There's something insanely refreshing about an Oscar show. Timeless and ephemeral. Consistently at 583 Park Avenue; the seating often unchanged with Anna Wintour in the same spot, this time flanked by Desiree Rogers. It's never frenzied. The gatekeepers are in the know and white-gloved doormen let you in while Bill Cunningham from the Times snaps away in his steadfast blue windbreaker.
Each time the Oscar ladies beam delight as the show starts. In times of constant change, the precision of the Oscar parlor is stunning. Churning out tried and true, precisely-tailored and immaculately crafted creations.
Worth & Worth hats act as exclamation points, medium brim with a low top. The Oscar woman is powerful and confident in her femininity; decked out in the show-stopping Espresso trimmed smoking jackets. Bull fight anyone?
Whether on the shores of St. Barts or lounging in the French Riviera, wrap dresses are meant to make onlookers stop and notice. Two looks missed the mark -- one, a moss green knit, the other, an art deco poodle skirt. Edit please.
With fifty-five looks and a color palate that ran the spectrum yet stayed bold, the show opened with a black and tweed trimmed jacket, then moved into an exploration of monochrome cuts. Girls will be boys as the new saying goes, and if one of these glamorous mavens ordered a shot in an old speakeasy, all heads would turn and the piano man would miss his mark.
The Cinderella gowns that bookended the show are for the whimsical and fresh-faced debutante, meant to consume a full staircases and fill a room with poise.
Overall, everything was sublime. Now off to the CFDA awards -- surf through the pictures and click on your favorite.