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LOS ANGELES - Behind the scenes in Hollywood days before the Oscars, the sounds of zipping, ripping, sucking-in and sighing fill the air as film stars try out gowns before Monday's (NZT) red carpet parade.
Although how they'll adorn themselves is a secret as closely guarded as the Oscar winners' names, the fashionistas are busily buzzing about who will wear what and whether it will turn out to be a "glamour do" or "glamour don't."
"Oscars are all about drama and the pinnacle of Hollywood glamour," said Marcy Medina, West Coast bureau chief for Women's Wear Daily. "It would take out the surprise and glamour of the moment if people knew what you were wearing already. It's all about the grand entrance."
On the Academy Awards red carpet, opulent, eye-catching gowns are the norm, but one-of-a-kind stunners pairing elegance and individuality -- think Julia Roberts in black and white vintage Valentino or Faye Dunaway in Theodora van Runkle edged with ruffled flowers of fabric -- are the stuff of legend.
"There is a swing back to individuality," said Bronwyn Cosgrave, author of Made for Each Other, a chronicle of memorable Oscar fashion.
"A lot of really gutsy actresses would rather control their own look instead of it being manipulated by a big-league luxury designer," Cosgrave added. The perfect Oscar gown is "sexy but refined" and vintage looks are de rigueur, she said.
Cher, who has gone down in history for pushing the Oscar fashion envelope furthest, is now celebrated for wearing revealing Bob Mackie creations that were once reviled for being over the top. But fashion watchers say actresses must never appear to pooh-pooh the momentousness of Oscar night.
"They have a tradition to uphold; every actress winner is a torch bearer," Cosgrave said. "They also have to seduce the paparazzi."
While some of the glitzy metallics and muted palate of white, blush and nude on display at the Golden Globes awards may appear again, some stars will mix things up on Monday.
"People have been planning all season and they're saving up their most special look for the Oscars," Medina said. "So of course it's not going to mirror what they've been wearing.
According to fantasyfashionleague.com, where online players earn points depending on the media exposure given their favourite designers and celebs, people are betting that Chanel, Dior and Armani will be Oscar's top fashion ateliers.
And what does Giorgio Armani, the choice of past winners Jodie Foster and Mira Sorvino, have up his tuxedo sleeve? Fashion insiders say a couture show the designer is holding in town the night before the Oscars signals that Armani may be the red carpet choice of a big, big star.
Actresses Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Uma Thurman are the most fashion-forward of the current A-list and most likely to go for broke on the red carpet, said Medina.
That could mean opting for a more voluminous gown, given the recent runway trend of sculptured "bubble" skirts.
Whatever the choice of designer or look, millions of fashion lovers worldwide are crossing their fingers that, come Sunday, stars don't play it safe.
"C'mon, it's a night of drama," said Cosgrave. "Get into the spirit of it, it's all about pageantry!"
- REUTERS
