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Oscars 2019: Best Dressed

The 2019 Oscars celebrated not just the year’s best films, but showcased a lot of outstanding red-carpet performances, too. Here are our winners from the 91st Academy Awards…

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Gemma Chan

Gemma Chan is more than pretty in pink Valentino by Pierpaolo Piccioli worn with Bulgari jewels and a Jimmy Choo clutch, styled by Rebecca Corbin-Murray.

Ashley Graham

Model and red-carpet presenter Ashley Graham is a knockout in black Zac Posen, styled by Jordan Foster, with makeup by Kate Synnott.

Emilia Clarke

The mother of dragons, aka Emilia Clarke, wears a strapless lilac gown covered in crystals, styled by Petra Flannery with hair by Jenny Cho and makeup by Jillian Dempsey.

Laura Harrier

BlacKkKlansman star Laura Harrier is supporting sustainable fashion on the Oscars 2019 red carpet wearing a bespoke, ethically-made dress by Louis Vuitton with stunning Bulgari jewelry.

Lady Gaga

The hips don’t lie: Lady Gaga opts for statement Alexander McQueen and a seriously stunning Tiffany & Co. necklace.

KiKi Layne

Rising star KiKi Layne wears pink Atelier Versace, styled by Wayman and Micah, with hair by Lacy Redway and makeup by Rebekah Aladdin.

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez shines in a Tom Ford dress, Niwaka jewels and Jimmy Choo heels.

Amy Adams

Amy Adams gives all the mermaid vibes in fabulous figure-hugging Versace.

Yalitza Aparicio

Nominated for her performance in Roma, Yalitza Aparicio wears Rodarte for her first Oscars outing.

Constance Wu

The Crazy Rich Asians actress is a ray of sunshine in pleated yellow Versace and Swarovski jewels, styled by Micaela Erlanger.

Amandla Stenberg

Amandla Stenberg channels 1920s glamour in fringed Miu Miu, styled by Karla Welch. Those beautiful braids were created by Vernon François with makeup by Kali Kennedy.

Marie Kondo

Marie Kondo is not only neat, she’s punctual. The author and TV personality is one of the first to arrive, wearing embellished Jenny Packham.

Glenn Close

Golden girl Glenn Close, nominated for her stellar performance in The Wife, wears Carolina Herrera, designed by Wes Gordon.

Rachel Weisz

We love the way Rachel Weisz – and stylist Kate Young – goes for it on the red carpet, this time in red Givenchy, designed by Clare Waight Keller.

Irina Shayk

Fresh from the Versace catwalk in Milan, Irina Shayk wears Burberry by Riccardo Tisci to join beau Bradley Cooper on the red carpet.

Brie Larson

2016 Oscar winner Brie Larson wears a Celine dress, Chanel jewelry and Jimmy Choo heels for her presenting duties tonight, styled by Samantha McMillen, with makeup by Nina Park and hair by Bryce Scarlett.

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett opts for hot-pink Reem Acra with a Judith Leiber clutch and Casadei shoes.

Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson wears a Chanel dress from Karl Lagerfeld’s last couture collection, chosen by Wayman and Micah, with makeup by Alex Babsky and hair by Lacy Redway.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron is super-sleek in Dior and Bulgari, styled by Leslie Fremar with hair by Adir Abergel and makeup by Kate Lee.

Regina King

Wearing Oscar to the Oscars; nominee Regina King wows in white Oscar de la Renta.

Olivia Colman

Olivia Colman is wearing Prada, styled by Mary Fellowes, with makeup by Sarah Uslan and hair by Marcus Francis.

Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh’s intricately embroidered, nipped-waist dress is designed by one of her red-carpet favorites, Elie Saab, accessorized by Chopard and Richard Mille jewelry.

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson wears red-hot and ruffled Elie Saab. The singer and actress is performing I’ll Fight from the documentary RGB about Ruth Bader Ginsburg at tonight’s ceremony.

Emma Stone

Nominee Emma Stone stays loyal to Louis Vuitton for this year’s Oscar outing. Stone’s long-time glam team – stylist Petra Flannery, makeup artist Rachel Goodwin and hairstylist Mara Roszak – created the look.

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Paulson wears one of the night’s most statement-making dresses, from Brandon Maxwell’s latest collection. The actress’ stylist is Karla Welch.

Lucy Boynton

The Bohemian Rhapsody actress wears Rodarte by Kate and Laura Mulleavy and Cartier jewels, styled by Leith Clark, with makeup by Jo Baker and hair by Jenny Cho.

Letitia Wright

Black Panther actress Letitia Wright is stunning in an intricate Dior by Maria Grazia Chiuri gown.

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OSCARs: THE LOWDOWN

What’s special about the Oscars?

You can probably name at least a handful of Best Picture and Best Actor winners, but do you know why the Oscars are considered the ultimate in movie accolades? Or why they are even called the Oscars? The Academy Awards, as they are officially known, is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony. So, basically, it was the biggest, first. Of course, it matters that the academy in question – the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – is LA-based, and most of its approximately 8,000 members (the list itself is unpublished) reside in the US; there’s nothing like winning on home turf, especially when that turf is Hollywood.

The story of why the awards got their nickname is less clear cut. One story is that Bette Davis, who was once a president of the Academy – coined the term for her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson. Another tale says that a newspaper reporter overheard Margaret Herrick, the Academy’s then librarian, saying that the statuette reminded her of her uncle Oscar, and published a story exhorting the moniker. Wherever it came from, it has certainly stuck.

Say cheese
Host Ellen DeGeneres’ ‘Oscars selfie’ is one of the most-retweeted pictures of all time

Prolific winners and standout moments

Some of the most memorable Oscar moments have occurred in recent years: who can forget Ryan Gosling’s suppressed laughter as the cast and crew of La La Land discovered, while on stage to accept the award for best film in 2017, that the winner was in fact Moonlight? Then there was the 2014 selfie to beat all selfies, when host Ellen DeGeneres snapped herself with , Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jared Leto, Julia Roberts, Channing Tatum, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and (plus her brother, Peter Nyong’o). Go back a little further, to 1974, and the Oscars witnessed its very own streaker, as activist Robert Opel ran across the stage nude in front of presenter Elizabeth Taylor. And in 1972, Charlie Chaplin received the longest-ever standing ovation – an incredible 12 minutes.

In terms of winners, there have only been six tied votes during the history of the ceremony, one of the most memorable being when and Katharine Hepburn shared the honors in 1969, for Funny Girl and The Lion in Winter respectively. Hepburn is also the recipient of the most Oscars for acting, with four wins and a total of 12 nominations – Meryl Streep is just behind her on three wins and a whopping 21 nominations. But Walt Disney holds the record for taking home the most Oscar statuettes – 26 wins from an impressive total of 59 nominations.

Who rules the red carpet?

There are too many to mention here, but special commendations go to: Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy, 1954; Grace Kelly in Edith Head, 1955; Julia Roberts in vintage Valentino, 2001; Charlize Theron in Gucci, 2004; Vanessa Paradis in vintage Chanel, 2004; Michelle Williams in Vera Wang, 2006; Marion Cotillard in Jean Paul Gaultier, 2008; Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford, 2012; Halle Berry in Versace, 2013; Jennifer Lawrence in Dior, 2013; Lupita Nyong’o in Prada, 2014; Saoirse Ronan in Calvin Klein, 2018.

SHINING STARS
L-R: Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford, Lupita Nyong’o in Prada and Jennifer Lawrence in Dior

Who are the Oscars 2019 contenders?

It’s hard to call the Best Picture race, which pits musical movies Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born against tender tales Roma and Green Book, depictions of power struggles in Vice, and Spike Lee’s civil rights exploration BlacKkKlansman. If it came to a fight between the ladies of regal drama The Favourite and blockbusting action film Black Panther, who do you think would win?

As for the women to root for, Lead Actress sees Yalitza Aparicio and Glenn Close shortlisted for Roma and The Wife respectively, while Lady Gaga for A Star is Born and Melissa McCarthy for Can You Ever Forgive Me? are also in the running. Golden Globe winner Olivia Colman might just be The Favourite though (it’s the movie moniker that keeps on giving this awards season). Colman’s co-stars Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz are both nominated in the Supporting Actress category, competing against Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk, Amy Adams for Vice and Roma’s Marina de Tavira. Tough call.

Follow PORTER on and for live updates from the Oscars red carpet on February 24.

WORTHY WINNERS
Black Panther, The Favourite and A Star is Born are all in the running for Best Film

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