vintage at the 2011 academy awards

two vintage spots at the oscars this year - though one is on the fence for me as far as being able to call it truly "vintage. so lets talk that one first.

it's being tooted as vintage valentino - and it is from a past collection to be sure - but not that far past - its actually 2009 valentino haute couture.

it's too die.

look, she got dogged a bit here and there for this one, but you can't please everyone and personally, i think it is utterly, fabulously, old hollywood glamour glamour glamour.

and you know, with most of the truly great designers not with us anymore, sadly as time goes by we loose them......and by great, i mean the ones that have truly changed the course of how girls like you and i dress on a day to day basis, it is an honor, honor i say, to not only wear a gown from a master like valentino.... but to be able to wear a piece of his couture AND have him stand. beside. you. while. you. are. wearing. it. . . . .

damn!

i would give my right arm for that (unless of course two arms are integral to carrying off the design so........ok i take it back pffft i would keep my arms - why would he stand beside some freaky girl with one arm anyway hmmmmm?)

and here is the back of the gown.

i loved anne hathaway's hosting of the oscars .. I thought she was fun and fresh and i think she is quite a fabulous girl.

rachel zoe did an impeccable job dressing her. (applauds)

the other vintage gown of the night was 1950s charles james worn by marissa tomei. i think it was spectacular.

it's also rumoured that she actually PAID for this gown. like with her own hard earned money. i shit you not - wht starlets even do that anymore? i bow to a girl that wears vintage on the red carpet and buys it because she is going to actually keep it.

she is a kindred soul to be sure

A lot of people made reference to the bust line on this gown being too high - i think from a modern aesthetic that yes, it does seem high on her. however, i also think she probably deliberately did not alter it because

A) that is the way it would have been worn THEN
and
B) its fucking 1950s couture - altering it would be a sin.

A SIN peeps A SIN.

and this I just had to share - (the italicized text below is verbatim from style.com). since we have reconstructed pieces in the shop made by some truly talented designers, i was delighted to see this.....

Livia Giuggioli, wife of the future Sir Colin Firth, one-upped herself last night. Her Green Carpet challenge, in which she goes fully sustainably gowned to every awards show—and no movie has provided more opps than The King’s Speech—became the Green-and-Gold Challenge. Her gown was righteous. It was by Southeast London designer Gary Harvey, formerly of Levi’s, who cut it from 11 vintage frocks dating from the start of George VI’s reign. But her jewelry! Her earrings and enormous cocktail ring were forged from not merely fair trade, but fair-trade fair-mined ecological gold, and with fully traceable gems.

xoxocherie