2012 Samsung AACTA Awards Ceremony at Sydney Opera House. Red Carpet. Cate Blanchett. Picture: Adam Ward
Damien Woolnough, The Australian, reports
AT local awards shows the only certainty is that fashion will be the biggest loser. From the Brownlows to the Logies, our national sense of style has suffered but glimpses of glamour and hope emerged on the red carpet at the Sydney Opera House for last night's inaugural AACTA awards.
With the arrival of Cate Blanchett looking like a style gladiatrix in gold Alexander McQueen, memories of Melbourne celebrity Brynne Edelsten in dresses fit for the Playboy mansion or broadcaster Susie Elelman's dangerous decolletage at the Logies were finally erased.
Most actresses could be forgiven for skipping the red carpet at the sight of Blanchett glistening in the distance but a new breed of starlets rose to the challenge.
Most took safety in basic black, with Radha Mitchell wearing a Grecian-style dress with knotted straps by Bianca Spender, and Elizabeth Debicki from the upcoming The Great Gatsby making a black Collette Dinnigan dress with a pineapple motif the unexpected height of chic.
Red Dog actress Rachael Taylor passed on a Gucci dress to wear black Dion Lee with sheer panels, causing double takes in the photographers' pit. Following a similarly sexy path was Megan Gale who fought for breath in a black lace dress with a plunging neckline by Alex Perry.
Most guests bypassed sexiness and goddess gowns for dresses they could sit down in. Claudia Karvan made green animal print by Dolce & Gabbana look elegant and comfortable, with a practical below-the-knee hemline, and Jane Eyre actress Mia Wasikowska looked at ease in a baby-doll blush dress by Miu Miu.
"The overall standard of the Australian red carpet has improved," says celebrity stylist Kelly Smythe, who dressed model Samantha Harris in floor-length black Alex Perry. "People now have greater access to international designers and they're more willing to seek out stylists for help."
Department store David Jones sponsored the event and helped actresses avoid the aesthetic pitfalls that can lead to worst-dressed lists. They also provided ambassador Miranda Kerr in bronze Collette Dinnigan, to lift the style standard in an emergency but it was unnecessary - Blanchett had already scored gold.
No comments:
Post a Comment