They were the best dressed on the red carpet at the Oscars Sunday night.

Why? Because there was a simple elegance to their gowns – no mashup of beads and fringe, sequins and feathers, appliqués and peplums and lace and tulle.

Gold fading to nude was the colour of the evening, led by Emma Stone in a beaded and fringed number from Givenchy Haute Couture. Yes, she looked divine – with metallic eye makeup to die for and a Planned Parenthood pin – and as the favourite for best actress, she certainly had to bring it up a notch. But the Valentino starry romance worn at the Golden Globes hit the right notes, while the Givenchy had one too many elements. Pick the beading or the fringe and run with it.  

Theron was a goddess in bronze lamé Dior Couture, with utterly mismatched honking Chopard earrings.

I also didn’t quite get the spiky Tiffany collar paired with Biel’s gold sequin dress by Kaufmanfranco, but I just love the covering up and the rough sequins – in fact, any sequins.

Nicole Kidman went goldish nude in Armani Privé with a Lion-appropriate beaded pattern.

Then there was Dakota Johnson in buttery gold satin Gucci, covered up in all the wrong ways, with big shoulders and a fan-like appendage at the waist. Very 40s. Meh. Bad hair, too.

Pale fire is often the way of Hollywood stars – many with a princess or prom vibe. Felicity Jones in Dior’s nude sequined tulle, for instance. Pretty, though. Or Hailee Steinfeld in sheer floral appliquéd Ralph & Russo.

But Isabelle Huppert was the epitome of French insouciance in an Armani Privé pale beaded gown, belted with long sleeves. This is the gown I want to wear to my next gala. Haha.

Also beaded, and superbly minimalist, was the white high-low dress by Raf Simons for Calvin Klein worn by Naomie Harris.

Taraji P. Henson and Kirsten Dunst got Olde Hollywood right, Henson in a navy velvet off-shoulder sweetheart neckline gown by Alberta Ferretti, Dunst in a standard-issue, curve-enhancing Dior strapless.

Janelle Monae topped the over-the-top list – so much so that criticism is pointless and absurd.

And what about Halle Berry’s big hair? Hmmm.

Accessory of the evening? The ACLU blue ribbon.

The post Gold ruled the Oscar red carpet. So who was best dressed? appeared first on Eva Friede.

There are antidotes to the cold, ice, wind and assorted other unpleasant elements. Shopping, online, in store or in your dreams. Or you can binge watch TV: from SNL to the Grammys to Victoria, Billions and Girls, there is no reason or time to leave the couch. And New York Fashion Week – while showing clothes for next fall – still offers notions that are tropical by Canadian standards.

Here’s what cheered me up last week:

Voluminous whites, black lace by Aritzia.

Springtime viewings

Two viewings of spring collections got my fashion appetite rolling. After Frank & Oak’s preview last Monday (and as soon as the ice melts I’m heading over to try on the blush leather perfecto), it was Aritzia’s turn to tantalize. What stood out: Jane Fonda bodysuits (been there, done that and once in a lifetime is enough), Gucci-esque bags, sport sets, pleats to please (sorry, Issey) including a showpiece white silk pleated halter patio dress, lace lined in pink, crop tops, pretty linen floral squares and the basic minimalist standards of the line.

Vichy’s new Idéalia range contains blueberry polyphenols and fermented black tea.

Vichy’s latest line

Are you flummoxed by the variety of skin formulations out there? Do you need to fight wrinkles, sagging, fatigue, dehydration, dark spots …. all of the above, perhaps? I do. So I was intrigued when Vichy unveiled a new line of skin care products, called Idéalia, formulated to fight fatigue as well as first signs of wrinkles. It’s targeted to women in their 30s, a stage in life when skin cell production slows down – and women in that age range are pressed on all counts, said Vichy Canada group manager Jacinthe Lavergne.

The event, at Vilaine Victoire, the Old Montreal loft on St-Pierre, had all the hallmarks of a beauty launch – particularly pretty displays of key ingredients – antioxidants blueberry polyphenols and fermented black tea – and a light breakfast menu to match.

I took a blueberry water and asked Lavergne about the Vichy range, which I actually buy. What do I need? I asked, to which she was polite enough not to be specific.

But here’s the explanation: Vichy has a line for each life stage, Lavergne said, from Novaderm for acne-prone skin to Aqualia for hydration to Neovadiol for mature skin.

Vichy aims to accompany women through all their life stages, from the teenager with her first pimple to the woman in menopause, she continued.

But still, how do you choose? Trained beauty advisers across Canada are there to educate and serve the customer, Lavergne said.

In any case, I tried the Idéalia serum, peel and energizing cream, and found them pleasant – particularly the serum – although the cream does not offer the richness and hydration I need in February. Liftactiv Supreme seems to do the job, along with a humidifier.

Floral gowns by LaSalle College students on display at Carrefour Laval.

Floral pickup

There were four fashion events – at least – last Wednesday evening, just as the slush was turning to ice. I decided to hibernate. What I missed: a lingerie fashion show featuring brands from Montreal online retailer Alice Kass; Juste Robe’s cocktail at Le Crystal, Kitsch’n Swell’s third anniversary party, and most spectacularly, a display of 10 lavish floral gowns by LaSalle College students at Carrefour Laval. They remain on display in the garden of the mall until May 7.

Raf Simons at Calvin Klein; Alexander Wang

I watched the live stream of Calvin Klein by Raf Simons on Friday because it was just so significant. Revered by the fashion crowd for his inspired minimalism and use of colour (at Jil Sander and Dior), Simons won kudos for this new chapter in American wear. Featuring classic suitings, slouchy trousers and reefers for men and women, the show also delved into extreme crop tops, sporty stripes, denim and leather jumpsuits and, intriguingly,  clear vinyl over coats and feather-embellished frocks. Vanessa Friedman of the New York Times praised Simons for reaching: “… he did provide a crystal clear argument for the relevancy of the American idea — and a way forward,’’ she wrote.

Contrast Simons’s Klein to Alexander Wang’s almost all-black New York street chic collection, and what do you want to wear?

Alexander Wang for fall winter 2017.

This brought me to wondering what in fact is relevant in fashion – runway shows, street style, celebrity, Instagrammers?

Please comment!

Meanwhile, there is one thing that is truly cheering – I’m off to New Orleans for a short break, where I will eat far too much gumbo and jambalaya – and not fit into any facsimile of fashion by Calvin Klein or Alexander Wang.

The post The week in fashion: Battling the February blahs with spring previews, potions, florals. And sizing up New York Fashion Week appeared first on Eva Friede.