New fashion stars include Mara, Stone and Chastain

There were many new fashion faces on the red carpet at the 84th annual Academy Awards on Sunday night, but they brought with them a lot of old Hollywood glamour.Rooney Mara in white Givenchy, Emma Stone in red Giambattista Valli and Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen were among those making bolder-than-normal choices at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles."I picked it because I loved it," said Mara of the Riccardo Tisci custom-made gown made of mixed laces and multilayered chiffon.Stone's gown had a high-neck bow, a trend on the designer runways right now, and Chastain's black strapless gown designed by McQueen creative director Sarah Burton was embroidered with gold bullion and metallic thread.
Some seasoned style stars stepped up their game, too, including Michelle Williams in a burnt-orange Louis Vuitton covered with delicate details, Jennifer Lopez in a crystal-covered Zuhair Murad, Cameron Diaz in a strapless sand-colored Gucci and Penelope Cruz in a feminine, off-the-shoulder, smoky-blue Armani Prive.Angelina Jolie did her simple, sexy thing in a black strapless gown with a high slit by Atelier Versace.Red carpet fashion: How to make the best-dressed list.Gwyneth Paltrow went sleek and chic in a white Tom Ford that had a matching slim cape, and Stacy Keibler was statuesque in gold lame Marchesa."Stacy's dress was chosen straight off the Fall `12 runway. The fabric has real gold metal woven into it, which gives it an almost liquid feel," described Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman, herself an Oscars attendee in Marchesa on the arm of husband Harvey Weinstein."I was at fashion week, saw it on the runway and was like, `I need to have that,'" Keibler said.
Paltrow, who has done the Oscars as a pink princess and Goth rebel in past years, made the best-dressed lists of InStyle fashion director Hal Rubenstein and Louise Roe, Glamour magazine's editor-at-large."Gwyneth had the unexpected dress, and I find that very appealing," Rubenstein said."Absolute knockouts were the simplest," said Roe, co-host of ABC's live coverage. "I died for Gwyneth in Tom Ford with its elegant cape, Emma Stone in fuchsia halter-neck Valli and chunky-crystal Vuitton clutch. Shailene Woodley was a home run in Valentino and Jessica Chastain in classic gold McQueen. Wow."Roe was pleased to see Woodley in her modern, fashion-forward gown. "She's Hollywood's new hot thing, and this dress finally lived up to our expectations: chic, simple, elegant, I loved it."

Red carpet fashion: How to make the best-dressed list

Most Oscar-bound celebrities spend the better part of that Sunday prepping themselves for the cameras -- and the fashion critics.They get their hair, makeup and nails done, shimmy into the proper shapewear, adorn themselves with millions of dollars worth of jewelry, slip on a pair of stilettos, and zip up their one-of-a-kind gowns.Yet, seconds after they step onto the red carpet, we've already decided whether or not their primping paid off.
While it takes a mere moment to wind up on the worst-dressed list, it takes a stunning comeback, or two, before redemption is bestowed. And with everything that goes into achieving a "best-dressed"-worthy look, attendees are lucky they have an entire season to perfect their red carpet style."Each awards show has a different personality style-wise, and people have learned to dress accordingly," said Sarah Bernard, host of "The Thread" on Yahoo!'s Shine. The Academy Awards calls for classic, formal attire, she said, but celebrities can have a little more fun with the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Grammy Awards, which allow for edgier ensembles.
But even a classic look isn't a surefire way to keep the scrutiny at bay. See, not taking a fashion risk is a risk in itself, Bernard said, adding, "It's important to mix it up."That's exactly what "Bridesmaids'" actress Rose Byrne did when she showed up at the SAG Awards wearing an Elie Saab jumpsuit."It's so great to see anybody step out of the box and do something not so traditional," said stylist to the stars Nicole Chavez, whose clients include Rachel Bilson, Scarlett Johansson and Kristen Bell. "(Celebrities) don't take as many risks on the carpet as they should. ... Because people are so quick to criticize, they're more careful about their selections."
But red carpet couture isn't about setting a trend. It's about wearing something flattering in a style you love, said the new mom, who hasn't outfitted anyone this awards season.One red-carpet regular who has stunned this season, wearing gowns that complement her shape, is "The Help's" Octavia Spencer, said Yahoo!'s Bernard.And with so many nominations for best actress in a supporting role -- she won the award at the Globes and the SAG Awards, among other shows -- Spencer is being watched closely.The actress has developed a relationship with Tadashi Shoji, the Japanese designer behind the lavender gown she wore to the Globes, and the silver number she donned for the SAG Awards."My mom always taught us to dance with the one that brung ya, and (Shoji) gave me a lot of clothes while we were on ("The Help") publicity tour," Spencer told E!

London Fashion Week: Fresh twist on old favourites

Day Three of London Fashion Week saw a new strategy for leather pants: instead of the skintight Jim Morrison look, both Mulberry and Top Shop showcased wide-legged, baggy leather pants.Others turned to velvet for a showy, festive look.Much of the attention focused on Westwood, once England's high priestess of punk, now a heritage brand unto herself, a designer whose vast experience and detailed archives can be mined whenever it's time to whip up another collection.
This time it was her Red Label look, which often depends on being able to put a fresh twist of the designs of recent decades. This time she presented a show that was playful and picturesque.The mood was quite different at the luxury band Mulberry show. Taking inspiration from the monsters in Maurice Sendak's children's book Where the Wild Things Are, Mulberry sent models swathed in oversized, shaggy fur coats and gilets down the catwalk Sunday for its whimsical show.Paul Smith's show was more sober-minded.Fashion Week's first trend: Heart-health awareness.Long one of Britain's most commercially successful designers, he stuck to his favourite slim, androgynous silhouette for his autumn and winter collection Sunday.
At Unique by Topshop, the new collection was all about utility dressing gone glam: Leather dungarees, velvet boiler suits, and full-length military coats.Quirky orange-haired designer Vivienne Westwood returned to the catwalk Sunday, taking her customary turn on centre stage at London Fashion Week.A hardy veteran of the punk scene who has seen dozens of trends come and go in her storied career, Westwood drew on classic British tailoring and traditions for the show of her Red Label collection, which traditionally looks to her own archives for inspiration and ideas.It was a playful and picturesque show. Westwood called it a British collection, citing Savile Row tailors and the shirtmakers of Jermyn Street, but - being Westwood - the show also drew some of its buzz from the body paint and temporary tattoos put on the models in the frantic few hours before the show.
The designer called it African body painting but did not explain why it was mixed in with outfits that featured traditional long Edwardian jackets trimmed with velvet and shapely coats made of checked wool.The skirt and top ensembles had an intentional mix and match look, seeking harmony where others might find clashing patterns, but the beautiful belted dresses carried the day with simple lines and elegant silhouettes. One of the most striking was a purple dress set off by dark blue dangling earrings.

NY Fashion Week glamour: Beaded dress, colored jeans

J. Crew merged its preppy reputation with the glamour of New York Fashion Week with the brand's fall men's and women's collection that debuted Tuesday in the tents at Lincoln Center."Women emotionally gravitate toward different things," J. Crew's head women's designer Tom Mora said. "One woman is going to go for the beaded dress and someone else will be, 'What an amazing striped T-shirt.'"The eye-catching collection included both of the above, pairing the prep and the posh together. One model wore a heather gray and white turtleneck sweater with a sparkly silver knee-length pencil skirt. Another model wore a white dress shirt with a sapphire blue sparkly knee-length tank dress.
The extremes mirror the many different types of women who shop and wear the label, available at malls across America. The brand is known for its printed pants. This fall look for a tan pair with small sparkly ribbons.A goal was to take American classics, like peacoats and toggle coats, and give them a twist in either fabric or texture, Mora said."That was the keystone to the collection," Mora said.The women's collection included a brown python pencil skirt and a gray and white python print on a long chiffon dress with a men's coat.
"We always sort of like to play with that feminine masculine thing," Mora said. "Having a full men's collection it really allows us to do that, lots of inspiration."That men's collection had the classic J. Crew look, lots of clean suits and cardigan sweaters. Designers did bring the colored jeans trend from womenswear into the menswear. There were jeans for men in orange, purple and bright blue. Men's pants were cuffed at the ankles.
Forget about the fashion show―for Ashanti, it's all about the skin show!The "Down for You" singer got jaws dropping when she attended the Falguni & Shane Peacock runway show at New York Fashion Week in a see-through design that left very little to the imagination.The dress had a see-through front panel with a tiny strip covering her lady parts, but the 31-year-old singer looked totally comfortable and happy to wear it.
Good luck sitting down in that thing, babe!Check out all the stars―including Dakota Fanning, Courteney Cox, Renée Zellweger and more―sitting pretty front row at Fashion Week Fall 2012 in our Runway Rundown gallery!

Fashion Week's first trend: Heart-health awareness

The veteran supermodel returned to the runway Wednesday night for the Red Dress Collection fashion show, an annual New York Fashion Week kickoff event that aims to draw attention to women's heart health by putting celebrity catwalkers in a parade of gowns by some of the country's most famous designers.Strutting to "Uptown Girl," she was all smiles in her Pamella Roland gown ― even after a little stumble on the dress's hem.
Brinkley is a supporter of the Heart Truth campaign, headed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and has participated in this event before. This year, though, she hesitated before deciding to don a dress again. Her own mother is suffering from serious heart disease, having experienced five strokes and a heart attack, and right now Brinkley says she feels like she should be spending quality time with her parents.But they're the ones who actually nudged her to do it, she said in a teary telephone interview Tuesday. "My parents understand more than anyone about the importance of getting the right care.Save as Much as 50% on Your Dream Wedding by Becoming a My Wed Deal Member.They're proud of me that I've reached a place where I can give back."
Something else she's learned from them is to maintain a healthy lifestyle with daily exercise and a careful diet. That wasn't always easy when she was a young model, jet-setting from place to place and trying every fad diet that came along, said Brinkley, now 58, but she's learned the best way to have the good life is to live it. "I make time for this. I used to always put myself on the back burner, but I want to be strong and able for my kids, myself and my parents."She said she also finds strength and camaraderie within the modeling world, and she hopes the first-time "models" at the Red Dress show will feel that way, too. "I've always felt the catfight thing is a cliche, but especially when we're all together and subject is the heart, we're all united."
Jennifer Nettles of the country band Sugarland said after the show that she enjoyed the experience but stuck to her strategy of not looking at the monitor while she was walking in her V-neck David Meister gown with a high slit. "I was afraid of falling," she said."It's my first time modeling ― at New York Fashion Week! Why not start big?" she said."I love the color red. It's such a passionate color and it's a fabulous color when you want to make a splash," Chapman said. If she were on the catwalk, she said she'd probably wear it with black heels or neutral makeup. "There's no matchy-matchy with red," she advised. "I especially love to wear black with a hint of red."