The Best Oscars 2013 Trends: Art influences & lots of shimmer

The 2013 celebration of the Academy Awards brought out the best in acting, movie production and of course, haute couture.  Here are my nominees for the evening's best trends:

Art Deco
Characterized by shimmering geometric lines and slim silhouettes, these Art Deco-inspired dresses have old Hollywood glamour with a modern twist.  While the uniqueness of this resurging style is somewhat lost among the numbers, I love this style!  Halle Berry succeeded in looking like a show-stopping Bond girl in a fashion forward Versace gown with dramatic lines and shoulders, while the combination of patterns on Lily Collins’ gorgeous Zuhair Murad dress was fun and fresh! 

Jessica Chastain in Armani Privé 

Halle Berry in Versace
Stacy Keibler in Naeem Khan
Norah Jones in Tadashi Shoji

Lilly Collins in Zuhair Murad (Photo by Abaca)

  

Baroque

This bold trend is not for the faint of heart.  Embroidered intricate swirls of gold and black make a regal statement on these ladies, who accurately agreed that upswept hair and minimal jewelry is the best way to accessorize this dramatic style.  I adore Olivia Munn's red Marchesa dress! 

Salma Hayek in Alexander McQueen 

Olivia Munn in Marchesa

Julie Bowen in Max Azria Atelier  

Nina Dobrev in Naeem Khan 

Alessandra Ambrosio in Zuhair Murad

Black and Gold Shimmer

Black and gold became a dominant trend last year so it’s no surprise it appeared at the Oscars celebrations.  Nicole and Catherine were both sexy and classy in their gold sequined curve-hugging gowns.  I must ask, are they aging backwards?  Also, notice the swirls on their skirts, which also matched the Academy Awards stage… micro trend?  Naomi and Kate’s dresses were feisty in fun shapes.  

Nicole Kidman in L'Wren Scott 

Catherine Zeta-Jones in Zuhair Murad
Naomi Watts in Emilio Pucci 

Kate Beckinsale in Monique Lhuillier


High Neck Gowns

Kelly Osbourne mentioned on E!’s Live from the Red Carpet that she was disappointed that Salma Hayek’s high neck dress by Alexander McQueen hid her best feature, her décolletage.  While I agree with Kelly, I do appreciate that Salma was trying something different.  These dresses add a little variety to the red carpet.  Those who look best in them are generally tall and slim, like Alessandra Ambrosia.

  

Amanda Seyfried in Alexander McQueen

Salma Hayek in Alexander McQueen 

Alessandra Ambrosio in Zuhair Murad 

Amber Heard in Atelier Versace 

Simple & Sexy in White

Charlize Theron was simply stunning on the red carpet!  While sleek white dresses continued to appear throughout the evening, Charlize’s short hair, slim silhouette and simple details made her beautiful face stand out from the rest.  Miley Cyrus also rocked this look with a backless dress from Emilio Pucci. 

Charlize Theron in Christian Dior Couture

Kim Kardashian in Donna Karan, Kelly Osbourne in Unknown & Miley Cyrus in Emilio Pucci

Rose Byrne in Lanvin 

Sleek Shimmer

Metallic and serious shimmer were a major trend at the Oscars celebrations.  But on Naomi, Renee and Jennifer, the fluid shimmer and immaculate tailoring beautifully accentuates their slim bodies.  These are a few of my favorite gowns of the evening!

  

Naomi Watts in Armani Privé

Renee Zellweger in Carolina Herrera
Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein Collection (Photo by AP)

Photos by Getty unless otherwise noted