Oscars 2012: Berenice Bejo’s braid

"The Artist" actress’ red hair and braided up do create quite a contrast to the brunette and less severe hair styles we’ve seen on her this awards season. I’m guessing her stylist suggested her hair be dyed to a ginger hue to complement her beaded, mint green Elie Saab couture gown.

It was a good choice considering the color of the gown, which without the pop of color her hair provides, would have looked drab and washed out.

The side braid running through her hair is a little more hippie than haute couture and doesn't feel right with such a decorated dress.

--Melissa Magsaysay

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Oscars 2012: "The Artist" actress goes green

Oscars 2012: How stars like Octavia Spencer get ready

Oscars 2012: On the Oscars red carpet 

Photo: Actress Berenice Bejo arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on Sunday. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Oscars 2012: Red carpet or mass wedding?

It’s been white gowns all around during the first few moments of the Oscars red carpet arrivals.

Giuliana Rancic is wearing a gorgeous white gown with leafy shoulder details. But who designed it? And Milla Jovovich looks every inch the movie star (and former model) in a silvery white, one-shouldered gown by Elie Saab.  (She’s carrying a clutch by Edie Parker, the  new, retro-glam line of acrylic evening bags that I blogged about last week.) And “The Artist” star Penelope Ann Miller has chosen a white Badgley Mischka gown with a 1920s vibe, and the first of what will surely be many headbands that we see tonight — judging by how the trend has taken off at other awards shows this season.

RELATED:

Oscars 2012: 'The Artist' actress goes green

Oscars 2012: How stars like Octavia Spencer get ready

Oscars 2012: On the red carpet

A-list stars attend pre-Oscars Vanity Fair dinner

-- Booth Moore

Photos: From left, Giuliana Rancic; credit: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images. Milla Jovovich; credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images. Penelope Ann Miller, credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images.

Oscars 2012: 'The Artist' actress goes green

Missi Pyle, who plays silent film performer Constance in "The Artist," has worn some lovely gowns on red carpets this awards season, like the strapless chartreuse gown she wore to the Golden Globes.

But the one she plans to wear to the Academy Awards on Sunday will be extra special. It will look as stunning as any other on the red carpet. But it is made from sustainable materials in an eco-friendly way.

It's the third year a dress created via Suzy Amis Cameron's Red Carpet Green Dress challenge will appear on the red carpet. Writer Susan Carpenter explains the competition in this week's Image section.

Who knew green could look so good?

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--Susan Denley

Photo: Missi Pyle, left, James Cromwell and Penelope Ann Miller at this year's Golden Globe Awards.  Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press

Oscars 2012: How stars like Octavia Spencer get ready

Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Octavia Spencer have all looked flawless on red carpets this awards season and doubtless they will pull out all the stops for Sunday's Academy Awards.

Anticipation for the Oscar red carpet seems higher than ever this year. The E! network plans to start its coverage at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, hours before a star even arrives, just to speculate on what people might be wearing. 

In certain circles, the Oscars red carpet generates more buzz than the awards ceremony itself. That two-hour window when stars stroll, preen and gush often showcases the results of hours and hours of prepping by a team of experts tasked with readying their client to face a sea of photographers and impromptu interviews — to say nothing of the worldwide TV audience and the crush of off-camera media in critique mode.

For an event as big as this one, that team often includes a fashion stylist, tailor, hair dresser and makeup artist. Their work may have begun months ago, starting with the stylist combing through images from designer collections online or jetting to New York or European ateliers to lend input to custom creations.

In this week's Image section,  take a look at some of the people -- including Octavia Spencer's stylists and Gwyneth Paltrow's go-to makeup artist --  whose work will be on display Sunday as stars glide down the red carpet or appear at parties.

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A-List stars attend pre-Oscars Vanity Fair party

Stargazing, chili-dog eating, scarf shopping this Oscars weekend

Kate Beckinsdale, Rooney Mara at Costume Designers Guild awards

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: From left, Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Octavia Spencer at this year's Screen Actors Guild Awards. Credit: Mark J. Terry / Associated Press

Stargazing, chili-dog eating, scarf shopping this Oscars weekend

Everyone is getting into the Oscars spirit this week in L.A., even the folks at the famous Pink's hot dog stand on La Brea. The town is crawling with celebs and, contrary to popular belief, some of them are eating. I even spotted actor Christoph Waltz cozied up in a red leather booth at Musso & Frank, hiding in plain sight behind a bushy, Rip Van Winkle-esque beard.

Everyone has stars in their eyes, including fashion world shutterbug Terry Richardson, who opens "Terrywood," his first solo show in Los Angeles, this weekend at OhWow Gallery on La Cienega. Below is his "Hooray For Hollywood" photo from 2011.

Naturally, there are parties galore, dozens a night. On Wednesday night alone there was not one, but two eco-themed pre-Oscar events, the Vanity Fair and Ermengildo Zegna Green Carpet Challenge and Oxfam dinner at the Chateau Marmont, and the Global Green party at the Avalon in Hollywood. (But wouldn't it have been more green if they'd teamed up?)

And every designer frock in the universe is here, in hopes that some Cinderella will wear it, including the better part of the spring 2012 Chanel haute couture collection in town from Paris, and no doubt several gowns that are even fresher off the New York and London runways.

No borrowed frocks for me. Instead, I've got Hollywood-worthy accessories on my mind, including Edie Parker's glittery acrylic bags, which have a retro 1950s and '60s vibe. Vanity Fair editor Punch Hutton was carrying one the other night. Berenice Bejo, Debra Messing, Ali Larter and Evan Rachel Wood are also fans.

I'm also loving Shawlux's location-themed scarves, particularly the one below with the print of the Hollywood Hills. One look at that vista -- in cashmere or real life -- and the Oscars madness just melts away.

-- Booth Moore

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A-list stars attend pre-Oscars Vanity Fair dinner

Rooney Mara, Kate Beckinsale and others at the Costume Designers Guild Awards

Photos top to bottom: Pink's in Los Angeles. Credit: Booth Moore. "Hooray For Hollywood." Credit: Terry Richardson. A look from the Chanel Spring/Summer 2012 Haute Couture collection show Jan. 24 at the Grand Palais in Paris. Credit: Alexander Klein / AFP/Getty Images. Edie Parker clutches and Shawlux scarf, courtesy of the designers. 

 

 

 

A-list stars attend pre-Oscars Vanity Fair dinner

Vanity Fair magazine and luxury brand Ermenegildo Zegna hosted a star-studded dinner Wednesday night in Hollywood to celebrate two charitable causes, international relief organization Oxfam America and the Green Carpet Challenge.

Guests included Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz, Gary Oldman, Demian Bichir, Emily Blunt, John Krazinski, Kimora Lee, Kenneth Branagh, Djimon Honsu, Kristen Davis and Vanity Fair editor in chief Graydon Carter. The event was part of Vanity Fair's "Campaign Hollywood," a weeklong series of charity-related events leading up to the Oscars on Sunday.

The first of the evening's celebrated causes was the Green Carpet Challenge, a crusade by actor Colin Firth's wife, Livia, to raise the profile of sustainable fashion. For the third year in a row, she has challenged top fashion houses (Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Giorgio Armani and Tom Ford, among them) to use sustainable fabrics when designing awards show gowns and tuxedos, and celebrities to wear them and share their stories on the red carpet. (Her latest successes? Viola Davis wore a Valentino eco-friendly gown to the British film and TV awards earlier this month, and Michael Fassbender wore an Armani eco-friendly tux. )

Livia Firth was mum about who she has recruited for the Green Carpet Challenge at Sunday's Oscar awards, but did say that meetings with stylists have been going well.

And she had nothing but praise for dinner sponsor Zegna, which dressed many of the guys in attendance for the occasion. Firth owns an eco-consultancy business in London, and has visited clothing factories to advise on their practices. But Zegna "was already doing it," she said of the fourth-generation, family-owned Italian business, founded in 1910 by Ermenegildo Zegna, a passionate naturalist who planted half a million trees in the area around his family's textile factory in the Biella Alps.

Anna Zegna, who heads up communications and store development for the brand, was in town from Italy to attend the dinner, and explained that her family business has been recycling since the time of her grandfather. There is very little waste at the factories, she said, and the dyes are all organic.

Oxfam was the other of the night's causes, and several of the guests had traveled to war-torn areas of Africa as ambassadors for the organization. Hearing about the trips, one of the most interesting things to me was imagining how it must feel as a celebrity to be completely anonymous. Lyndsay Cruz, a senior advisor at Oxfam, said in all her years of visiting refugee camps with the likes of Scarlett Johansson and others, not one celebrity has ever been recognized.

Now that's a reality check far, far removed from Oscar week.

 

RELATED:

Golden Globes 2012: Giorgio Armani and the Green Carpet Challenge

Rooney Mara, Kate Beckinsale and others at the Costume Designers Guild Awards

 

--Booth Moore

 

Top photo: From left, actor Colin Firth wearing Ermenegildo Zegna, Livia Firth, actress Emily Blunt and actor John Krasinski wearing Ermenegildo Zegna. Bottom photo: From left, actress/model Kimora Lee, actor Djimon Hounsou wearing Ermenegildo Zegna and President of Oxfam America Raymond Offenheiser. Credit: Charley Gallay / Getty Images

 

Luxury leather label Loewe lands in L.A

 
 
On Wednesday, a bungalow at the Chateau Marmont was filled with buttery soft leather bags, jackets, dresses and pants from Spanish luxury brand Loewe (pronounced “low-ay-ve”) that had stylists and  celebs drooling despite the soaring heat. The Loewe team was in town from Madrid for the first time, to show off the brand’s most signature styles.

The brand’s creative director and veteran accessories designer Stuart Vevers (who has held design positions at Bottega Veneta, Mulberry and Luella and was named Accessories Designer of the Year at the 2006 British Fashion Awards) was on hand to discuss the rich history of the brand as well as take orders for bespoke leather clothing that includes a vast array of leather jackets, skirts and dresses that all feel like a second skin.

Founded in Spain, Loewe dates to 1846, when it began as a leather goods line creating mostly luggage, wallets and ladies' handbags for Spain’s elite and was appointed as Supplier to the Royal Court by Spain’s royal family in 1905.

Today Loewe has more than 100 freestanding stores around the world, with local distribution at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills. But perhaps it's strongest presence has been with celebrities such as Mila Kunis, Freida Pinto, Jessica Alba and Claudia Schiffer, who have been sporting the brand’s iconic Flamenco bag in bright poppy colors such as coral, yellow and violet.

With the departure from It bags in fashion to more understated styles made sans logos and embellishment, Loewe’s luxury bags in bright, fun colors make sense among these celebs, who like to punctuate their everyday basics with bold hues (seriously, Alba was even seen carrying her coral Flamenco with her to the gym). Hope she stowed the super-soft leather bag somewhere secure while working out.

--Melissa Magsaysay

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Photos: At top, Loewe Flamenco bags. Credit: Loewe

At right, Freida Pinto carrying Loewe's Flamenco bag. Credit: Loewe

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Lady Gaga offers bracelet to aid Japan, Emma Watson fronts for Lancome, Jillian Michaels teams with K-Swiss

Lady Gaga lends her name to aid efforts in earthquake-and-tsunami-ravaged Japan with a wristband for sale on her online store that reads "We pray for Japan" in red letters on a white background. It's on sale for $5, and customers can add an extra donation, with all proceeds going to relief efforts. [Time]  

Emma Watson just gets more fashionable by the day. The "Harry Potter" star has been designing eco-friendly fashion in collaborations for a while, and she was the celebrity face of a couple of Burberry campaigns. Now she's signed on as a brand ambassador for Lancôme. [Telegraph]

Tough fitness trainer Jillian Michaels of "The Biggest Loser" displays her softer side in a new line of activewear for K-Swiss. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Another fashion house has lost its creative director, but in a much less dramatic way than the kerfuffle that led to John Galliano's split with Christian Dior. Clare Waight Keller resigned quietly as creative director of Pringle of Scotland, sending a letter to select fashion editors saying she is leaving with a "mixture of sadness, pride and anticipation." No reason was given, but it is believed to be at least partly personal since she is expecting a third child in May. [Telegraph]  

Ann Taylor is losing its surname. The company, whose transformation to a more youthful vibe has been chronicled by our Booth Moore, henceforward will be known as Ann Inc. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Emma Watson will be a new brand ambassador for Lancôme. Credit: Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Oscars recap, John Galliano's troubles mount, and Kirsten Dunst semi-nude in sultry perfume ad

If you're still on an Oscar high, recap with All the Rage! The fashions were understated and gorgeous, as Melissa Magsaysay reported, meaning our best-and-worst gallery is really best-and-pretty-darn-good. See it here.

And our Adam Tschorn took a look at what the men were wearing. The males don't get the same kind of attention as the females at these big awards shows unless they do something, well, weird. No one did Sunday night, and there were some smart looks striding confidently along the red carpet, Tschorn reported. 

Part of the fun of being an Oscar host? Anne Hathaway got to wear eight different outfits, from the red Valentino ruffled gown she wore on the red carpet to the Atalier Versace she donned for the Governor's Ball after the ceremony. In between she was decked out in (among others) Givenchy's haute couture crystal-embellished chiffon; a Lanvin tux; an Oscar de la Renta 1920s-inspired one-shoulder with beaded tassle embroidery; a tight, shiny purple-sapphire gown from Girogio Armani Prive; and a long-sleeved, high-neck embellished lace dress from Tom Ford. [Telegraph]

And of course she changed her hair right along with her outfits, thanks to hairdresser Adir Abergel of Frederic Fekkai. [StyleList]

Not to be overlooked, some of the wives of stars were worthy of fashion attention, including Matthew McConaughey's spouse, Camila Alves, and Mark Wahlberg's wife, Rhea Durham. [StyleBistro]

Meanwhile, as we gear up for Paris Fashion Week, John Galliano's troubles are mounting. After he was briefly arrested on charges related to an altercation Thursday night and suspended as creative director of Dior on Friday, a video surfaced over the weekend of him making anti-Semitic comments in an unrelated incident [People] A second complaint of making anti-Semitic statements was filed against him Saturday. [WWD] Police have ordered him to meet with all the complainants -- including an Asian man he allegedly also insulted in Thursday's incident -- on Monday. [The Cut] 

The fashion world has a growing enthusiasm for live-streaming, Twitter and other technology to reach a larger audience. [WWD] 

Kirsten Dunst's first ad for Bulgari's Mon Jasmir Noir fragrance has surfaced, featuring a lion and the actress posing semi-nude and holding an over-sized perfume bottle. [Huffington Post]

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Anne Hathaway on the Oscars red carpet Sunday night, wearing the first of the night's eight outfits. Credit: Mike Nelson / EPA 

Oscars: Natalie Portman’s plum glow

To complement her burgundy Rodarte gown, Natalie Portman went for a plum-hued beauty look – all by Dior (for which she is the face of Miss Dior Cheri), of course.

Makeup artist Eileen Kastner-Delago was inspired by the purple tones in Portman’s dress and started with DiorSkin Nude Natural Glow Foundation.

Her eyes were swept with Dior 1-Colour Eyeshadow in Gold Touch, 2-Colour Eyeshadow Purple Look and 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Extase Pinks.

Diorshow Waterproof Mascara in Black pumped up her lashes and a coat of Diorshow Iconic Mascara in Navy Blue added dimension.

Dior Addict Lipstick in Infamous Pink gave her lips that perfect pink hue and the shine came from Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss in Apricot Cloche.

--Melissa Magsaysay

 Photo: Natalie Portman. Credit: Ethan Miller /Getty Images.