Life> photo_fashion

Iconic gowns set stylish tone for Oscars

(AP)
Updated: 2007-01-31 11:45

Other timeless looks included Carol Channing's rhinestone-encrusted number from 1968, which Talley said weighs 50 pounds, and a champagne tulle dress designed by Arnold Scaasi (who created Streisand's news-making pantsuit) worn by Mitzi Gaynor in 1967.

Cher is "one of the most original Oscar red-carpet sweepstakes winners," Talley said, calling her sheer, beaded Bob Mackie dress "bold but brilliant."

"Cher chic does not get any better than this," he said.

Hilary Swank's midnight-blue backless gown from 2005 is "one of the great Oscar dresses," Talley said, and Stone's T-shirt/designer skirt/velvet coat ensemble is "history at its best."

Stone plucked the items from her closet at the last minute after deciding she didn't like the dress she'd chosen, he said.

Another modern style maven is Renee Zellweger, who "perhaps single-handedly reinvented Oscar style with her love of vintage couture," Talley said. Two of Zellweger's dresses were shown: the pastel yellow strapless column she wore in 2001, and the ruby-hued mermaid gown she wore in 2005.

Charlize Theron also had two gowns on the runway: the jeweled nude sheath she wore when she won best actress for "Monster" in 2004 and her ice blue tulle dress from the following year.

Other memorable best-actress styles included Julia Roberts' black-and-white vintage Valentino dress from 2001, when she won for "Erin Brockovich," Gwyneth Paltrow's pink princess dress from 1999, when she won for "Shakespeare in Love," and Halle Berry's embroidered burgundy gown from 2002, when she won for "Monster's Ball."

Not every dress made its way down the runway. A few of the more fragile creations — including Lizzie Gardiner's one-of-a-kind minidress made from American Express Gold Cards and Ingrid Bergman's floral Chanel "party pajamas" — were modeled by mannequins.

What should fashion fans expect to see come February 25? Sleek, sexy, old-school glamor, said Talley, who will host the fashion portion of the Oscars pre-show.

"The ladies are going full speed ahead for soigne elegance with a taste of the top from the greatest designers," he said. "It's a global moment for the world to see the stars, so they have to take it seriously. Actresses have to give hope to the people watching TV."