Most Memorable Oscar Dresses

The Academy Awards have long been a showcase for some of the most incredible and dramatic gowns known to fashion

Just after a day, many celebrities shall be flaunting in their unique gowns. We thought of highlighting few past gowns which impressed us from the  history of Oscar’s red Carpet.

Audrey Hepburn in Hubert De Givenchy.

The start of a beautiful fashion friendship, the 1954 Oscars marked the first time Hepburn had worn a Hubert de Givenchy dress in public. The dress was originally designed by Edith Head as part of Hepburn’s Roman Holiday wardrobe, but was adapted by Givenchy for the Oscars. Soon after winning the award, Hepburn insisted that it stated in her film contracts that Givenchy designed all her costumes.

Elizabeth Taylor in Christian Dior.

Elizabeth Taylor won her first of two Oscars in 1960 for her part in ‘Butterfield 8’. She wore an embroidered Christian Dior gown and sported a tracheotomy scar having suffered from a bout of near-fatal pneumonia a few weeks before whilst filming ‘Cleopatra’.

 Barbra Streisand in Arnold Scaasi

Barbra Streisand made fashion designer Arnold Scaasi into a household name overnightwhen she wore this risqué, embellished blouse and flared trouser combo to collect her best actress Oscar

Sharon Stone in Gap and Vera Wang

Certainly one of the most memorable Oscars ensembles of all time, Sharon Stone turned heads when she opted for a high-low mix: pairing a simple, white buttoned-down men’s shirt from Gap with a satin evening skirt from Vera Wang.

Nicole Kidman in John Galliano

Although Kidman’s Chinoiserie chartreuse Galliano for Dior gown seemed jarring to many at the time, the dress changed the course of red carpet fashion. John Galliano had just shown his first couture collection for Dior and people did not yet know what to think of him; Nicole Kidman was married to the world’s biggest movie star and her stamp of approval (she trusted Galliano to create the dress and had little input) not only certified Galliano’s talent, but made him a world-famous name

Gwyneth Paltrow in Ralph Lauren

Gwyneth chose a petal-pink taffeta gown by Ralph Lauren for the 1999 Academy Awards, where she picked up the Best Actress Oscar for her role in ‘Shakespeare In Love’ with a teary acceptance speech. The dress was lauded for its classic style, and Paltrow’s look was compared to that of Grace Kelly. She accessorised with Harry Winston jewels that were a gift from her parents, who attended the ceremony with her.

Julia Roberts in Valentino

Often credited with kick-starting a vintage movement on the red carpet, Roberts chose a dress from a 1992 Valentino couture collection. “I have dressed so many people but I have to be sincere, the person that made me feel so very, very happy was Julia Roberts,” Valentino Garavani later said. “When she got the Academy Award for Erin Brockovich I watched it on television and really I was so excited that she appeared in my dress.”

Halle Berry in Elie Saab

Halle Berry made history by becoming the first African-American actress to win a Best Actress Oscar in 2002 for her role in ‘Monster’s Ball’. Her Elie Saab dress made waves too, thanks to its sheer top and modesty-saving embroidery which was rather risque for the Academy Awards

Charlize Theron in Gucci

Statuesque Charlize Theron channelled Twenties chic for the night she won her Best Actress Oscar in 2004. Her delicately beaded Gucci gown and finger-waved blonde ‘do meant she not only topped the winners chart, but the fashion chart too.

Angelina Jolie in Marc Bouwer

 Angelina Jolie chose a daring white satin Marc Bouwer gown. Despite clingy white satin’s reputation as one of the trickiest materials to wear, Jolie pulled the Monroe-ish gown off with aplomb

Hilary Swank in Guy Laroche

The simplicity of Hilary Swank’s midnight-blue Guy Laroche gown was what set it apart at the 2005 Oscars, where she won an award for her role in ‘Million Dollar Baby’. Long-sleeved and high-necked but with a dramatic cut-out back, the ready-to-wear gown was formed of 27 yards of silk jersey. Swank caused a little controversy when she publicly stated she would be wearing another designer weeks before the event, however she reportedly saw the Laroche gown while shopping in Paris and decided she would wear that instead.

Michelle Williams in Vera Wang

Michelle Williams bravely donned a canary-yellow Vera Wang to attend the 2006 Academy Awards. Perfectly complimenting her porcelain-white skin, Williams teamed the gown with bright red lips and a tousled chignon for a breathtaking result.

 

 Marion Cotillard in Jean Paul Gaultier

Marion Cotillard was free to wear whatever she wanted on the red carpet. For the 2008 Oscars – where she won best actress for her portrayal of Édith Piaf in La vie en rose – Cotillard chose a flowing, mermaid-esque couture gown from fellow countryman Jean Paul Gaultier.

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior

A voluminous Dior ballgown, which Lawrence famously tripped on as she made her way to the stage to collect her Academy Award.

-Team TGPC.