Photos:: Academy Awards fashion: Oscar gowns through the years
Forget about the movies: At Oscar time, in homes across America, armchair fashion critics give thumbs up or thumbs down to the clothes worn on the red carpet or on stage as presenters and awardees glam it up.
But for everyone who looked at Bjork (above) in 2001 and thought “taxidermist,” someone else thought “avant-garde.” (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
In 1997, Nicole Kidman wore a John Galliano piece simply known as “Absinthe” from his first collection for Dior when she attended the Oscars with her then-husband Tom Cruise. It proved such a sensation that Vogue’s Anna Wintour realized that stars in designer fashion were proving a more powerful force than supermodels. Magazines began to make A-listers into cover girls, sending sales skyward. (Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)
In 2001, Renee Zellweger had behind-the-scenes drama. Browsing in vintage couture store Lily et Cie, she decided to wear a pale yellow strapless gown by Jean Desses from 1959. But the more than 40-year-old piece needed custom fitting and reconstruction. The cost (covered by the studio) would be $14,000. Turmoil ensued when Lily et Cie got wind that other ateliers were copying the dress in different colors as backups should something go wrong. Lily et Cie halted work on the gown. Cosgrave says that owner Rita Watnick was shaken by the perceived breach of faith. But ultimately Zellweger wore the Lily et Cie dress -- and looked ravishing. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)