Red Carpet Report: Beaded and/or Backless Gowns

BACKLESS + Beaded = GORG!

Recently, lots of actresses, models, your "Usual Red Carpet Subjects" have been GIVING Backless and/or Full-on Beaded on the Red Carpet--here are some examples--including one from my own NIKOLAKI Spring 2011 Collection...

Sequined Hilary: Hilary Swank in Elie Saab Spring 2011 Couture at the 2011 International Indian Film Academy Awards in Toronto Canada over the weekend. Why Toronto for the International Indian Film Academy Awards, you might ask? Well, kiddies, according to this, the Greater Toronto area has the second largest population of people of Indian descent in NORTH AMERICA!!!! Yep! Moving on...Miss Swank is wearing an absolutely stunning gown from the Lebanese designer's Haute Couture Collection--which means that EVERY single one of those beads was applied BY HAND and so were the seams that were sewn. NO machines darlings. That's why this gown would probably cost around $100,000 if you were to order it. It's a good guess Miss Hilary got it for free--lent that is...

Silver Goddess: Victoria's Secret Model and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Naeem Khan at the Germany Premiere of Transformers 3. Naeem has been in the news as of late because the US First Lady, Michelle Obama just LOVES wearing his designs. He is an American Fashion Designer of Indian origin who has a very good business creating evening gowns. Love the cap sleeves, love the back train, well done! It's both chic, and UBER glamorous. I also adore that side-knot-twisted hairstyle.

Spanish actress Paz Vega at the Shanghai Film Festival in an all-over sequined backless gown featuring long fitted sleeves and (gasp!) shoulder pads! (yes, ladies, they are back...and have been for a while!). Interesting that when I looked at the photo on the right--doesn't it look as if the back of her gown just came undone? Or it's about to. Or maybe, it was hooked way beyond the edge of the back closure....who knows. (sorry too much "Fashion Terminology"). I still LIKE it. Fits her well, the oversized paillettes are great, good job Paz.

She Loves a Mini: Cameron Diaz in Emilio Pucci Fall 2011 at the Moscow Premiere of Bad Teacher. All over sequins in gold and black work well with Cameron Diaz. And she loves a mini--16-18" below her natural waist seems to be her favorite hem length. I do like that the rest of her is covered--the three-quarter sleeves the bateau neckline.

Finally...there's model Amanda Fields in NIKOLAKI Spring 2011: My NIKOLAKI Co-Designer David Paul and I just love this gown and because it fits this blog's "Category", of course, we had to add it!!! No one has worn it yet and many, many actresses and stylists have "pulled this dress" but no one has used it yet--maybe there's still time for a FAB Red Carpet Moment for this gown...

68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Fashion: Who Wore What? Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab Spring 2011

Another all-over beaded gown--yes, it's a 2011 Golden Globe Trend officially! Actress Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab Spring 2011. The blush-nude colored all-over beaded gown features a deep V neckline and caplet detail at the shoulders (similar to Jennifer Lopez' Zuhair Murad gown).

On the runway, it was belted but Scarlett (and/or her stylist) decided not to. With her dramatic hair and the "Antique" look of this sublime gown, she almost looks as if she stepped out of a John Singer Sargent painting.

68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Fashion: Who Wore What? Nicole Kidman in Custom Prada

Custom seems to be the "new" Couture. It's no longer fine to wear the runway sample on a Made-to-measure Haute Couture Gown from the French and Italian Fashion Houses.. No kids, seems that actresses and their stylists now turn to non-Haute Couture Houses (Calvin Klein, Prada, etc.) and get their gowns custom made.

In other words, you won't find this style in any Look Book. Also, a lot of these design companies, of course, are offering custom designs to these A-List clients GRATIS, in exchange for the press and that Red Carpet Moment. And so we have Exhibit A: Statuesque actress Nicole Kidman in ivory all-over sequin paillette one-shoulder Custom Prada gown. Prada doesn't do gowns. But for Nicole: Si!

68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Fashion: Who Wore What? Angelina Jolie in Versace Atelier

The one and only Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace (custom/made-to-measure Haute Couture Versace).

My TV Guide "The Fashion Team" and "Award Show Fashion Wrap" partner-in-crime , stylist Jen Rade, told me when the Golden Globes were announced that for Angelina--whom she styles--she gets requests left and right to dress Angelina: Quel Suprise!--but she always LOVES the House of Versace because there's NEVER a question that it will be done and done right! Here Angelina wears a 1940s-inspired emerald green all-over-sequin gown with padded shoulders, bateau neckline with a scoop back and lightly blouson detail. STUNNING. Love it. Her hair and make-up look amazing as well.

68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Fashion: Who Wore What? Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive Fall/Winter 2010

Sleeves, covered shoulders, all-over beading, and a 70's Disco Vibe. Note those. Why? FOUR DEFINITE Red Carpet Trends.

Here the beautiful Anne Hathaway hits ALL of them in one dress by Armani Prive Fall/Winter 2010. Armani Prive is the Haute Couture "arm" of Designer Girogio Armani in case you didn't know. In other words, if you wanted to actually order and purchase this made-to-measure sequined gown, it would run you about $100,000. I like the shape and the twisted-draped sleeves but I'm not sure if that blushed copper color works on Anne. Although it helped that she had a major plunging back to the very covered front. What do you think?