Reem Acra’s red carpet offerings

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I paid a visit to designer Reem Acra at her hotel this morning. She has a suite full of gorgeous gowns, some vintage, some from her fall ’09 show. It only took two minutes of seeing and feeling her couture pieces in person to understand why her dresses have been such a hit on the red carpet this year. They are simply dreamy.

Acra draped many of the Grecian-inspired gowns from her fall ’09 collection herself, making seamless bodices adorned with swirls of silk and flowing skirts that look like a mix of cumulus clouds and pulled taffy, in a hazy color palette of misty silver, lavender and gray-blue.

There are artistic details like subtle twists in the bodice fabric that literally make it look as if it’s moving — a feature that Acra was inspired to add based on her ballroom dancing moves; she’s been taking lessons for 6 months.

All five racks in the hotel suite were filled with dresses that belong on the red carpet. Neither Acra nor her publicist can confirm what we are going to see come Oscar Sunday, but judging from the beautiful pieces she has to offer, I’m betting one or two starlets will get goosebumps from these gowns the way I did.

The designer has also added accessories to her line. Vintage-inspired, bib-style necklaces with fabric covered stones, flower shaped bracelets and earrings in a deep navy blue are some of the pieces that will be in stores this fall.

-- Melissa Magsaysay