The Academy Awards Night is the time when celebrities make fashion statements or end up as fashion disasters. Big fashion houses woo celebrities to no end as these events are great platforms for advertising their brand.

“It has been said that coverage at the Academy Awards is equivalent to a $25 million advertising campaign” for a designer, said Bronwyn Cosgrave, author of “Made for Each Other: Fashion and the Academy Awards.”

Since I am an ardent fan of celebrity fashion, I try to keep a tab on who wore what. Here are some of the evening dresses that I would kill to get my hands on.

For the 76^th Annual Academy Awards, Sofia Coppola was seen in a simple gown in purple silk from American designer Marc Jacobs. The crisscross neckline and wrapped waist was form-flattering.

Elegance personified!!

Penélope Cruz sported a silk taffeta gown with bow back and train from Oscar de la Renta at the 77th Annual Academy Awards. She accessorized the outfit with Chopard’s yellow diamonds and Daniel Swarovski clutch.

Yellow but mellow!!

Demure and feminine, Cameron Diaz walked the red carpet at the 75th Annual Academy Awards in a black dress from the Italian house of Prada. The dress was done in chiffon and gauze. With the bright red lipstick, she could not help but look alluring.

Angel in black!!

At the 76th Annual Academy Awards, Jennifer Garner wore a one- shoulder gown from Valentino with matching shoes from Sergio Rossi. This tangerine colored gown was accessorized with a Fendi bag, Fred Leighton bracelets and Bulgari ring.

Colorful Pick!!

Anything and everything goes for her statuesque physique. In a white silk satin gown by Marc Bouwer, Angelina Jolie looked ravishing at the 76th Annual Academy Awards. The halter style gown draped lovingly over her form, while Stern’s “Athena” necklace added the extra spark.

Jolly good number!!

Nicole Kidman’s willowy hauteur was shown to advantage in the Balenciaga column gown designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere, which she wore to the 78th Annual Academy Awards. The strapless hand-embroidered gown was complimented by jewels from Fred Leighton and clutch from Bottage Veneta.

Standing pretty (&) tall!!

At the 78th Annual Academy Awards, Keira Knightly was the fashion critics’ favorite for best dressed celebrity. She wore one-shouldered gown by Vera Wang , which was created from aubergine taffeta. Vintage Bulgari jewelry and Roger Vivier clutch added to the allure.

Truly Regal!!

74th Annual Academy Awards saw Jennifer Lopez in Versace moiré silk gown. The pink number came with detailed stitching and insets at the bodice. With South Sea pearls earrings and necklace from Harry Winston, and stylish hairdo by Oribe, there was no detail that the pretty lady overlooked.

Lo-behold the pretty one!!

Anne Hathaway’s one-shoulder Marchesa gown was a definite success. With draped fabric and garland detail, the crimson gown was a classic example of the goddess style. She wore Harry Winston diamond earrings, but otherwise kept accessories to a minimal.

Goddess on earth!!

At the 77th Annual Academy Awards, talented actress Kate Winslet wore a jeweled-bodice gown by Badgley Mischka. The gown in vibrant blue color contrasted well with her porcelain skin tone. She also sported custom-created jewels from Neil Lane and jeweled clutch from Lana Marks.

Blue wins!!

These were my top picks….how did you like them???????

Like jewels, elegant and exquisite watches, never fail to make a long-lasting fashion statement. For all those time-conscious, or rather, watch-conscious people, here’s the latest range of Swiss wrist watches. This post covers some of the captivating masterpieces launched at the beginning of 2009. Elegant, distinguished a.b.art’s Serie O wrist watches for both men and women are sure to make an impression with its simple, low-key designs. Alfex, the Swiss-Italian watchmaker, has come out with the Pazzola Giant Alarm. Its Marcus Eilinger design and the mechanical watch alarm function will woo the techno-savvy. It’s the Alfex way of marking their 60th anniversary, I suppose!

Cool curves and sophisticated design with practical functions, is what the new Elite Reserve de Marche men’s wrist watch from Altanus is all about. Also from Altanus, comes the Slim Square Automatic, a distinctively light watch with a top-quality finish. Sultana, inspired by Greek mythology, presents the Ariadne collection of watches with purely feminine dial in silvered matt white, gilded pink, white mother-of-pearl, or matt black colors.

Extravagant in style and distinct in design is the rectangular dial watch from Icelink with 5 time zones technology, a world-first. It is available in white or pink gold, with or without diamond settings. Generous in size, the all-ceramic, Rado’s True Chronograph Platinum Matt finish watch comes in deep grey-brown tones. There are split-seconds chronograph counters and two rows of hour markers, each with its own direct-drive hand to measure the seconds and minutes. Guepard’s Tersa features a scintillating see-through timepiece with 12 diamond-set Arabic numerals and a diamond-set case.

As a follow up on my previous post on the Golden Globe fashion statements and goof-ups, this time I’m going to review some of the hottest and the not-so-hottest hunks who walked down the red carpet during the 66th Golden Globe Awards on January 11, 2009 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, California. The actors arrived in style, dressed in tuxedos and suits from some of the best, high-profile menswear houses.

The Hottest Hunks:

My pick of the best dressed man has to be Tom Cruise. He looked impeccable in a Giorgio Armani tuxedo with satin lapels. Katie Holmes is one lucky woman! Leonardo DiCaprio was at his dashing best in a pinstriped, velvet-accented tuxedo, white shirt, and black tie combo. Sean (P. Diddy) Combs was in a black velvet bow-tied tuxedo. Musician Sting dared to dress differently in a long black tuxedo jacket, while Tracy Morgan really stood out in a white dinner jacket.

The Scruffy Stars:

Brad Pitt looked ok in a Tom Ford tux but he lost points with the goatee and the slicked-back hair. And it’s high time that guys understand that scruffy, unshaven looks on the red carpet are a complete turn-off. Case in point, Colin Farell, Stephen Moyer, Jeremy Piven, and Robert Downy Jr, as you can see in the pictures above. But my pick for the ‘worst dressed’ has to be Mickey Rourke, who won the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama. But what was he thinking when he stepped out dressed out like this? It really makes me wonder, if only he had known the he would win, maybe he would have chosen something different.

Do you agree or disagree? Let me know…

If you are all set to get hitched in Spring 2009, why not do it with a dramatic flair. We all know that the most important aspect of a perfect wedding, right after finding the Perfect Guy, of course, is to choose the perfect wedding gown. A dress that looks chic, figure-flattering, and makes you look like the star of the day (which you are, of course!!). It is definitely not easy to zero-in on your perfect dress (an understatement)!! You have a thousand little pretty details floating in your head, which all needs to fall in place and come out as an exquisite wedding gown. Traditional wedding gowns are so passe. Be an unconventional bride and you’re sure to have a much-talked about wedding! Here are a few hot wedding dress trends.

Hike up the hemline: Wear a short dress to look ultra chic and modern. Shorter wedding dresses have fitted bodices with full skirts that stop at or just above the knee. Many are strapless or have thin spaghetti straps. These dresses will be perfect for a casual, outdoor wedding and if you have the figure to carry them off.

It’s all in the detailing: Think pretty bows, flowers accents, crystal beaded bodices, and intricate lace.

Romantic ruffles: Perfect for the romantic bride. Look out for tiers of organza, tulle, feathers, or chiffon.

Two Tone Dresses: Choose a two-tone dress that has a subtle contrast, making them look special and unique. It may be something as simple as a colored sash or even complex like a layered dress.

Add a splash of color: Everything from racy red to cool blue and royal purple.

According to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), fashion should be fun and not fatal. Their most iconic slogan is the one that says, ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’. Many designers have faced the wrath of PETA for their love of fur, leather and wool. This time around it is none other than Armani. They have urged top Hollywood stars to boycott Armani for the Oscars. According to the group, the designer signed a pledge last year promising that he would not use fur in his future collections, but he violated that agreement. The group actually brought out a poster where Armani sports Pinocchio’s proverbial nose. What would be interesting to watch is whether Hollywood’s A-list, which includes Armani faithfuls, like Katie Holmes, Beyoncé, Penelope Cruz and Cate Blanchett would pay heed to this request. We sure would let you know!! Our eyes will be trained at the Kodak Theatre’s red carpet on February 22!!

Now-a-days celebrities are as much in news for their hair styles as they are for their romantic exploits or extravagant lifestyles. Here are a few celebrities who dared to experiment with their tresses and came out looking like a million dollar (or more!!). Keira Knightley carried herself well with the fringed hair style at the Chanel Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2009 show in Paris. Drew Barrymore looked elegant with her newly-done blonde hair style and one-shoulder yellow dress at the TCA January 2009 press tour. Some of them pulled all stops to look different! Victoria Beckham had an electric (spiked) pixie crop and looked dashing with a killer pair of heels on a night out with her husband, David Beckham. I heard or rather read somewhere that old styles come back in future!! A perfect example is the milkmaid-braids which came back in vogue with the movie Mamma Mia. So who was found sporting this simple but elegant style which has a touch of the old world charm? Australian model, Miranda Kerr was seen with this hairdo while shopping in LA. Stunning models, Asa Engstrom, Helena Schroder, and Hanna Hojman also wore milkmaid braids in the first shot of the Sisley Spring/Summer 2009 Ad Campaign. We hope to cover many more celebrity hairstyles, so keep coming back for updates.

For all those fashion-conscious people, mark your calendar and do not forget to catch the latest fashion trends in the upcoming weeks of February. Lined up first is the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week – the Fall 2009 Collections, one of the four major fashion weeks in the fashion industry, to be held in New York City, February 13-20, 2009. The event is endorsed by IMG, top modeling agency of NYC. Next is the London Fashion Week – Autumn/Winter 2009 scheduled from February 20-25. As this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the London Fashion Week, you can expect some real exciting stuff happening at the event. Milano Moda Donna autunno/inverno 2009/2010 is the semi-annual fashion event of Milan Fashion Week, for this year. Well, Milan events are all set to commence from February 25 and will keep you engaged till March 4, 2009.

Keep visiting this site for more fashion updates!

Upcoming American designer, Jason Wu was pleasantly surprised (to put it mildly) when Michelle Obama wore his creation to the inaugural ball. This Taiwan-born fashion designer has now become a name to be reckoned with in the fashion fraternity since the First Lady herself is endorsing him. Coming back to the much talked about ivory silk chiffon confection; the debutante-style gown was encrusted with Swarovski crystals and embellished with organza. The fabric was beautifully embroidered throughout with silver thread. This white gown was in sync with Wu’s ethereal, feminine collection.

Wu bagged the Fashion Group International’s prestigious Rising Star Award 2008. And, now with his new found success, this young designer is going to be the man that style-conscious women around the world would look for to dress them up!!