On the Red Carpet, Joan Rivers Actually Missed the Style Scoop

Joan, let’s talk. We watched Joan and Melissa Rivers’ Oscar preshow on E! (Hey, we do have taste--we watch “The Sopranos” too.)

Joan, we know you’ve been criticized for being too dishy on the red carpet, but that was no reason to tone down the fashion microphone on Oscar night. There you were with Hilary Swank and her hubby, Chad Lowe, and you were asking about her new success, his loyal support, how they’re the new Hollywood couple. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But who was she wearing? You didn’t even ask! And to find out later that she wore your favorite designer, Randolph Duke, was just too much.

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And speaking of Swank--because everyone is--she’s made the list of “Suggestions for Considerations” of Eleanor Lambert’s International Best Dressed Poll for 1999-2000. One of us at this newspaper (we won’t point fingers) has been asked to vote on Lambert’s list, which recognizes beautiful people from all aspects of life. The New York-based fashionista refuses to nominate anyone; she and her committee just tastefully send out suggestions. Brad Pitt is on the list, even though Newsweek recently declared him most unfashionable. Or was that best undressed? It’s so hard to keep these terms straight.

We’d vote for who we’d like to look like when we grow up--the ravishing Shakira Caine, wife of best supporting actor Michael Caine, but she’s already in Lambert’s Hall of Fame.

By the way, on Oscar night, she wore Pamela Dennis, who never looked so good.

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Enough about Oscars. Let’s talk about something more substantial. Like the fall fashion collections, which have been just everywhere in the last few weeks. Can’t get enough? Then check out the latest Fairchild Publications’ launch, WWD: The Magazine. It is meant to appeal to the reader who falls somewhere between the Women’s Wear Daily trade newspaper and the chic monthly W. Actually, we have no idea who that would be.

WWD: The Mag, at newsstands through May, has runway reports from every major collection in New York, London, Paris and Milan. The plan is for it to come out twice a year, after the fall and spring collections, so you might not mind spending $10 on it. That’s right, $10, which on the runways will buy you . . . oh, never mind.

Barbara Thomas can be reached at barbara.thomas@latimes.com.