We've all known for years that A-list celebrities borrowed gowns and jewelry to wear on the red carpet. It's one thing to wear goods on loan, it's another thing altogether to get paid to show off the swag.
According to Jewelry Insider, golden girl Gwyneth Paltrow, was paid a rumored $500,000 to sport that gorgeous multi-gemstone brooch and earrings set by Louis Vuitton. I loved the colorful jewelry look with the neutral gown, but doesn't Mrs. Martin have enough already with all of the Cold Play cash.
And then we have Anne Hathaway who was paid $750,000 to wear Tiffany.
Granted, as co-host she had multiple outfit changes
so lots of jewelry was needed
But really, three quarters of a MILLION dollars, to model the goods for one night!
The next time that you go shopping at Tiffany, keep in mind that you the client are being charged sky high prices so that Anne Hathaway can be paid to wear their jewelry one night of the year.
Yes, I know, we've already had lots of opinions out there in the interwebs on who wore what dress to the Oscars 2011 but I'd like to comment on the jewelry.
The Good
While not at all in love with Gwynneth's Calvin Klein gown, I did appreciate the fresh way that she bejewelled herself.
A little dangle earring, a ring on both hands and a gemstone brooch by Louis Vuitton worn at the hip
The look was pure elegance.
The Bad
What was Amy Adams stylist thinking when she put a platinum necklace with 15 carats of diamonds and a 33 carat emerald ...by Cartier no less (!)...on top of a L'Wren Scott sapphire blue beaded gown?
No really, what was she thinking?
That amazing necklace deserved a v-necked or strapless evening gown.
Worn this way that million dollar necklace looked like an after thought.
The Ugly Sorry, but while I'm usually a big fan of SJP's red carpet looks, I don't know what was going on with all those bracelets. Even if they were vintage bracelets from Fred Leighton, they just looked like a mess.
I don't know what you will be doing tonight, but I will be watching Vanity Fair's Krista Smith and Tim Gunn in their Oscar's Pre Show on ABC. (since I don't have TV at home this is going to take some maneuvering, but I will see this show)
Vanity Fair’s West Coast editor Krista Smith, who’ll co-host ABC’s Oscars pre-show on Sunday alongside Robin Roberts, Tim Gunn, and Maria Menounos, will wear Armani, complemented with Beladora jewels. The long navy gown and Art Deco–style jewelry were picked for their Old Hollywood feel, Smith says: “I will be doing my best to channel Rita Hayworth—although, considering she was one of the great beauties, it might be a stretch,” she laughs. “At least it will be my mindset!”
Channeling Rita Hayworth - not a bad idea except for the smoking
There's a lot going on out there in the world. The US is losing its AAA credit rating. Eastern Australia is under water. Oil is nearing $100. The government in Lebanon is failing. Brazil is having landslides.
But let's talk about something really important...awards season has started in Beverly Hills! Stylists are rushing up and down Rodeo Drive collecting gowns and goods. We've got the Golden Globe awards this weekend and the crush for red carpet looks will be ongoing until the Oscars in March.
The beautiful stylist, Anya Sarre, stopped by our office this week to get goods for the gorgeous women at Entertainment tonight who will be working the red carpet. Anya is a busy babe. Not only is she a professional stylist with her own website, she produces "Look for Less" segments for ET and she styles weddings and other events. Now her wedding picks are featured in Inside Weddings magazine. She even twittered about Beladora. Seriously, does this woman ever take a break?
and...
We are anxiously waiting for the mail man to show up with the February issue of ELLE Magazine because we want to get a good look at the cover shot with Katie Holmes.
We love the fact that Mrs. Cruise is wearing this Beladora bangle in the cover shot.
A new blog that I've been reading Collecting Fine Jewelry has some of the most beautiful jewelry from auctions, museum exhibits and the regular gang of estate jewelers. There are lots of pretty pieces to admire on this blog including this one of a kind piece from Beladora.com.
Lots of busyness chez BHB these past few days and little time to post. But it's all good, like lending out the bling for the red carpet to this young lady,
Chelsea Traille, a fresh faced beauty and an absolutely adorable young dancer/actress...who attended the premiere with her brother and her parents. I am hoping that her dancing talent (she's trained in classical ballet) and her performing role in the film Burlesque, will lead her to a great career. Here's the close up in the Beladora bling
And in a scene with Stanley Tucci
I was going to skip the film. But now that I've met the charming and bright Miss Traille, I want to see it, if only to watch her dance.
Yes people I'm afraid that I must gasconade, rodomontade and grandstand a bit today about Beladora.*
First we had the beautiful Christina Hendricks sporting some lovely ladylike pearl and diamond dangle earrings and a South Sea pearl and diamond ring with her Christian Siriano frock at the Creative Emmy Awards. She looked a-ma-zing in her Madame X inspired gown.
Then we had the queen of the red carpet, indeed the queen of all entertainment news, Mary Hart, wearing plenty of Beladora bling for the Emmys.
Do you see the little clips on the outside vine of the earrings? Around the office we refer to these as the 'elfin earrings' because they can be worn hanging down from the ear as on Mary Hart, or attached up along the ear with the little clips, as we imagine the elf queen Galadriel would wear on her pointy elf ears in The Lord of The Rings.
Yes, we amuse ourselves with these details at work.
We all know that it's easy for a zero minus sized actress, like SJP or Anna Kendrick, to pull off a stunning red carpet look and difficult for an actress of more substance to do the same, but there was plenty of plus size pulchritude on the Academy Award red carpet this year. Queen Latifah looking shimmery in Badgley Mischka. She consistently looks outstanding in evening wear, she should be on every one's best dressed list. Who I wonder is her stylist?
Her pink sapphire and South Sea pearl earrings by Chopard were absolutely perfect in both color and scale.
Best Supporting Actress winner Mo'Nique, looked lovely in a Tadashi sapphire blue gown chosen because it was the same color as was worn by Hattie McDaniel when she won the break through Best Supporting Oscar for Gone With The Wind in 1939. Complementing the blue gown was her yellow diamond bracelet also from Chopard.
This year's break through actress, Gabourey Sidibe, looked nothing less than precious. If I had styled her outfit I would have put her in 3/4 sleeves, but hey I wasn't in charge. Obviously her overall look was a success because even the Fug Girls gave her a well played in this Marchesa sapphire gown and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.
The suite life is going on all this week. You probably know all about the suites but I'll just give you a couple of details.
Suites in the major Beverly Hills hotels, such as the Peninsula and Four Seasons, are set up for celebrities and their stylists to view everything that they could possibly need for the red carpet. You name it, gowns, handbags, jewelry, it's all there. By visiting the suites the stylists can pick and choose among an array of goods to be borrowed, or even gifted, for a celebrity. Hair stylists and beauty products also set up shop in the suites to showcase what they have to sell, so there might Dior cosmetics, Jimmy Choo shoes and DeBeers diamonds. This year Beladora was invited to participate in a major suite but respectfully declined.
Then...there are the gift suites...because god knows that Hollywood's elite need gifts! This article from 2009 explains how these suites work No sign of recession at pre-Oscar gift suites Lavish spa vacations, diamond jewels, plastic surgery treatments and expensive watches are just some of the products available at gift suites set up in hotels for Academy Award nominees, presenters and selected VIPs. There was no sign of a global economic crisis at GBK 'Circus of the Senses' gift suite where invited guests can receive "more than $35,000 in gifted luxury," according to the company. Gavin Keilly, the head of GBK luxury lifestyle gift suites and special events company, admitted that some may see it as just the rich getting richer. But he said for companies promoting their products, it is great value.
So celebrities who make huge amounts of money for let's just say not that much hard work, get gifted all kinds of stuff, from cellphones to vacations. Leslie Unger, director of communications for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, said it discontinued gift bags, which were reportedly worth up to $100,000, several years ago because of tax implications.
To avoid the tax implications, the trend now is to make the gift suites about "giving to charity" to mitigate the fact that it is all one big product promotion boondoggle.... Yeah...I'm so believing that it's so all about the ART.
By the time that the Academy Awards finally arrive in March I must admit that I have some measure of red carpet and award speech fatigue. Really, do I need to see Sean Penn win another Oscar? But enough about those silly awards and let's talk about blog awards...specifically mine.
Metscan, that elegant equestrienne from Finland, with the YSL bags, the Valentino dresses and the two cute horses, has graciously awarded my humble BHB blog the sugar doll award. I probably don't deserve it for any special reason other than the fact that I've passed my 3 year blogoversary and this is my 1180'th post! Of course accepting an award means paying it forward, and I certainly will to 15 other bloggers as soon as I can catch up with what I'm working on at the office. And if that wasn't enough already, that wilderness chic woman from Wales gave me the sunshine award. And pardon my french but wilderness my ass...you should see the country spread that she's living in...charmingly named The Old Rectory. You all know the term "shop your closet", well looking at the photos of her house makes me think of the term "vacation at your house". Seriously, who would ever want to leave a house with an orangery, a country view and an aga? Once again, I will pay it forward soon...I promise. So much is going on here this week and next that I can't give my proper attention yet. But I will.
Last but certainly not least, a heartfelt THANK YOU to Metscan and Wildernesschic...and also to A Femme who reminded me that I was indeed remiss.
It's not even March yet and already there's a lot of activity for the Oscar's red carpet. USA Today has a reader poll to choose the red carpet look for Entertainment Tonight's Mary Hart... and look what she's wearing with royal blue dress. (There's a video on the USA Today page which doesn't seem to want to be embedded on BHB, but in it Mary hints that she wants to wear the royal blue)
