Audrey Hepburn, 1954
Thinking that he had an appointment with the legendary Katharine Hepburn, designer Hubert de Givenchy was surprised to see a young and unknown Audrey Hepburn show up at his design studio in a T-shirt and sandals. Nonetheless, the rising star and the Parisian couturier would become close friends, with Givenchy dressing Hepburn
... on screen and off for most of her life. In 1954, Hepburn accepted her Best Actress Oscar at the 26th annual Academy Awards for the role of Princess Ann in Roman Holiday wearing a white floral Givenchy gown. The strapless and belted couture dress marked the first time audiences saw Hepburn in one of the designer's creations. MORE
Grace Kelly, 1955
Grace Kelly was a movie star's movie star. In 1955 she wore this satin Edith Head dress to the 27th annual Academy Awards, where she won Best Actress for her role in
The Country Girl. No wonder she ended up marrying Monaco's Prince Rainier III a year later. One look at this dress and it's clear that Kelly's future title,
... Princess Grace, would fit her beautifully. MORE
Elizabeth Taylor, 1961
In 1961, the Grande Dame won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Butterfield 8. She collected her statue in a sleeveless ensemble that had a yellow top and white ball-gown skirt with a floral pattern. A black satin sash adorned with a red rose pin cinched her tiny waist.
Shirley MacLaine, 1975
MacLaine wore this shimmery, sparkly number when she hosted the 47th Academy Awards with Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope in 1975. It's classic and glamorous — just like the actress herself.
Anjelica Huston, 1976
She was Jack Nicholson's date that night, but Anjelica Huston stood out all on her own in this pretty, fish-scale-pattern dress. More than three decades later, French actress Marion Cotillard would walk the red carpet in a sleeveless gown with a similar print.
Mia Farrow, 1979
Mia Farrow was a little bit disco, a little bit Hollywood starlet for the 51st Academy Awards in 1979. She wore a white halter gown with a glittery flame design on the front.
Nicole Kidman, 1997
Nicole Kidman was hardly a household name when she appeared at the 1997 Academy Awards. In fact, most of America knew her only as Mrs. Tom Cruise. But the Aussie actress held her own on the red carpet that night in a chartreuse Dior gown designed by John Galliano. The sleeveless dress, adorned with floral embroidery, was a
... departure from the pastel and primary colors that dominated awards shows at the time. MORE
Gwyneth Paltrow, 1999
This all-American actress picked all-American designer Ralph Lauren to dress her for the 1999 Academy Awards, where she took home the Best Actress statue for her performance in
Shakespeare in Love. The bubblegum-pink princess gown got mixed reviews from critics, but Paltrow's dress struck the perfect tone for her fairy-tale
... evening — and inspired racks full of pink dresses in stores across the country that year. MORE
Julia Roberts, 2001
Julia Roberts' Valentino gown proved that it's perfectly acceptable to see things in black-and-white, at least when it comes to fashion. At the 2001 Academy Awards, Roberts accepted her Best Actress statue for
Erin Brockovich in a vintage black column gown with a tulle overlay and white piping details from the designer's
... couture collection. Valentino recently said that seeing Roberts in the dress was the highlight of his career. MORE
Björk, 2001
What do you remember about the 2001 Academy Awards? Do you remember that
Gladiator won five awards, including Best Picture? Or that Julia Roberts was named Best Actress for her role in
Erin Brockovich? Of course not. But you probably
do remember Björk's swan dress. Björk showed up to the 73rd Academy Awards in a white dress
... made by British designer Marjan Pejoski that was literally in the shape of a swan — beak and all. That's right. Björk wore a bird. (She was nominated for Best Original Song for "I've Seen It All," featured in Dancer in the Dark but lost to Bob Dylan.) Björk's dress was so weird, so wild, that people who didn't follow fashion were talking about it. Actually, they're still talking about it; the swan dress has appeared on nearly every fashion magazine's "worst dressed" list since then. But here's the thing: It's not unflattering. As far as swan-shaped outfits go, this one is pretty tasteful. Is it possible that that the swan dress is so bad that it's actually good? MORE
Halle Berry, 2003
Having accepting her Best Actress statue a year earlier in a burgundy Elie Saab gown, Halle Berry wore the designer again to the 2003 ceremony. This time, Berry opted for a one-shoulder gold number, which had a beaded top and embroidered tulle skirt.
Kate Hudson, 2003
Kate Hudson's 2003 Oscar dress was the real thing — no, really, it was made with 14-carat gold! Designer Donatella Versace had to hand-sew the lace embroidery onto the gorgeous gown, which had a small train and cap sleeves.
Anne Hathaway, 2009
Anne Hathaway was a knockout in silver at the 2009 Academy Awards. The actress chose a sparkly strapless gown by Armani Prive, which had a diagonal pattern created with Swarovski crystals.
Sandra Bullock, 2010
In 2010, Sandra Bullock's gold column gown matched the Best Actress Oscar statue she took home for her portrayal of real-life mom Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side. Designed by Marchesa, the dress was adorned with metallic floral embroidery and vintage beading.
Barbra Streisand, 1969
The 41st Academy Awards were not kind to Barbra Streisand. Not only did the legendary entertainer have to share her 1969 Best Actress award with Katharine Hepburn (in a historic tie), but she also appeared in
this. What is it? It seems to be a sheer pantsuit with bell-bottoms and a white butterfly collar. Designed by Arnold
... Scaasi, the outfit (or whatever you want to call it) was sheer all around — including Streisand's barely covered behind. MORE
Vanessa Redgrave, 1978
Year after year, black remains one of the most popular colors on the Oscar red carpet. It's chic, classic and universally flattering. But the oversize black dress — or should we say cape? — that Vanessa Redgrave wore in 1978 was downright ugly, with its huge bell-sleeves and red trimming, which tied into too-cute bows at
... the shoulders. MORE
Helena Bonham Carter, 1987
This fluffy black dress isn't
that bad ... if you're an overemotional 15-year-old girl who listens to the Cure. But in 1987, Helena Bonham Carter decided to wear it when presenting the award for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 59th Academy Awards. Yes, it was the '80s. And yes, Bonham Carter is known for her — how do we
... say this politely — unique sense of style. But come on. All that's missing is rock-star stage makeup. MORE
Cher, 1988
n 1986, Cher went to the 58th Academy Awards in a feathered headdress. The fabulous Bob Mackie creation would have been fantastic for Cher's Las Vegas show, but on the red carpet, it just seemed garish and weird. Two years later, Cher wore this unsettlingly sheer Mackie ensemble when she took home the 1988 Academy Award for her
... starring role in Moonstruck. We get it, Cher. You're hot. Now put some clothes on. MORE
Kim Basinger, 1990
Half menswear, half debutante gown, Kim Basinger's 1990 Oscar dress was nothing short of a white hot mess. With one opera glove, half a blazer and a gigantic ball skirt, Basinger's garment was a disastrous combination of unlikely pieces. The design was widely panned, and at the end of the day, Basinger had only herself to
... blame. After all, the Oscar-winning actress had designed the gown herself! MORE
Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley, 1991
The Oscar red carpet may not have been the best place for Jon Bon Jovi to show off his rock-star style. Especially since said style involved a crushed-velvet purple suit with leather lapels. Not to be outdone, Bon Jovi's wife Dorothea wore an equally outrageous purple dress.
Whoopi Goldberg, 1993
Here's what Whoopi Goldberg decided to wear to the 1993 Academy Awards: a purple and green jumpsuit with matching purple and green shoes, covered in a purple and lime green cape — or is that a skirt and jacket? — and topped off with enormous earrings. It wouldn't be our first choice if we were invited to the Oscars. In
... fact, we're not even sure it'd be our first choice for a date at the circus. MORE
Lizzy Gardiner, 1995
To be fair, Lizzy Gardiner is a costume designer, not a couture designer. In 1995, she won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work on
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert — a fun, flamboyant film with over-the-top outfits. Our problem with the outfit Gardiner wore to accept her award isn't that her dress was made out
... of a bizarre, nontraditional material. Our problem is that the material of choice was the American Express gold card. It's tacky. And how did she sit down in that thing? MORE
Celine Dion, 1999
It's baggy, its pants are too long, and she's wearing it backwards. We're not sure what look Celine Dion was trying to pull off with the Christian Dior tuxedo she wore to the 71st annual Academy Awards, but she came across looking like a little girl trying on her father's suit. And what's with the fedora?
Faith Hill, 2002
Country crooner Faith Hill sang "Somewhere over the Rainbow" at the 2002 Academy Awards. Apparently she couldn't resist extending the rainbow theme to her sartorial choice that evening, with a Versace gown that mixed a range of pastel hues. Singing about rainbows? Sure. Wearing one on the red carpet? Not so much.
Selma Blair, 2002
Selma Blair showed up at the 2002 Vanity Fair Oscars party in what looked like an incomplete crochet project. The barely there red ensemble, which was made up of tassels and strategically placed fabric bits, seemed more appropriate for a Vegas showgirl.
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