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Oscars Amazing: Adele with her Oscar
Pale blush, spa grace Oscars r
There were no misses in a year that trumpeted Holly
E Shirley Bassey leads Oscars 50th birthday tribute to James Bond By Piya Sinha-Roy and Tim Reid DAME Shirley Bassey (below) earned a standing ovation at the Oscars on Sunday night when she lead a tribute to James Bond’s 50th birthday by singing Goldfinger, the 1964 Bond theme song that launched her international career. Bassey, 76, wearing a gold dress, gold necklace and gold earrings, appeared on stage following a film and music tribute to the Bond movie franchise, which began in 1962 with the first Bond film Dr. No, starring Sir Sean Connery. Last year, Skyfall, the 23rd installment of the Bond series - the longest-running motion picture franchise in history - was released and became the highest-grossing Bond film, crossing the $1 billion mark at the global box office. British singer Adele, 24, who swept the Grammys last year with her soulful heartbreak album 21, continued the Bond theme in Sunday’s d Oscar ceremony with her rendition of the Bond theme Skyfall, which later won an Oscar for Best original Song. “This is amazing,” a tearful Adele told the Oscar crowd. Bassey has become synonymous with the Bond
franchise, singing the theme songs not only for Goldfinger, but 1971’s Diamonds are Forever and 1979’s Moonraker. The Welsh diva was preceded on the Oscars stage by actress Halle Berry, who appeared as Bond girl Jinx in the 2002 movie Die Another Day, starring Pierce Brosnan as Bond. “Tonight, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of James Bond in motion pictures,” Berry said, adding that the music of the films “is as inextricably linked to Bond as the martini, exotic cars and Pussy Galore.” Halle, who won a Best Actress Oscar for Monster’s Ball in 2001, was asked about her role as a Bond girl on the red carpet before Sunday’s Oscars ceremony. “I’ve not been more proud to be part of a franchise than that one,” Berry said. Connery went on to play the British secret service agent five more times after Dr. No until 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. English actor Sir Roger Moore embodied Bond seven times, including 1973’s Live and Let Die, 1983’s Octopussy and 1985’s A View to Kill.
THEREAL, strapless silhouettes and wavy tresses gave the Oscars red carpet a patina of old Hollywood glamour on Sunday night as the year’s top actresses and presenters led the way in blush, grey and black sequined gowns. “There were no misses this year, everyone had very good taste,” said Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor at Harper’s Bazaar. Silver Linings Playbook Best Actress winner Jennifer Lawrence, 22, wowed critics with her off-white Christ tian Dior Couture s strapless gown with a full-tiered skirt and a long necklace dropping down her back. The actress, who is the face of Christian Dior’s Miss Dior brand and has b e e n weari n g the
Helen Hunt shunned highend designers to wear an H&M gown
Works both ways: Anne Hathaway
Leading the way: Naomi Watts in gunmetal sequined Giorgio Armani designer to the awards leading up to the Oscars, said it was the only dress she tried on for the event. Fellow Dior brand ambassador Charlize Theron wore a white strapless couture gown from the French fashion house. Halterneck column gowns were a popular trend on the red carpet as stars opted for a long and lean silhouette this year. Les Miserables star Amanda Seyfried opted for a pale grey and lilac embroidered Alexander McQueen halterneck dress, while her co-star a n d Best
Supporting Actress winner Anne Hathaway received mixed reviews for her blush pink Prada halterneck satin strapless gown with a daring low back. In an interview on the red carpet Hathaway quipped, “it’s business in the front and party in the back.” Hathaway “had a shade of Audrey Hepburn in her pastel Prada,” with her cropped pixie cut, Graham said. Blush and nude hues were a hot trend on the runways for spring and were echoed in the clean palettes on this year’s Oscar red carpet. The Master supporting actress nominee Amy Adams stunned crowds in a strapless pale grey full-skirted tulle Oscar de la Renta
In an interview o Hathaway quipped the front and pa gown, while last year’s supporting actress winner Octavia Spencer wore a blush Tadashi Shoji number. Zoe Saldana’s white strapless bustier Alexis Mabille dress was offset by grey underlays peeking out. Contrasting the off-white gowns were the actresses picking gold, gunmetal greys and bright colours that stood out on the red carpet at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater. Jessica Chastain, nominated for Best Actress for Zero Dark Thirty, channeled golden-age Hollywood glamour with a deep gold sequined Armani Prive strapless dress, accessorising with soft side waves in her auburn hair. Hal Rubenstein, editorat-large at InStyle, said this year’s red carpet choic-