Oscars 2015 - who won for best dressed?

The awards season always culminates in the Oscar ceremony, so the ladies keep their best bets for impressive (or disastrous) appearances for this night. Who wore whom has managed to upstage who won what, and with the choices the Academy makes each year, deservedly so. Let's check some of the best dressed ladies on the 87th Academy Awards red carpet (all photos courtesy of wwd.com and Donato Sardella, and Getty Images).

Update: The best dressed lady was not even on the red carpet (of the actual ceremony that is): Diane Kruger went to the Vanity Fair Party in a smashing Donna Karan pants/dress outfit:

Mark Seliger portrait in a special set/photo booth inside the VF party - Joshua Jackson accessory optional

Look at that train! Photo by  Billy Farrell/Bfanyc.com

Cate Blanchett is the undisputed Queen of Hollywood. She probably surprised most of the nominated for Best Actress ladies in picking a simpler dress to wear (Galliano for Margiela, a first for Oscars) - you can see it in the outfits they picked, thinking of how to upstage Cate who would be giving them the award. Tough luck ladies. Cate is never upstaged. The necklace is a one of a kind piece from Tiffany's in their signature colour. It doesn't get more regal than this.

Lupita Nyong'o is resplendent in a custom made Calvin Klein dress covered with 6000 pearls. She's becoming the heir to Cates' throne. 

Margot Robbie wore a laid back Saint Laurent dress with a 30s Van Cleef and Arpels necklace that suited the plunging neckline so good. I think if she had piled some big hammered gold cuff bracelets on it would have looked even better - next time check Loulou De La Falaise on how to wear YSL.

Thankfully Rosamund Pike did not disappoint - I was afraid it would be yet another disaster like some of her recent appearances. But she rose to the occasion with this magnificent Givenchy Couture. One of the rare occasions that red looks good on the red carpet.

When I read that Emma Stone, one of my favourites, would be wearing Elie Saab, I flinched. I do not like most, if not all, the clothes Saab makes, so it looked as a disaster in the making. Fortunately it wasn't. My only objection is the light shade of green - she would have looked so much better in a darker one.

AP IMAGES

Marion Cotillard picked an unusual shape (at the back at least) for the red carpet - and it was a breath of fresh air. I love the texture of the (lasre cut?) fabric and she looks great in it. So beautiful and French. Dior Haute Couture.

Scarlett Johansson is the embodiment of "whoa" here. I love her short hair (although it looked as if she skipped the hairdresser this time) and the shade and shape of the dress suits her to a T. Versace Atelier with Piaget necklace.

Sophie Hunter looks gorgeous in this red Lanvin - another proof that red can look great on the red carpet as long as you have an amazing dress. Cumberbatch accessory optional.

I love Patricia Arquette and she always looks great on the red carpet. Simple, elegant, real. She's wearing Rosetta Getty who designed this especially for her.

How stunning can Viola Davis look? Very. Even though a stronger colour would have suited her better (a violet?), she nails it once again. Zac Posen should research some fabrics that do not crinkle that easily.

Naomi Watts (Naomi fookin Watts) got some flack for this Armani Prive gown, but I really like it. Texture, metallics, cut, all work well on her.

A knight in shining armour. I love this encrusted metallic gown Laura Dern is wearing, like a modern Joan of Arc. Only missing a sword. Custom made Alberta Ferretti,

Tegan and Sara, nominated for best song for the Lego movie, stayed true to themselves and their style. And won hands down. Tegan is wearing  a The Kooples suit and Barbara Bui shoes, while Sara is in a Public School dress. Everything is awesome indeed.

Tribute to Alexander McQueen

My all-time favourite McQueen gown, Oyster Dress, Spring Summer 2003

It is in the Metropolitan Museum of New York

Alexander McQueen with his mother

Gorgeous gown, Autumn/Winter 2006

I cannot believe I am writing this post. My favourite designer is dead. Alexander McQueen, 40 years old, was found dead at his home in London today, 9 days after the death of his beloved mother. McQueen always seemed so in control and defiant of everyone, it makes it even harder to believe he is simply gone.

Shalom Harlow being sprayed by two car painting robots

Alexander with Isabella Blow

Escher inspired print at his recycled runway, Autumn/Winter 2009-2010 show

Spring/Summer 2007 show - one of my very favourite dresses

An incredible talent, he made his way through the turbulent waters of the fashion world, always on the rise; seemingly nothing could stop him. He was born in 1969, the youngest of six in Hackney, London, in 1969; dad was a taxi driver, mom a teacher. He became interested in fashion as a child and very soon he was a young apprentice at the Saville Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard, then Gieves & Hawkes. There he made suits for the Prince of Wales amongst others (legend has it he wrote "I am a cunt" with a ballpoint pen in the lining of one of the Prince's suits). He did a small stint at Koji Tatsuno at Paris before going to Milan to work at Romeo Gigli.

Back in England in 1994, he applied for work at Central St. Martins but was encouraged to enroll as a student. His graduation collection was bought by fashion legend Isabella Blow, who was to become his friend, mentor and muse.

A selection from his work throughout the years

His infamous "Highland rape" collection in 1995 drew the fashion world's attention. The result of his theatrical but exquisitely tailord concoctions was a much coveted position at the helm of the Givenchy fashion house, right after John Galliano left for Dior. The tenure was not without problems: he called Hybert De Givenchy, one of the most revered and gentle men in Haute Couture "irrelevant", his first collection there was a failure. But he build his reputation slowly, managing to outsmart his critics.

German Vogue photo shoot

Nick Knight photo shoot for British Vogue

One of his quirky handbags

Givenchy Spring/Summer 2000 Haute Couture - in Vogue

Bjork "Homogenic" album cover, photo by Nick Knight

From his men's collection

Tilda Swinton in his dress for Narnia

Futuristic editorial

Comparing editorial to runway

Never happy with the management, he left for the Gucci group and his own label in 2001, where he enjoyed critical and financial success, opening boutiques across the world, releasing his perfume and accessories line. His oeuvre, dark and romantic yet thoroughly steeped in the modern, grimy world, enchanted people and made him popular to all. Even Puma and MAC cosmetics approached him for designing collections for them.

Men's collection

The Los Angeles boutique, designed by Pentagram

Stage for one of his shows

His first perfume, Kingdom

Nick Knight photograph

His chess-board fashion show, Spring/Summer 2005

Luggage designed for Samsonite

December 2008 Vogue US editorial with Roberto Bolle as Romeo and Coco Rocha as Juliet,

shot by Annie Leibovitz

Bjork, photographed by Nick Knight

Designed for Puma

Givenchy Autumn/Winter 1999/2000 Haute Couture leather corset

Daria Werbovy in Vogue US editorial, May 2009

I love his clothes: his collections were the ones I anticipated the most during fashion week. The outfits, dark and looking like stepping a fine line between fairy tales and science fiction, yet somehow, one could always find very wearable tailored pieces in his collections. His evening dresses were fantastic mash-ups of a variety of influences, with most prominent his love for victorianna and a morbid fascination with death - taxidermied animals, bones, whole skeletons, sculls etc, were always present in his collections.

You can read about my favourite collection of his in another post I made. His loss is a great one, not only for his family and friends, but for fashion lovers and people who appreciated his talents. He had lots more to give and I believe we had not seen the best of him yet. He will be sorely missed.

Bye bye Lee