Often pegged as the opening night of Awards Season, The Emmys provides the best of television talent with the perfect excuse to get all dressed up.

With shows like Glee, Mad Men and 30 Rock often garnering more press than new releases at the multiplex, many stars like Glee’s Lea Michele and Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks are fast becoming style icons in their own right, and there’s nothing small-time about that. In addition to the press coverage, they’ve got the clout that goes with it. Ten years ago, it would be virtually unheard-of for a TV star to be given gowns by designers like Zac Posen and Donna Karan, far less have access to the best of haute couture, but now it’s not only commonplace, it’s expected.

Bearing in mind the scrutiny that now routinely accompanies these events, it’s interesting to see just how the stars of the small screen measure up against their million-dollar counterparts. Some, when faced with the glare of the media spotlight, quake and buckle under pressure, and others accept the glare as another step in their game-plan. Looking the part of a movie star goes a long way to being one: do it well, and a juicy script with your name on it could soon follow.

You’re not just seeing a fashion parade with the Emmys; you’re seeing faces that will become the future Clooneys and Anistons of the next 10 years. Cross-over from television into film is a tricky move, but stars like Katherine Heigl have proved that it can still be done.

The Emmys offer these stars a glimpse of what can life can be like when your name readily equates to box office success. The red-carpet has long since stopped being about scoring style points (although they don’t hurt): to these women, it’s a serious business.

With all that to consider, getting it right on the red-carpet takes on a whole new degree of urgency. Do you go all-out with a risky new design, or go with something tried and true? It was not that much a surprise when many arrived having put their trust in the old fashion faithful, the little black dress.

One of the clear headliners of the night was the ubiquitous black dress. An instant plug-in for glamour and sophistication, the red-carpet version of the LBD was worn by everyone from Lea Michele to Eva Longoria Parker. Fitted at the bodice and flowing out into either a fishtail or flamenco skirt, the RBD (red-carpet black dress) has become a fixture of these events and always scores highly.

Some put a new spin on an old story by switching it up to navy. Traditionally conservative, it’s a risky colour choice for red-carpet as it tends to photograph as black. There’s a time and place for nuance, and the red-carpet isn’t always it.

Those who wore it best wore their heart on their sleeve. The romantic trend is continuing into winter, whilst taking on a suitably Gothic slant, but many on the Emmys carpet stuck with photo-friendly pastels.

 

 

One of the stand-outs was Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks. Wearing lilac Zac Posen, Christina’s softly-ruffled dress was the dreamy sister to January Jones’ sci-fi couture. With a scooping neckline and feather detail on the shoulders and hem, this dress was ultra-feminine and ultra-romantic. Accentuating Hendricks’ figure, this was a master-class in how to do the romantic trend if you’re not a size 8. It was a fittingly bold choice for an actress who gets to play one of the most recognisable women on television.

The romantic trend was also signposted by Dianna Agron and Emily Blunt. Agron, a red-carpet newbie, broke in her heels with a Carolina Herrera gown. Dewy-pink and overlaid with antique lace, it was just the right balance of sweetness. A hair either way, or this dress could’ve made Agron look like she was wearing period costume. Keeping the hair and make-up muted but modern, Agron kept the look pitch-perfect.

Looking modern wasn’t a problem for Mad Men’s January Jones who caught many by surprise by opting for an Atelier Versace gown.

Considering her character Betty Draper is the chief inspiration for the lady-like trend going great guns in editorials and on the high-street, January seemed determined to distance herself from her Sixties alter-ego, for one night at least.

The couture gown was a potent electric blue, with a scooped-out front hem and heavily beaded from top to toe. With an entirely different view from the back, this dress was two looks for the price of one.

At every event, there is one dress that divides opinion and this was it. This was absolute fashion marmite: you either loved it or hated it. The gown was a testament to construction and took us onto the next logical stage after Armani Prive’s ultra-sculptural gowns worn by Jennifer Lopez and Amanda Seyfried at the Oscars.

But with all that detail in one dress, you couldn’t help but get the feeling that this was a case of too many ideas in one gown. The ideas – structure, bold colour, and asymmetry – are all great for pushing our buttons and getting red-carpet fashion moving forward, but put together, something just didn’t add up.

 

 

One of the big stories of the night was just how many stars dialled into the nude trend. Various shades of caramel and blush made for some of the best fashion picks of the evening. Claire Danes opted for shimmering Armani Prive, doing detail to create maximum impact. The objective was straightforward: keep the silhouette simple and go to town on the finish. It is something that Armani does particularly well: understated glamour is notoriously hard to balance, but get it right and the results speak for themselves. Clare Danes shone – in every sense of the word – and won serious fashion points by foregoing the jewellery and making the hair and make-up clean, fresh and polished.

Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) also scored a home run with a Grecian-goddess gown by Donna Karan. Cast somewhere between blush and pale champagne, it was the epitome of sophistication with a bold asymmetric shoulder and strategic drapery. Womanly and grown-up sexy, this look was textbook Donna Karan, and a personal sartorial best for Moss.

Two of the best looks of the night (Moss and Danes) were from designers who were clearly sticking to what they do best. That seemed to be the theme of the night: those who vied for Best Dressed honours were taking no chances and reached for their red-carpet security blanket.

Lea Michele went for Oscar de la Renta for the second year running; Christina Hendricks went for the va-va-voom vote and Eva Longoria Parker channelled senorita-chic in a gown that played to the crowds as well as the fashion folk taking notes.

But where the Emmys threw us a curve ball was where the stars took risks. Normally risk-taking is a necessary part of the red-carpet experience (and often the most fun). Red-carpet is always a couple of steps behind what’s happening on the runways and that’s no bad thing. Time gives you distance and distance gives you perspective. Knowing what to go for and what to leave on the catwalk is crucial when making a red-carpet choice and the importance of editing was never clearer than at the 2010 Emmys.

What should have been the standouts of the night ended up being outshined by those who went for the tried-and-tested fashion formulas.  The sheath dress, the flamenco hem and acres of black should by rights be mothballed for the time being, but they keep returning, and keep making actresses look good, because they have earned their dues as red-carpet fare. It takes a heck of a dress to outdo Armani at the top of his game.

Usually a shoo-in for Best Dressed, January Jones hit a surprising low note with her gown from Atelier Versace. The multi-angular dress was couture at its purest, and maybe too much for the red-carpet. With so much to look at, it was hard to decipher the overall look Jones was going for. From the front, it was architectural modernity. From the back, the flowing train and intricate bodice work was reminiscent of 19^th century couturier Charles Worth. A dress of two halves, it had much to say about where fashion’s going, as well as where it’s been, but for January, for the Emmys, it was a case of the message getting lost in translation.

The Emmys was an unusual night for fashion, where romance and softness won over the best of 21^st century design. At a time where stars are under pressure to wear and wow in the next up-and-coming trend, this red-carpet served as a reminder of how fashion does classic, feminine design and does it well.

This red-carpet was an intake of breath and a pause for thought as Awards Season begins in earnest next year. Whatever 2011 brings, it’s a safe bet that whatever choices win out, we will be dazzled and charmed in equal measure.

HELEN TOPE

If a cursory glance through the minimal trends for Spring and Summer left you thinking that dazzle had been left on the sidelines this season, think again.

While all-out glitz has been temporarily shelved (even on the red carpet), the new way to wear sparkle is through pieces that hint at craftsmanship and heritage. Detail and finish take their lead from haute couture, not mass production. Shades of bronze and pewter take precedence over silver and gold: think ‘old-gold’ rather than ‘shiny penny’.

This wow-factor dress from Miu Miu is a brilliant example of how the new approach works. The layers and layers of sequins make for a cool, edgy finish that’s smart, not showgirl.  The column dress is nothing new for evening, but the avant-garde detailing makes this a head-turner for all the right reasons.

Many classics for S/S 2010 have been revisited this season: military, tribal and even minimal chic. Each one has had a major overhaul, but sparkle, out of all of these, required the most extensive top-to-toe makeover of all. Tarnished by associations with D-list celebrities going for broke on the red carpet, dazzle done well is beautiful. Applied with no concept of when to hold back, it’s a disaster.

This is why the makeover was needed and why it has worked so well.  The remodelling of glitz and glamour has been from the ground up: you couldn’t imagine this Oscar de la Renta frock making an appearance at the Soap Awards, but it looked pitch-perfect worn by Kristen Stewart at a ‘New Moon’ premiere last year.

Taking elements of the unexpected (Lanvin’s jewel-encrusted jumpsuits; Prada’s cobweb vests and Burberry’s bedazzled coats), the new bling is challenging us to pause, look again and re-evaluate. Nothing here is obvious or on the nose. From Dior to Richard Nicoll, old and new perspectives alike have struck gold with their interpretation of what it means right now to dazzle.

Far from being harsh and over-bearing, the softness of the colour palette being used across the board means that designers can go to newer, bolder silhouettes and no-one bats an eye. The Balmain mini-dress, while certainly challenging for the waist-line, is a perfectly plausible look for Xmas. If done in silver-white, it would be a different story.

The good news is that this look works on every budget. As much as you may covet the Lanvin jumpsuit, not everyone can lay down that sort of coin. But the new dazzle is absolutely achievable; it’s just a case of knowing how to put it together.

When accessorising your mini-dress that pays homage to Balmain, or a jewelled jacket, think laterally. Burberry teamed their mega-watt crystal coat with nude ankle boots. French designer Isabel Marant paired her bronze mini-dresses with suede, fringed Navajo boots.

Footwear is a brilliant way of underplaying glitz. Nude tones also work well with smaller glitzy pieces for day. The trick is for every element of sparkle, anchor it with two quieter pieces, whether that’s an accessory or part of the outfit. This trend has legs too: the pewter and bronze pieces will work brilliantly with the bevy of camel and toffee colours beginning to emerge for autumn. Take the Chloe catwalk as your inspiration: leg-lengthening trousers with a jewelled shell top tucked under a camel coat. It’s smart, flattering and almost unbearably chic. Prepare for this autumn to be your best-dressed ever.

Dazzle and sparkle used to have quite a mean-girl reputation: they translated as ‘look at me’, or even worse, ‘I can afford this – and it’s the real deal!’ It’s not surprising many designers in this frugal age have opted for subdued, less showy looks on the runway. If we’re meant to be moving towards a mood of austerity (and in it together), then wearing your entire bank account on your sleeve doesn’t exactly make you part of the zeitgeist.

This makeover is more than skin-deep: it goes right down to the very soul of the trend. Dazzle now celebrates the very things it opposed: artistry, longevity and uniqueness. It’s a look that not only signposts personality, but encourages you to express yours. This trend’s rarest gem is that it works for all kinds of women. If you want to go all-out sexy like the William Tempest asymmetric mini or quirky-cool like Giles’ skin-tight silver suit, every possible combination works.

This is a sub-trend that you will see emerging this winter too. Gone are the days of one trend fits all. Regardless of your personality, being on-trend used to mean donning a particular heel height or a shade of blue, whether it suited you or not.

What the recession has done for the fashion industry is loosened the rules, by necessity rather than design. Trends are becoming flexible, so they can fit you, not the other way around.

 

 

It’s all about the wider movement to create fashion that’s wear-now, love-forever. The days of disposable fashion seem increasingly distant and foreign to the way we live now. A trend’s currency is not only its wearability, but its worth. Making that personal, meaningful connection is rapidly becoming the intelligent way to buy clothes. Buy into the new dazzle and it’ll be the best purchase you’ll make all year. Pick your pieces carefully, and they will, just like the finest jewels, appreciate with value.

HELEN TOPE

 

The Background

Born 1^st September 1971, Rachel Zoe is probably the best known fashion stylist in the world.

She studied at George Washington University, majoring in sociology and psychology and after graduation in 1993 moved into stylist work for magazines including Gotham and YM.

Rachel eventually went freelance, and her list of past and present clients includes Anne Hathaway, Cameron Diaz, Eva Mendes, Nicole Richie, Jennifer Garner, Keira Knightley, Demi Moore and Mischa Barton. She is one of the most sought-after stylists for both red carpet events and editorial shoots, managing to clock up serious air miles between New York and Los Angeles in the process.

Zoe became a tabloid sensation when she began to dress Nicole Richie, and in 2008 Rachel got her own reality show, ‘The Rachel Zoe Project’, which takes a behind-the-scenes look at the daily rigours and delights of fashion styling for the A-list.

The Look

Think of Rachel Zoe and an image quickly comes to mind: statement bag, big sunglasses and even bigger hair. Zoe is unusual because she has built a reputation not just on her ability to fit someone out for the Oscars, but on her ability to influence fashion itself.

Zoe’s first flush of fame came in 2006 when she began to dress the mainstays of young Hollywood, Nicole Richie and Mischa Barton.

Ditching her youthful street style, paparazzi favourite Nicole Richie began to be photographed in flowing maxi-dresses and bug-eye sunglasses. An extreme departure from the style of her early twenties, the sophisticated vintage look borrowed straight from 70’s Halston, and took inspiration from Zoe’s own closet. The new look was an instant hit.

Fashion up until then had been concerned with only one mantra: make it short, and make it tight. Hipster jeans were the favoured way to wear denim, exposing belly chains (remember them?) and frantically-toned flesh.

But with the onslaught of the more relaxed Zoe silhouette, loose and billowing shapes began to appear on the catwalks. Before long, oversized had become a bona fide trend and it had one major advantage over the belly chains: with a few tweaks here and there, it looked good on everyone. This was fashion democracy at its best – if you wanted the full Zoe effect, you wore a maxi-gown with headscarf and Jackie O sunglasses. If you wanted just a taste, an oversized tunic dress or a pair of glamorous shades was enough to make the connection.

 

The success of the Zoe look was due to its ability to translate across age, size and shape. Zoe’s pioneering of oversized fashion catapulted her onto the A-list. Rachel’s own love for fashion got her snapped as much as her clients. Her look got even more coverage and magazines were running features on how to dress like Rachel. The stylist is traditionally seen and not heard, and Zoe was rewriting all the rules.

Her sharply-defined point of view was profiled and analysed by the fashion press. Her love of Seventies fashion revived the lost art of vintage shopping: hunting bargains in your local high-street is fun, but the lure of vintage was simple: you could end up finding a piece that no-one else had. Fashion as lost treasure – what’s not to love?

Turning fashion on its axis from disposable to keep-for-life, Zoe turned us onto the possibility of finding unique keeper pieces. She has proved to be ahead of her time: the tide in high-street fashion is turning towards individuality and craftsmanship, rather than slavishly-copied trends. It’s a new way of wearing clothes, but better yet, it’s a new way of thinking about them too.

Rachel’s embrace of fashion is anchored in a genuine respect for how it is created, from sketch to stitch. Rachel has done sterling work in tuning people into the idea of creating their own style, to be their own stylist, and make a style blueprint from scratch.

Rachel Zoe is not just a stylist – she’s a force for fashion good. Playing on her love of accessories, Rachel is now collaborating with shopping channel QVC, launching her own line of finishing touches. It’s the natural progression for a woman who thinks (and probably dreams) in detail.

What makes Zoe stand out in an industry awash with stylists is that she has her own point of view. It is easy to pick a Zoe client out of a red-carpet line up. They have all the hallmarks of someone who’s been dressed by a professional (glamour, poise, great hair and make-up). But what separates the Zoe client is that the dress will not only be occasion-appropriate, but it will be career-appropriate as well.

Rachel Zoe extols the virtue of dressing for the future you want, not just the present you have (however fabulous that may already be). Aspirational dressing isn’t just for WAGs – it can help women who are doing well on the career ladder, but want to do better.

Ambition is very much the elephant in the room in Hollywood. Everyone has it but no-one wants to admit that what got them there took absolute grit and determination. There’s nothing soft or whimsical about your favourite A-list actress floating down the carpet in an Alberta Ferretti. Don’t be fooled: on the inside, she’s as tough as old boots.

 

Fashion as personality is something Rachel’s cultivated particularly well, both with herself and clients. A red-carpet dress on client Anne Hathaway never looks ‘wrong’ or overdone: it looks like the dress was made with no other purpose than to sit on her back.

Glitz on its own is nothing new – or remarkable. Everyone, from the Soap Awards upwards, knows the basics of red-carpet dressing. What Zoe takes to another level is creating a style for clients that looks organic and evolved. Every look you see is meticulously ordered. Nothing is left to chance, but it just looks effortless.

Zoe’s most successful looks have been about the detail. Whether it’s a dress covered with translucent paillettes or an athletic cut in sunset chiffon, Zoe pushes us to expect more by slowly introducing braver, bolder shapes that challenge our pre-conception of what red carpet fashion should look like.

Many A-listers now hope to have careers that span decades, and staying with the same image for 50 years is not always the way to go. Ambition dictates that in order to move on, one must move forward. What Rachel understands so clearly about the fame game is that a style icon is never born, she is made. Not convinced? Look at Madonna. Never the same image twice and we’re still as fascinated by her now as we were in 1983. That is the mark of a true artist.

The Zoe team build style icons from the ground up: Cameron Diaz has made the transition from beach babe to urban sophisticate, and the changes have been so subtle they feel authentic. When you can’t see the stylist’s sleight of hand, you know they’re good.

Regardless of how far Rachel explores her move into merchandising, her primary role – stylist, taste-maker – has redefined how Hollywood looks today – and that’s bananas.

The Summary (how the Zoe effect can work for you)

- Redefine how you think about vintage fashion. It’s not just sustainable and purse-friendly: done well, it builds a library of fashion unique to you and your personality.

 

- Ignore labels and go for fit. Does it (a) fit you, right now, (b) fit with minor alterations (eg: taking up a hem or sewing on a new button) and (c) fit your current wardrobe and lifestyle. If your day-to-day life doesn’t much call for a floor-length kaftan, it may not be the best buy for you. A 70’s waistcoat or a pair of 80’s sunglasses are good examples of vintage slotting into a contemporary look.

 

- Approach style like a jigsaw puzzle. Look for pieces that will fit your personality and slot in with what you already own.

 

- Revise what you wear now: what could be taken to the next level? An incredible piece of costume jewellery can lift a faithful LBD, an intricately-detailed belt can make a maxi-dress that much more wearable when the thermometer’s not pushing 80 Fahrenheit.

 

- Think design. Many of the high-street brands are currently fighting for survival and this competition for our attention means they have to get creative. Keep an eye out for clothing with ‘good bones’. If it works on you, it doesn’t matter if it was made by H&M or Karl Lagerfeld himself. Fashion is, or should be, a uniquely personal enterprise. Go with your gut instinct and when it’s right, your style radar will pick up the signal loud and clear.

Rachel’s work in introducing us to vintage and the importance of a good accessory takes second place to her most important lesson of all: the importance of taking chances. Taking the road less travelled can lead to incredible things: buying that vintage necklace can unlock a whole new way of dressing, and your style should be as much a part of you as your fingerprint: indelible and one of a kind. Fashion’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. So dress accordingly.

HELEN TOPE 

As the red carpet is rolled up and put into storage, and unused acceptance speeches are lying crumpled up in waste baskets, there is no better time for pause and reflection on the Oscars fashion stakes. The sartorial triumphs and failures of Oscar night are more extensively covered than the trifling details of who won what award. What we want to know is the same each year: who knocked ‘em dead? Who could do better, and who thought it was a good idea to turn up to the most formal event in the awards calendar in a beanie? (Clue: Philip Seymour Hoffman did).

This year, stars seemed to decide that recession or not, they’d rack up a few dry-cleaning bills. Pale and delicate were the most popular (and visible) choices of the evening. SJP, Anne Hathaway, Evan Rachel Wood, Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Biel all went to the light side. Some, however, worked the tricky trend with more success than others.

Anne Hathaway’s shimmering Armani Prive gown with oval pailettes (that’s fashion parlance for sequins) swirled and pooled around her body in a style reminiscent of Marion Cotillard’s incredible Gaultier moment last year. By contrast, almost as if they had swopped fashion notes beforehand, Cotillard turned up in an ink-black Dior Haute Couture gown that was Odile to Hathaway’s Odette.

Someone who took the pale and interesting look onto new heights was ‘The Wrestler’ star Evan Rachel Wood. This was a surprising choice for a girl who is known for her love of the dark side. Flaunting her Goth credentials, Rachel’s gown was just the right shade of pale. Offset by her flame-red hair and confident swagger, this creamy Elie Saab number had Goth fans wondering whether they’d been a little hasty in declaring black their signature colour.

 

 

 

Another of Mickey Rourke’s girls, Marisa Tomei, finally got the style memo after a truly disastrous awards season. Lurching from folks-y flounce to a ‘Pirates of the Carribean’ theme night at the Globes, Tomei stepped out this time in a stunning Versace gown. Bearing in mind her previous form, Marisa has obviously heard that if you don’t necessarily possess a red-carpet signature style, go for Versace. The clothes are your fashion passport for the evening, no further thought required. This feathered grey-pearl wonder was sexy and elegant, a tough combination to get right. Luckily for Marisa, Versace has cornered the market in how to do both.

Of course, not everyone went to the light. Others revelled in daring choices that provoked a response. After all, the only thing worse in having your dress trashed by critics is having it ignored.

Kate Winslet’s choice was in no danger of being ignored. Being on target to win her first Oscar after being nominated five times before, the pressure was on to bow out of a triumphant awards season, not with a bang but with a flourish. Kate did not disappoint. Her gown, one of the most fashion-forward of the night, provided a master class in how to handle the hurdles and pitfalls of formal dressing.

Her custom-made dress from YSL may have divided some critics, and it was a definite gamble for Kate, who likes her classics. But on this occasion, an once-in-a-lifetime occasion, taking a risk was the only sensible thing to do. An unforgettable night calls for an unforgettable dress, and YSL’s Stefano Pilati certainly delivered on his promise.

 

 

The avant-garde detail of a transparent beaded overlay crossing over the back and dripping down one side, and the texturing on the asymmetric shoulder was tempered by the sedate use of tone-on-tone. Grey on black could have a tendency to look funereal, but the detailing absolutely sold it. The gamble paid off, and in every possible way, the night belonged to Kate.

Not everyone settled for monochromatic wonders. Amy Adams, Alicia Keys and Natalie Portman warmed the carpet up with a zing of on-trend colour.

Amy Adams proved that she has found her fashion footing with a Carolina Herrera collaboration. Wearing a deep-red pleated gown with black piping on the bodice that complimented her colouring beautifully, the huge jewelled collar from Fred Leighton she chose to go with it was perhaps more of a hit-and-miss affair. The collar was undeniably stunning, but it was clear that the collar was too much for the dress – and vice versa.

A highly commended mention has to go to Natalie Portman, who made a splash with an unusually structured dress from outré design duo Rodarte. Normally fans of the deconstructed look, Rodarte showed that they are more than capable of producing an impeccably structured gown that can go toe-to-toe with anything produced by the big names of the fashion world.

Playing against the exquisite fit and finish, the fun pop of bubblegum pink was youthful and playful, in a very on-trend way. Expect to see this colour on the high street very soon.

Many have called this year’s Oscars the finest for many years. After several years of producers tinkering away at a tried-and-tested formula with very mixed results, this year the producers stepped back and took note of the mood of the moment. It was bye-bye bling, and hello to muted sophistication, interjected with a dash of warmth and wit. The ceremony went for a more intimate feel, and it worked tremendously well. (The petition to get Hugh Jackman back as next year’s host starts here).

The ailing economy has caused Hollywood to finally reassess its priorities. A gear shift was long overdue. The stars on Oscar night gave us glamour without the jarring excess which right now reads as crass and thoughtless. It is time instead for a different approach: colour, innovation and glamour are finally taking centre stage. Behold the next Golden Age of Hollywood.

 HELEN TOPE