copious interpretations of the look, and it’s time to put it back in your wardrobe.
You don’t need to dress like a Barbie or a pin-up to look good in the silhouette, though. Here’s RESCU’s guide to the New Look silhouette.
The great advantage of the New Look is that it suits a lot of body types. Straight up-and-down? It gives you curves. Muscular? It accentuates your hips and waist. Curvy? It makes you look like an hourglass.
However, if you have a boyish figure this may not be the look for you, as it requires a bit of cleavage and hip to fill the dress and make it flow. New Look styles have been out of fashion for a while in favour of shift dresses, long columns and Grecian draping, and those will suit you better.
For the rest of us, look for dresses in light materials – heavier aspects like velvet or tweed will be less successful because they won’t be buoyant. Cap-sleeved can look childish, so look for either sleeveless or three-quarter-length sleeves for a more sophisticated look.
Length is also important. If you’re long-legged or not blessed with height, look for an above-the-knee length, long enough to flare out but not enough to swamp you. If you’re tall, you can go with a longer length, knee or below.
Be careful of pairing New Look styles with cardigans or 1950s-style accessories – you might end up looking like a period piece. Freshen it up with ballet flats, loose hair and structured jackets.
This can be a hard style to wear at the office – there is, after all, a lot of skirt – but if it’s in dark or neutral colours with plain accessories you’ll look professional as anything.
Embrace prints for casual occasions – florals are very in this season – and centre your accessories around your top half, waist and upwards. A tight leather belt, a huge necklace, bangles – embellish away.
And always check the fit around the waist and bust. The crucial element of a good New Look dress is impeccable, skin-tight fit from the waist up. If it gapes or prods or cinches, it’s not going to look any good. Check the seams and if it doesn’t fit, let it go.
Image: McQ for Alexander McQueen.
