DivaDebbi's Red Carpet Report Card Academy Awards 2016

#OscarsSoWhite. Well, we knew it would be an interesting night, as all eyes and ears were on Chris Rock opening monologue at the Oscars. Interesting too, that if the Oscars are "so white" a black host was chosen long before the nominations were announced.  Rock wasted no time getting down to business, perfectly skewering Hollywood for it's underrepresentation of minorities in the business. According to Rock, if the Academy had voted on who would host, Neil Patrick Harris would be standing there instead. Touche...We got it, but the jokes grew tiresome and less funny as the night wore on. #SometimesLessIsMore. Ya know???

It was a somewhat dull night, to some extent because the nominated films were not blockbusters, but for the most part, small independent films. Translation? Not a lot of people saw them.  The Red Carpet was a tepid affair too, even the duds were few and far between damn it. Leo of course, got what he deserved. Happily.

Trends included shimmering sequins, trains and strapless gowns...now let's get to it.


A+

Magnificent Cate Blanchett in magnificent Armani Prive.
Breathtaking.

Charlize Theron, always stellar.  Here in Dior with Harry Winston jewels.
Sublime.

A Team

Julianne Moore in Haute Couture Chanel.
I would have loved it more in navy, but still stunning.

Jennifer Garner, never more stunning than in this one shoulder
sequin trimmed "revenge" gown.
Well played.

Margot Robbie, languorous in liquid gold Tom Ford. 

Saorise Ronan in and exquisite emerald green Calvin Klein gown
in homage to Ireland

Isla Fisher, lovely in Marchesa

The dependably gorgeous Naomi Watts in Armani Prive

Jason Tremblay in Armani. The kid is a cross between George Clooney and Cary Grant.
And boy, the boy can act.  One to watch.

The B Team

Brie Larsen is Gucci.  I felt the belt and color overwhelmed the
dress and Brie. Awful hair. Wonderful work in The Room. Congrats
to the new J. Law

Alicia Vikkander and Belle from Beauty in the Beast in Louis Vuitton.

She has had an OUTSTANDING awards season. This to me was a rare miss.

Sophia Vergara must have a sleeve allergy. Never seen her anything
but strapless. Nicely, this is more fluid than her usual bombshell
numbers, but the result is world's most gorgeous Mother of the Bride

Jennifer Lawrence's Dior had a vaguely moulin rouge vibe to me.
Not bad, not her best, just like the tepid Joy she starred in.

Rooney Mara in Couture Givenchy.
I wanted to love it. Somehow she looks a bit
like an angelic Victorian Christmas tree ornament
that could be hung from her top knot.

The C Team

The Bridesmaids, Tina and Reese

Rachel McAdams in August Getty Atelier.
Loved the color and the cut but the wrinkled fabric cheapened it.

Kate Winslet in Ralph Lauren
"and up from the ground came a bubbling crude...."

The D List

Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell for Georgia O'Keefe

Patricia Arquette. Happily, she didn't do a face plant.
Top. Heavy.

The F Team

Amy Poehler as Madame Butterfly

Kerry Washington in Versace for the Pleasure Chest

Olivia Wilde in pleated Valentino Coverall's.
Sorry, not a fan of side boobage

Heidi Klum, who, along with Christina Hendricks, have never gotten
it right on the RC.  My offer now stands for both;
I will style you for free and pay my own expenses.
NO ONE over the age of 8 could covet this dress.

So there, you have it Lovelies...8 minutes passed my deadline. Hope it's still worthy of a peek.  See you at the Emmy's.

Night night...

xox,
DD

DivaDebbi's SAG Awards 2016 Report Card

Have the SAG's always been presented on a Saturday night? As much as I love the Red Carpet, my Saturday night plans trumped this easily...I'll bet yours did too.  It's a shame, because in reviewing the evenings fashion, there were more splendid dresses and fewer tragedies that I can ever recall. If this is the Oscar preamble, the stylists are on their A game and the mirrors the stars look in are apparently in focus. Brava!

Kudos as well to the divine Idris Elba, one of my many pretend boyfriends, who had a double win for Best Supporting Actor in Beasts of a Nation and his amazing work on the BBC police drama Luther. I'm all for them casting Elba as the next James Bond.  I think he would be fantastic in the role.  For me, a lot of the outcry over the lack of nominated black actors for the Academy Awards is not justified...I never see color, only the work. Personally, I don't think anyone deserving was excluded this year and to nominate someone for the sake of diversity seems disingenuous. Shaking the Academy up and better balancing the age, sex and race of its members??? Loooong overdue.

Off my soapbox...

I adored so many of the dresses last night. No single trend emerged, though we did see lots of women pretty in pink, shades of blue, hunter green, thigh high slits and an abundance of sleeves. Overall, the stars looked radiantly beautiful in a wide array of designers.  For the first time I have an A+ and A list, and the age of the winners spans from 16 to 70. Naturally, the F list continues in infamy, though my heart is always a little heavy for those who end up on them and the stylists, designers and looking glass that failed them.

Moving on..,
A+

Alicia Vikkander in Louis Vuitton
As always, extraordinary

Emilia Clarke in Dior Haute Couture

Eva Langoria,
Looking  sexy and toned in Julien McDonald

Naomi Watts
Stunning in Burberry (and one of my faves)

Rachel McAdams looking fit and elegant in Elie Saab

The delightful Kiernan Shipka in Erdem

Helen Mirren, crushing it in Jenny Packham

S

Soarise Ronan, demure & elegant in a pale pink beaded Michel Kors

Rooney Mara in Valentino
(I don't favor black on the RC, but I think she looks divine)

Priyanka Chopra
Ultra femme in Monique L'Hullier

Maisie Williams
I adored her choice of midcalf by Ermanno Scervino

Marisa Tomei
Elegant, in understated Zuhair Murad Couture
(A first for both of them.)

The A List:
Almost perfect; Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Tina Fey (who often looks like Prom Mom), Claire Danes, Viola Davis, Diane Lane, Sarah Hyland and the always beautiful, but insanely predictable, Sophia Vergara.

Do you think they deserved a higher mark???

The F List:

There, there Darlings... all is forgiven, just not forgotten.

Gaby Hoffman
I wish she had opted for a more traditional length, just so we would
have been spared the jade suede clogs

Sola Bamis...a very busy bee

 Betty Draper would not be caught dead in this... Literally.

The satin version of her Game of Thrones armor, sans sword
that she looks infinitely more comfortable in

Julianne Moore in a midriff baring lettuce wrap

Joanna Froggat is another perennial on my worst dressed list
Didn't any of those years of dressing the exquisite Lady Mary pay off???

Nicole Kidman in Gucci for Ringling Brothers

The lovely Christina Hendricks is a perennial on my F List.
Why, oh why does she always look Marie Antoinette at Madame Tussaud's???
I contemplated publishing my cell phone. I offer all of my services to
you, on my dime for the Emmy's. DivaDebbi@gmail.com

Lori Petty
I think she's pulling our chain.
Why would anyone want to look like Billy the Kid in Mary Kay Pink,
if not for shi*ts and giggles?

So my loyal lovelies, there you have it...Who did you love and who did you loathe? Who did I miss fab and flop???

Always fun to recap for you and looking forward to the the Oscar's, less than a month away!

xox,
DD

DivaDebbi's 2016 Golden Globe's Report Card

I am most excited to have been asked by the executive committee of The Greenwich International Film Festival (GIFF), to share my DivaDebbi Golden Globes Fashion Report Card on their website.To see the link, please click here.

 Founded by Carina Crain, Colleen deVeer and Wendy Stapleton Reyes, GIFF, now in its second annual year, continues to celebrate gifted artists, "bridging the worlds of film, finance and philanthropy, to make Greenwich, Ct. a film and visual arts epicenter". This years festival, takes place from June 9th-June12th and will focus on human rights issues.The supporting workshops and seminars they feature during the festival and throughout the year, are successfully cultivating a, growing and devoted visual arts community in Greenwich.

On Friday night, GIFF supporters were treated to a preview of Showtime's newest series Billions starring Paul Giamatti and Damien Lewis and a panel discussion afterwards with its creators, director and cast members. Another enthralling night executed by GIFF and sponsored locally by Sotheby's Real Estate. Billions premieres January 17th on Showtime. (If you don't subscribe, the entertainment value of this series alone, is worth every nickel, as we have the fun of vicariously watching "Axe", played sublimely by Lewis, purchase a 68 million dollar beach house.)

So without further adieu Lovelies, let's get started...

Ricky Gervais was once again brought back to host the Golden Globes for the fourth time. A bad boy, who sharpened his teeth on the hides of his audience to mixed reviews in the past, I imagined he would be honing his incisors for his encore, just to prove he would not be chastised by Hollywood.  I say, bring back Tina and Amy...whatever his old beef with Mel Gibson was, it was for most of the universe, forgotten. Besides, all the stuff that gets bleeped out is zero fun for the television audience. Whatevs...

Since the Hollywood Foreign Press nominates the films, television shows and actors for the Golden Globes, it is often seen as a precursor for the Academy Awards and Emmy's. This year it just seemed like a rag-tag mix.  I don't think Mad Max Fury Road will be on the Oscar short list, nor Mr. Robot for a Best Drama nod for the Emmy's, though I will admit to not even knowing it existed on the USA network. The Revenant and Leo? Quite possibly...

Rant over, let's get to the good stuff; the clothes

Trends:.The biggest of the night was white, worn beautifully by Taraji P. Henson, Laverne Cox, Alicia Vikkander, Lilly Day and Saoirse Ronan (whose name I practice and still can't pronounce), far less so by Eva Langoria. The other can't miss color was canary yellow, worn by Jennifer Lopez, America Ferraro and Lola Kirke. It's a very tough shade to pull off. Of the three, J. Lo was my favorite, I may have given her extra props for finally covering up a bit...how tiresome its been to see so much of her boobs and booty over the years. Red, from lipstick to oxblood was also a favorite. Fantastic jewels graced the neck of  J. Lo., J. Law and Emmy Rossum by Chopard and Martin Katz respectively. I was also mad for the Kimberly McDonald emerald earring worn by Teraji P. Henson...fierce and very Cookie. Ruby lips were a stand out on J. Lo and Eva Green.

A+ My LOVES:

Alicia Vikkander
Flawless in a white beaded Louis Vuitton. Demure in front, it showed just the right amount of back to keep it refined. Lovely hair and makeup too

Olivia Wilde in Michael Kors. Impeccable.
This is plunging done well.

Jennifer Lopez
This is my favorite of all her RC appearances.
Resplendent and "modest" per her norm in
Couture Giambatissta Valli. Wowza!

Taraji P. Henson in Stella McCartney

Loved the 'tude and the Kimberly McDonald emerald earrings.

Congrats Cookie!

Jennifer Lawrence
Ladylike in Dior with an outstanding Chopard diamond collar

Laverene Cox
Wearing Elizabeth Kennedy. Whoever EK is, LC just put her on the map

Lily James in Marchesa
A wee bridey but still oh so pretty

Julianne Moore
Stunning in what looks like liquid sapphires from Tom Ford

Helen Mirren
Simply because she is always flawless and
shows you can be sexy at any age year after year

The B Team: The Almost's

Amy Adams in Atelier Versace. Whoever said red heads should not wear orange had that right...otherwise great. Emmy Rossum in Armani Prive, Gina Rodriguez, pretty in Zac Posen, but a hair MOB for a young beauty. Lady Gaga, once again channeling Sargeant's Madame X, Eva Green in Atelier Elie Saab, Saoirse Ronan lovely in YSL.

The C Team: The Meh's

Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Kate Winslet and Maura Tierney, channeling her inner Librarian.  As a nominee and nicely, a deserving winner, this could really have been her night to shine...head scratching and banal, no???

Maura Tierney

The D team: Too much, too little or ill fitting:

Eva Langoria
One bow or another...

Jane Fonda in YSL's
update for 'Lil Bo Peep

Jennifer Jason Leigh
One size up and a dollop less sleeve

The lovely Leslie Mann
overwhelmed in Mauve Marchesa...a shame.

Malin Ackerman
not feeling the lace, the peplum, the washed ice blue, the too low bodice
or the severe hair

The adorable Brie Larsen in Calvin Klein,
looking herself like a Golden Globe, albeit a female one with sagging tata's.
I literally want to pull this up by its boot strap neckline. So close!

Kirsten Dunst in Valentino
Too much ta for my taste

Cate the Great in Givenchy
Well, she broke my heart and her flawless RC streak.
Overwrought.

I was desperately hoping to like it from the back...
Sadly, not.

Kate Hudson in Michael Kors
I'm a huge Kate fan and think she usually kills it on the RC.
Yes, the abs and booty are prime, but a tube top, skirt and scarf 
do not a dress make.

Jamie Alexander
A half a yard more fabric here and there would have
elevated this to an A+. All I could think about here was
the two sided tape

Melissa McCarthy
A perfect silhouette for her marred by flammable looking fabric

Joanna Froggatt
Ah...no.

Jada Pinkett Smith,
looking like the lovechild of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell

The F Team: Flat Out Failure

Caitrone Balfe
In Jane Jetson's negligee

Heidi Klum
A perennial Red Carpet disaster. Unredeemable on any level

Regina King
It's a bird! It's a plane!

Rooney Mara
In an Alexander McQueen Miracle Mop

So there you have it...Do you agree? Disagree?  Who did I miss?  Who did you loathe?,  Who did you love?

Oh such fun!  See you at the SAG's.

xox,

DD