2009 Award Show Style

With the 2009 Oscars quickly approaching, we wonder how the likes of Penelope Cruz or Jennifer Lopez manage to look stunning every time. Every show commands a different look, and every look is on full display for the critics to dissect. It’s enough to make the average person crawl in a hole if put in the same position, while the star needs superhero powers to make it through – or at least a team of the best in the business.

I’ve always maintained that if I had a crew to look after me, I’d look like a million bucks as well. Since that will most likely never happen, it remains fun to dream. Imagine if you needed to present an award at the Oscars, how would you want to look? Knowing that my stylist would have my best interest at hand, she would need to head to my favorite designer’s studio to pick the most dazzling looks. While the jobs of Rachel Zoe and other stylists to the stars are surely stressful this time of year, it must be a dream come true to be the first to view some of these collections. Being a fashion insider like Zoe would be as inspiring as it is amazing.

It would be hard to choose the one outfit, but I know that sometimes three or more are set aside for the star to decide on, sometimes waiting up to the day of the event. Of course, fit is taken into consideration, and each piece will be ready, regardless if it is worn. There is sanctity in knowing that no one else will show up with the same dress. The jewels, the shoes, the handbag are all precisely chosen, ready to go.

On the day of the event, the assembled team will be ready to powder the star into precise form. She has most likely been buffed, waxed, and shined to perfection; her limbs bronzed the right shade to show off the lines of her sculpted body. All of this would be nothing without the perfect gown. The hair and makeup are faultless, and someone from the team will keep watch as she makes her way down the red carpet.

Who can forget the incredible nude Versace gown Penelope Cruz wore to the Oscars in 2007? What will she wear this year for her Golden Globe nomination, along with her arm candy Javier Bardem? How will designer Carolina Herrera dress Renee Zelleweger? These women know the power they hold over fashion during the awards season, and the designers cater to them, know that millions of women become spellbound. It doesn’t matter if the piece comes from the latest collection or is vintage, the fashion has the authority to influence and create sales for designers everywhere. Each award show televised creates a fashion buzz for women everywhere.

This year, some of the style predictions are for lots of color in the dresses. The styles themselves will be simple, but played up by dazzling diamonds and statement jewels. The jewelry will not be of the costume variety, but of fine, unusual stones and unique mountings. The shoes will be the showstoppers, combining elite materials with towering heels – we will see feathers, ruffles, fringes, and sparkling embellishments.