Pale blush, greys and metallic sparkle grace Oscars red carpet

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ethereal, strapless silhouettes and wavy tresses gave the Oscars red carpet a patina of old Hollywood glamour on Sunday as the year's top actresses and presenters led the way in blush, grey and black sequined gowns.

"Silver Linings Playbook" Best Actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence, 22, wowed critics with her off-white Christian Dior Couture 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 been wearing the 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 and Best Supporting Actress nominee Anne Hathaway split critics with 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."

Her co-star Amanda Seyfried opted for a pale grey and lilac embroidered Alexander McQueen halterneck dress, while "Twilight" actress and Oscar presenter Kristen Stewart wore a blush halterneck Reem Acra dress.

Blush and nude hues were a hot trend on the runways for spring. "The Master" supporting actress nominee Amy Adams stunned crowds in a strapless pale grey full-skirted tulle Oscar de la Renta gown, while last year's supporting actress winner Octavia Spencer wore a blush Tadashi Shoji number.

Contrasting the off-white gowns were the actresses picking gold, gunmetal greys and bright colors 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, accessorizing with soft side waves in her auburn hair.

"There were no misses this year, everyone had very good taste," said Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor at Harper's Bazaar.

"Anne Hathaway had a shade of Audrey Hepburn in her pastel Prada and Jessica Chastain was a superstar red carpet hit in her gold sleek shimmering Armani," she added.

H&M GETS OSCAR MOMENT

Naomi Watts, Best Actress nominee for "The Impossible," wore a gunmetal sequined one-shouldered Giorgio Armani gown while Zoe Saldana's white strapless bustier Alexis Mabille dress was offset by grey underlays peeking out.

Metallic sparkle was the pick for Catherine Zeta Jones, in a gold sequined Zuhair Murad gown, Nicole Kidman in a black sequined fitted L'Wren Scott dress and Halle Berry in a strong-shouldered silver and black striped Versace fitted gown.

Quvenzhane Wallis, the 9-year-old actress competing with Best Actress nominees Lawrence, Watts, Chastain and Emmanuelle Riva, accessorized her navy sparkling Armani gown with a fluffy puppy purse.

"The Sessions" Supporting Actress nominee Helen Hunt shunned high-end designers to wear retail brand H&M in a navy blue strapless gown, stunning fashionistas with her choice.

"Lincoln" Supporting Actress nominee Sally Field added color to the red carpet in a full-sleeved vibrant red Valentino dress.

Reese Witherspoon stood out in a strapless cobalt blue Louis Vuitton gown, "Django Unchained" star Kerry Washington wowed critics with her coral and blush Miu Miu dress and Jennifer Garner, holding husband Ben Affleck's hand, wore an eggplant purple strapless flowing Gucci gown.

(Editing by Mary Milliken and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pale-blush-greys-metallic-sparkle-grace-oscars-red-022816916.html

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Pistorius' girlfriend was a model, law graduate

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? The leggy blonde model tweeted that Valentine's Day should be "a day of love for everyone."

Instead Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead in the home of her boyfriend, paralympian superstar Oscar Pistorius, who was charged with her murder.

Steenkamp, South African model with a law degree, campaigned against rape and violence against women. Thursday morning, Reeva Steenkamp was to give an inspirational talk at a Johannesburg school. The next day she was going to wear black to protest the brutal rape and mutilation of a 17-year-old.

But the glamorous South African celebrity was found dead in the early hours from four bullet wounds in the Pretoria home of Pistorius. The two had been dating for only a few months.

She was one of FHM magazine's 100 Sexiest Women in the World for the past two years, appeared in international and South African advertisements and was to make her debut next week as a celebrity contestant on the reality TV show "Tropika Island of Treasure" filmed in Jamaica. She was also the South African face of Avon cosmetics. Police said the model was 30.

The freckled blonde who appeared in scanty bikinis on magazine covers and sashayed down fashion ramps was "continuously breaking the model stereotype," said her publicist Sarit Tomlinson.

Steenkamp was "the sweetest, kindest, just angelic soul" and at the same time "a very inspiring individual, very passionate about speaking about women and empowerment."

Scores of tributes were posted online. Fellow model Mashadi Motsogi tweeted: "You will be missed my sister. I can't hold the tears back. Love you always. RIP."

Thursday morning, Steenkamp had been scheduled to give a motivational speech to school students in Johannesburg. "It was about empowerment and inspiration and what inspires you and how to follow your dreams," said Tomlinson, who had Steenkamp's notes for the speech.

Steenkamp was born in Cape Town then moved with her family as a child to Port Elizabeth. There she attended the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, graduating with a Bachelor of Law degree.

"She had a fantastic character and we all were very fond of her," said Hilda Fisher, secretary to the dean of law.

Six years ago, Steenkamp moved to Johannesburg, South Africa's commercial capital, after she won the contract to represent Avon.

On Twitter, Steenkamp tweeted messages urging women to stand up against rape as well as her excitement about Valentine's Day.

"What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow?" she tweeted. "It should be a day of love for everyone."

Her last tweet was an enthusiastic acceptance of a friend's invite to celebrate the day with chocolate cupcakes topped with red hearts.

She also used her Twitter account to encourage her thousands of followers to fight sexual abuse.

"WEAR BLACK THIS FRIDAY IN SUPPORT AGAINST (hash)RAPE," she re-tweeted just hours before she was killed.

Steenkamp urged followers to stand up against violence against women, tweeting four days ago as South Africa was outraged by the particularly brutal rape and murder of a 17-year-old: "I woke up in a happy safe home this morning. Not everyone did. Speak out against the rape of individuals in SA (South Africa). RIP Anene Booysen (hash)rape (hash)crime (hash)sayNO."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pistorius-girlfriend-model-law-graduate-122753586--spt.html

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