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???????

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…

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.

The 66th Golden Globe Awards were held on January 11, 2009 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. As usual, Hollywood’s finest leading ladies stepped out in style. Strapless gowns, fishtail hemlines, and breathtaking necklaces were the hot picks of the day!

Kate Winslet looked classic and elegant in a black Yves Saint Laurent creation. Anne Hathaway was dressed in a crystal-embellished midnight blue gown by Armani Privé. Eva Longoria Parker looked blazing hot in a mermaid cut Reem Acra gown in fire engine red. Others sporting Reem Acra included Rumer Willis in a deep purple strapless gown and Olivia Wilde in a ruffled concoction.

Angelina Jolie was dressed in Atelier Versace number, while Demi Moore played it safe in a peach chiffon Dior dress. Jennifer Lopez, on the other hand, dared to bare quite a bit more. The plunging neckline of her gold Marchesa creation had heads turning. Singer/actress Beyonce also showed offer her curves in a fitted sequined Elie Saab number and Christina Applegate walked down the red carpet looking lovely in a powder yellow strapless gown by Roberto Cavalli.

Miley Cyrus wore an age-appropriate white Marchesa gown and Drew Barrymore, a presenter at the event, wore a mesh, gray-blue John Galliano for Dior gown. Unlike some of her other disastrous outfits that she has worn over the years, this one really worked for her. Eva Mendes made a unique statement with her Dior white silk gown, but it was Mary Louise Parker’s electric blue, strapless Carlos Miele gown that brought some well needed color to the red carpet. Laura Linney wore an Ellie Saab lemon gown with an embellished waistline. As always, she looked stunning and sophisticated. In fact, she is my pick for Best Dressed.

Do you agree? I would love to know your thoughts. As to what your favorite actors wore, I’ll cover that in detail next week!