Inarguably,one of the funniest moments of Monday mornings Oscar ceremony was Angelina Jolie,the actress not too long ago considered preternaturally sexy,coming on stage looking tired and overly made up,and taking her position in front of the mike with legs spread open like a tripod stand. It was so awkward,the winners of the category she announced couldnt help but mock her as soon as they stepped on stage. This is just the kind of moment the Atelier Versace,who dressed Angie in the beautiful black strapless gown,hopes never to happen. And if Jolie still one of the most photographed women in the world can make a gaffe,what happens to the rest of the red carpet celebrities? Cameron Diaz went so wrong with her Gucci. Sandra Bullocks B&W Marchesa floor-sweeper did nothing for her compared to their last years trophy-taking silver column dress for her. Even Tom Ford cant better Gwyneth Paltrows pink Gucci gown,which she wore while picking up the Oscar for Shakespeare in Love. Emma Stones Giambattista Valli was pretty and Bridesmaids star Rose Byrnes black one-shoulder Vivienne Westwood did wonders for her bony frame. Meryl Streep shone in her golden Lanvin wrap robe,and Michelle Williams Louis Vuitton coral is Pantones colour of the year. The truth is fashion is getting bored of the red carpet. The Oscars,even though still a highly watched television show,are inducing sleep with gown after pretty gown,each one barely memorable. The last time an Oscar frock made us gasp collectively was Halle Berrys Elie Saab net,but he did nothing for The Artists Berenice Bejo this year. No ones told the big-daddy fashion houses yet,but the paps have already moved on to snapping sartorial stars on the front rows of fashion shows. The best dressed people in the world today,the ones that give you goosebumps with their savoir faire,are actually the fashion press. First it was only Anna Wintour,with her bug-eye sunnies she wore inside dark runway halls,and swearing off black. Then came the gorgeous Carine Roitfeld,with her French je ne sais quoi and those eyebrows. Milanese fashion editor Anna dello Russo keeps pushing the envelope,her blog has her pasting her face on runway couture. And the ever-popular blogger Bryan Boy now reportedly has a film after him. Foreign paps are more interested in the snapping up inventively dressed front-row stars than the token celebrities who attend or even catwalking models. Tavi Gevinson is a 15-year-old blogger and a teen fashion star,while Susanna Lau of stylebubble.co.uk is a street-smart dresser herself. Younger designers in India are already dressing up editors who come for their shows. Film stars pine to appear at fashion weeks,when they would once charge for a pop-in. In fact,the best place for Beti B to make her debut appearance would be the Lakme Fashion Week. namratanow@gmail.com
