A win for Marion Cotillard

By Danielle Radojcin

The 80^th Academy Awards saw Hollywood's most glamorous making up for a recent strike-induced red carpet drought, allowing the world's designers to draw a collective sigh of relief. Considered the most lucrative night of the fashion calendar in terms of free advertising, the prospect of an Oscar-free year had the fashion world on tenterhooks. Most fell in line with today's most popular silhouette of strapless and long: Cameron Diaz' Dior by John Galliano blush pink gown, for example, and Renee Zellweger, in her customary Carolina Herrera. There were also a lot of asymmetric, one-shouldered styles: Rosamund Pike (in RM by Roland Mouret) and Hilary Swank in Versace among many others. As usual, the fear of appearing on the ‘What was she thinking?' pages kept things conservative, with few fashion renegades. Those willing to step away from the norm were, as is so often the case, British: Best Actress winner Tilda Swinton, in a black, flowing Lanvin number and Best Actress nominee Julie Christie, who opted for a knee-length, rust red cocktail dress. Perhaps fittingly, the most stunning girl of the night was Best Actress winner Marion Cotillard (for La Vie en Rose), who came out in support of her homeland in a scalloped Jean Paul Gaultier dress. Expect the French designer, who hasn't had this kind of publicity since he put Madonna in a conical bra, to become designer du jour once again.