Oscars 2011: The Magpie Dress Awards

Fashion Weeks, Smashion Smeeks... Who cares about the fashion of the future, when the fashion of right now was being displayed in its full glory last night at the Oscars.

Possibly the largest fashion date in the diary, the Oscars serves up the creme de la creme of the movie world and the most delectable red carpet designers in the world.

So, without further ado, here are my favourite dresses from the Oscars 2011:

Hilary Swank in Gucci Premiere

I'm not normally a huge fan of Ms Swank, but last night she stood out a mile in this gorgeous feathered gown. I adore it, totally, utterly, completely.

FYI Maribou feathers are going to huge come AW'11 so Hilary really is ahead of the trend with her layer upon layer of Ostrich feather.

Hailee Steinfeld in Marchesa

It is only slightly sickening that Hailee (unfortunate name) is just 14 years old, but kudos to the young'un. She co-designed her dress with the girls at Marchesa...and I think they all did a bloomin' good job! I think the 1950's style of this dress is incredibly pretty and perfectly youthful for such a young Oscars nominee.

Mandy Moore in Monique L'Hullier 

Some may find this a little boring, but I couldn't leave Mandy off my list. She really does look gorgeous in this gown. Sequins and net are what make up the majority of this dress - such a simple idea, such an effective outcome.

 Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein Collection

I 'umm'd' and 'ahh'd' over Gwyneth's dress choice A LOT, but in the end decided that I did like it. The molten gold is really quite eye-catching, while the simple cut of the dress tones it down. A very clever number methinks.

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Couture

 What a sophisticated choice! Cate has opted for a completely atypical Oscars dress - she's ditched feathers, sequins and lace, in favour of something much more 'fashion'. I'm a huge fan of the pastel purple and think the cut is simple stunning on her.

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab

For me, Mila can do little wrong. I love her understated Elie Saab number. The lilac is a beautiful shade and the overall look is very sophisticated. With such a small frame, layers of net would have swamped her, so I'm thankful she went for something a little less ostentatious.

Scarlett Johansson in Dolce & Gabbana

Bravo Scarlett! One of this season's hottest trends is lace and Ms Johansson has gone the whole hog by donning herself in the fabric head to toe. The risk has paid off as she totally rocks this look - plus the cut-out back is ultra sexy.

Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang

I always keep one eye out for Sandra. She always goes for classic styles and she always wows! The red of this dress is bright enough to stand strong against the red carpet and with her dark locks and fresh face, she looks the epitome of a classic beauty.

And the award for most beautiful mother-to-be goes to...

Natalie Portman in Rodarte

If I look like this when I am pregnant, I'll be one ecstatic woman. Natalie just glows in this aubergine gown. I am so pleased that she is embracing her pregnancy and not trying to hide it. Go Natalie!

Alas, not all of our A-listers scored so highly. There were, as is usual, a few fashion flops:

Jennifer Hudson in Versace

Eugh! I do not like. At all. I hate the shimmer of the dress (it cheapens it), I can't stand the frou-frou-ness of the train (sleek would have suited her much better), and the halter-neck is all wrong (her boobs look like floating devices).

Florence Welch in vintage Valentino

Florence looks like death. The pale dress, the pale skin, the un-made face and hair... This is the Oscars darling, not a Halloween party.

Michelle Williams in Chanel

I hate to be mean about Michelle and more-so, about Chanel, but this dress is just so wrong. Michelle looks incredibly top-heavy - which is amazing because she is so slight. There's also something to be said for leaving some things to the imagination...

Well, that's more than enough excitement for one Monday morning. All this glamour while I am sitting here in my 'house clothes' is leaving me feeling quite wretched. Off to the gym I go...

Paris Fashion Week round-up

Gosh! London Fashion Week seems like eons ago, but for the (un)fortunate editors still on their Fashion Week rounds, Paris is buzzing with the clackety-clack of stilettos and ooh-and-aahs of the spectators.

Miss Magpie has turned her back on all things fashion for a few days (well not all things obviously) in order to try on wedding dresses. Could there be anything more fun?! Anyway, you'll have to wait until next summer to hear all about that.... Aren't I mean.

Anyway, back to Paris... Here's a wee round up of the goings on over the Channel.

Balenciaga

Hmmm...I'm not sure about this. Nicolas Ghesquière opted for a very androgynous look. When we've seen so much femininity and pretty hitting the catwalks, this is quite hard to digest. The collection has a slight punk-rock feel about it, with the flat shoes, un-summery dark palette and masculine tailoring. I'm not a fan, but that doesn't mean others won't be.

See what I mean!

Balmain

I'm a huge Balmain fan (the styles, not the price tags) but I'm kinda getting that feeling of deja-vu. Christophe Decarnin has a particular style and has run with it for several seasons to huge acclaim, but I'm beginning to think that he might be a one-trick pony. Yes, the leather jackets are divine. Yes, he single-handedly brought about the revival of the shoulder pad. Yes, every woman lusts after a piece of Balmain. But how much longer are we (well, not we, I mean women with plenty of cash) going to fork out tens of thousands for a variety of same-but-not-the-same leather jackets?

Having said that, I am, once again, a fan of the collection...

That's $20,000 of safety pins that is!

Celine

Pheobe Philo is the queen of minimalism. Again. This time however, she's loosened up a bit - e.g. trousers were long and loose. There was also some leather and denim thrown in to the mix - these fabrics seem to be BIG all round.

I'm perhaps not a Celine girl, though I appreciate the huge influence the label has on the fashion world. I'm sure this collection will continue the trend.

Minimalist chic or just drowning?

Love the clean lines and mix-up of fabrics in this look.

Christian Dior

John Galliano must be taking a sabatical! This collection is so tame for the normally extra-extravagant brand, that I'm not sure I would have recognised it on the street. There is however I nice blending of girly dresses with boyish jackets thrown over the top (not that we haven't seen that before). Loving the slouch socks though.

Finally a handbag that'll fit in all my stuff! Hoorah.

Denim rocks the catwalk again.

 
Givenchy

Ooh - Summer's going to have us all getting in touch with our inner goths. Well, atleast that seems to be the aim of Riccardo Tisci. Goths on safari I think is the exact look. There's all the darkness and drama we've come to love of Givenchy, but with an added dose of glamour from all the leopard print.

Summer in the UK sucks anyway, so I'm sold on the black!

Gorge dress, shame about the model. Weird.

Jean Paul Gaultier

If John Galliano is taking a sabatical, then JPG is having a moment of craziness. His collection included jackets with squared-off shoulders, showgirl lingerie, jumpsuits, sailor stripes, palm-prints, leather jackets and even a metal breastplate. All slightly random and OTT, but amongst that plethora of different styles were some quite nice looks.

Speaking of random - Beth Ditto opened the show. Eh?

Not loving the hair so much, I have to say.

Here's a big of JPG we all know and live. And I do love.

Lanvin

If you want pretty, you turn to Alber Elbaz at Lanvin. He is the absolute master of figure-flattering, wow-factor dresses. Having recently added Lanvin to my wardrobe (remember my Hong Kong trip?) I can say with certainty, that nothing makes you feel better! This collection had a lot more day appropriate dresses, that really didn't do much for me. The more typical Lanvin dresses were what really caught my eye...

Floaty and fab.

In love. Totally, utterly, completely.

Zac Posen

A Zac lady does not shy away from the limelight. Feathers, lace and fur all made an appearance in a collection that was just divine - something we've come to expect of Mr Posen. I'd wear any of these dresses and I'm pretty sure that every one of us would be able to find something amazing.

Zac Posen has that rare gift of making the female body look like perfection.

In the boudoir as it is, or with a little slip for going out.

That'll do for now. That's more than enough food-for-thought for a Monday. More to come...

White out!

Wearing white is a luxury for Miss Magpie - with a beau so well versed in the art of spilling the vino tinto, it's a guaranteed disaster. However, not only is white one of the hottest colours - or non-colours - of the season, it's just so classic and utterly luxurious. I've recently spotted a slew of a-listers giving the hue a whirl and i'm not talking in the Paris Hilton 'i'm so innocent' way - they look totally gorge!

 Kylie Minogue in Givenchy

With a new baby nephew on the scene, Kylie better make the most of wearing this divine white number while she can. So relaxed yet so chic - i'm all over this look! I'm also hugely jealous of the lapping waves in the background and Kylie's sun-kissed skin - the most important accessories for any white ensemble.

 Blake Lively in Christian Dior

Ok, so this a wee bit 'butter-wouldn't-melt' but we'll let Blake off this once, afterall she's wearing a great classic shift dress, accessorized to perfection with Christian Louboutin's 2010 answer to the Mary-Jane. Totally love the fascinator, though she looks a bit more bride than couture show celeb, but that's really neither here nor there. Good look Blake.

Jessica Alba in Chanel

I would normally say that combining white, red and black together in the same outfit is totally tacksville, but Ms Alba has proven me wrong on this occasion. Kudos to the girl (or her stylist) for bringing together such random items. The bondage-esque caged Loubs are the antithesis of the angelic white dress, but they work together perfectly. Bravo.

Ooh, I want to wear white! Time for a girls only, red wine free day out methinks.

Gaga for Grace

This weekend, Miss Magpie spent a little time with an icon; an icon of film, fashion and femininity. Of whom do I speak? Well, she was married to a Prince, she was a mega talented actress starring in many a Hitchcock film, had a bag named after her and made her name in the fashion world through her iconic sense of style. Have you guessed yet? Why, she's the utterly divine and beautiful Grace Kelly, of course.

 

The V&A is currently paying homage to Princess Grace in their exhibition 'Grace Kelly: Style Icon'. I took my super stylish girly, Holly, to go oggle Grace's incredible wardrobe. Taking us from the 50's all the way through to the 80's, the exhibition maps Grace's life through her clothing. As the epitome of femininity, Grace's wardrobe was glamorous, classic, comfortable and has a wonderful sense of timeless chic about it. She was a muse for many designers and the collection includes gorge pieces from Chanel, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermes and some of Grace's favourite designers from New York and Paris. It is breath taking!

I couldn't leave without taking a couple of snaps of my fave pieces - Miss Magpie may have turned a blind eye to the 'No photography' signs, so sshhh, don't tell anyone.

   
OMG, this is Grace's actual Hermes Kelly bag from 1955! It doesn't take much to see why it is one of the most lusted after bags of all time. Grace certainly had magnificent taste. And anyone who has Hermes name a bag after them, is a hero to me! Speaking of bags, did you know that when the Princess moved from the States to Monaco, she took with her 60 pieces of luggage - now there's a girl after my own heart.

Out of the tens of fabulous dresses, this is the one that caught my eye the most - another example of Grace's timelessness. This gown was designed by Madame Gres in Paris in 1978. I love the vibrant colour and that it is totally wearable in 2010.

Holly and I left the V&A all gaga for Grace and as we sipped our post-exhibition bubbly, we vowed we'd never leave the house again without a hat (Grace was a fan of the super chic turban), leather gloves and sunnies, a la the Princess. Let's see how long it lasts...