Hits and misses on the red carpet
March 25, 2002

British actress Kate Winslet might have missed out in the best supporting actress category at the Oscars but she was a hit on the red carpet with the fashion photographers.

The flash bulbs exploded as she arrived with her new partner - the director Sam Mendes - wearing a bias-cut Ben de Lisi red dress with a single floral strap.

Other fashion hits included Halle Berry in a wine-coloured, A-line, Elie Saab ballgown with a sheer bodice and strategically placed beaded flowers and Nicole Kidman who chose a Chanel pink-chiffon, spaghetti-strap gown with tiers of ruffles running down the bodice.

Cindi Leive, editor in chief of Glamour magazine, described Ms Berry as: "The new, hot style icon".

Ms Kidman accessorised her frock with 200 carats of raw Bulgari diamonds wrapped around her neck. Tom Julian, fashion commentator for Oscar.com said: "Nicole's gown really showed how soft and pretty fashion is going."

Fashion misses included Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow. Ms Lopez's simple fitted pink strapless Versace gown was uncontroversial, but it was her dragged-through-a-hedge-backwards hairstyle that got tongues wagging.

Gwyneth Paltrow's heavy makeup and a sheer Christian steel grey Lacroix tank dress did not win many fans, with one observer describing it as "something you might wear down the gym".

The critics were also sniping about the dress worn by Charlie's Angels actress Cameron Diaz, describing her pink, floral, belted frock from Ungaro Couture as "too busy".

Previous best-actress winners Julia Roberts and Helen Hunt went for simple, covered-up styles. Ms Roberts wore a black jersey Giorgio Armani gown with back and side cut-outs. Ms Hunt went for a black satin, long-sleeve gown with a deep V-neck by Gucci.

British actress Helen Mirren was widely-accepted as a fashion hit in a white Giorgio Armani ballgown.

Ms Leive said the audience was disappointed not to see anything of the calibre of Bjork's swan dress from last year.

"A lot of people watch the red carpet for entertainment," she said. "They're not necessarily taking it as a cue of what they're wearing to tomorrow night's cocktail party. I think a lot of people secretly wish someone will look terrible, otherwise it's boring."

Source: ITV News