RED CARPET RANTS & RAVES
Editor's Note: Fashion Walk-Off is one in a series of articles written in collaboration by the image staff. Fashion reporter Xazmin Garza and image editor Susan Stapleton take a look at the fashions worn by celebrities and offer their opinions.
For those of us going through red carpet withdrawals, the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards provided just the fix we needed. After the writer's strike de-glammed the Golden Globes into a brief press conference, we found ourselves longing for mindless questions from entertainment reporters, style stumbles and mundane acceptance speeches. We got all three last weekend plus the good stuff: delicious fashion.
A few dominant trends to traipse down the red carpet included strapless black gowns, loud pops of vibrant color, floral prints and shimmery metallics. Some stars selected their dresses just days before the event (America Ferrera), others, like Teri Hatcher, waited for Badgley Mischka to send her a handful to choose from (the actress has a contract with the designers). But Ellen Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy" found her sheeny strapless gown while flipping through the January issue of Vogue.
Regardless of the method they used to track down their attire, some of the celebrities passed the dazzle test with flying colors. Others didn't. Take a look at our picks for best and worst dressed.
GARZA'S BEST
• Javier Bardem: Brad who? Bardem outshined every male actor on the red carpet in this cool Prada suit. Go ahead, Javier, call us "friendo." Looking like that you can call us anything you want.
• America Ferrera: Amid a sea of Ellen Pompeos and Eva Longorias, Ferrera always refreshes us. Her Monique Lhuillier gown could easily encroach into over-50 territory with its lace overlay and vintage brooch but not when coupled with Ferrera's best feature: real woman curves.
• Marcia Cross: Not since Nicole Kidman walked hand-in-hand with our favorite scientologist has an ivory-complected redhead demonstrated such stellar use of color. Whether hunter green, canary yellow or cornflower blue, the housewife always selects a shade that makes her look pop like a champagne cork. Cross' Monique Lhuillier gown and Lorraine Schwartz peach-toned jewels prove no exception.
STAPLETON'S BEST
• Marion Cotillard: She picked up where Reese Witherspoon left off. The French actress could have picked from any Parisian fashion house and chose wisely with this gray Nina Ricci gown designed by Oliver Theyskens, who created Witherspoon's stunning yellow and purple frocks last year. Cotillard looks elegant, classy and like she deserves the Actor she took home.
• Christina Applegate: My, oh, my how our favorite dumb blonde of the late '80s has grown up. After donning this silver sequined Elie Saab gown and Neil Lane diamonds, few will say "Samantha Who?"
• Vanessa Williams: The only way you knew Williams wasn't in character as Wilhelmina Slater? She wore a black-sashed, marigold Escada gown, vintage Fred Leighton diamonds and Daniel Swarovski clutch instead of Slater's trademark white. Steely, sexy and in charge.
GARZA'S WORST
• Sandra Oh: This pink and gray number, which Oh had "specially made" in Japan, makes the "Grey's Anatomy" star look like she sent herself through the Sears gift wrapping department. Give us a real gift and burn that thing.
• Julie Christie: We were counting on Christie to be the Helen Mirren of this awards season. After taking in this one-bow-tie-short-of-a-cheap-tux, we've since put our faith in Ruby Dee.
• Angelina Jolie: This just in: Not even Angelina Jolie can make a burlap sack look good.
STAPLETON'S WORST
• Debra Messing: It wasn't the gold Oscar de la Renta dress; that could only be described as stunning. But when you wear a frock that includes major embellishments around your neck, put your hair up. The soggy weather certainly lent itself to up-dos. And try to find a gown that won't squish your breasts to the point that you look more like a man than having good cleavage.
• Jane Krakowski: Sure, it's fun to take a fashion risk, but not on the red carpet. Keep this gown in the dressing room.
• Kate Hudson: Look at me, I have an envelope. Wait, someone is waving at me. What was I doing? Oh, right, putting on the curtains instead of a dress. Oops.
Contact fashion reporter Xazmin Garza at xgarza@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0477. Contact Image Editor Susan Stapleton at sstapleton@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2909.
