Here they come, sashaying down the red carpet — this years placing photos for the Oscar Fashion Photo Contest! The potential pool was disappointing this year in terms of size — the smallest slate of entries in the eight years of the OFPC — but the winners are deserving of their selection, and of the prize money (grin). So, with further non-ado, here are our choices for this year.
First Place, with a prize of $L25,000:
Copyright 2017 by Skye Donardson; use granted by photographer under Creative Commons.
The best contenders are not just technically proficient, or fitting the theme of the competition, but also capture a moment and feeling. Skye Donardson, Third Place winner in both 2015 and 2016, vaults to the top slot this year by touching all the bases — theme, technical quality, and Skye’s sense of humor that she also displayed in her previous entry. Skye is all three actresses here, two of them going through a sort of “Joan and Melissa Rivers” discussion as they check out the third actress in the foreground — and whether her body is going to come a little further into the foreground than the dress she’s wearing. This is definitely a moment which would have been approved of by William Ware Theiss, the costume designer for the original series of Star Trek. Theiss always designed the alien costumes on the principle of “Will she or won’t she fall out of this dress?” The lady in Kaithleen’s Witch is needing some well-hidden gaffer’s tape, maybe a large bottle of surgical glue — and a whole lot of positive thinking.
The other two Skyes are in gowns from (L) Just Because and (R) Zaara.
Second Place, with a prize of L$10,000:
Copyright 2017 by Kira.Ahn; all rights reserved by photographer.
Kira Ahn takes her turn in a nicely pleated gold strapless gown.
Third Place, with a prize of L$7,500:
Copyright 2017 by Anandaheart Resident; all rights reserved by photographer.
In 1969, in a rare tie, Barbra Streisand and Katherine Hepburn both won for Best Actress, Streisand for Funny Girl and Hepburn for The Lion in Winter. Katherine, following her custom, skipped the ceremony — I think she only ever attended one in her time — but Barbra was there, and accepted her award in a Scaasi pantsuit that, under the stage lighting, was translucent at the best, and approaching transparent. Anandaheart Resident here channels that time in her walk up the red carpet, wearing a nude gown from Dead Dollz. Fear not; like Barbra’s pantsuit, this dress has concealing panels at the appropriate points.
Honorable Mentions (L$2,000 each; no particular order of placement):
Copyright 2017 by lilaskyheart Resident; all rights reserved by photographer.
The Academy Awards were first handed out in May 1929 (this year’s show was the 89th Awards). Instead of a dedicated theater for the presentations, that first ceremony was held in the Blossom Ballroom at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, still in business and serving customers today. lilaskyheart Resident hearkens back to this much lower-key affair in a lace-embroidered black gown from Paisley Daisy, with a lovely fur stole from Vive Nine/ryvolter, and pearls. The monochrome photo gives it the added period feel of publicity photographers snapping a shot of the model as she alights from her Packard limousine.
Copyright 2017 by WillowWho Flowers; use granted by photographer under Creative Commons.
WillowWho Flowers shot this photo at the Rose Theatre and Angel Manor Estates as part of a set. The Rose gives that wonderful, old-Hollywood-movie-palace look to photographs like this, one reason I’ve almost always used it as backdrops for the contest’s advertisement photos, as well as my own (non-competing) contest photos. Lots of red carpet, gilt-and-marble stairways perfect for Making an Entrance, plus the ballroom and the opera house. I only wish I could conjure up more of a crowd on demand!
Willow is wearing a gown named Cristal, which she obtained at a recent edition of The Darkness.
Copyright 2017 by EleanorJean Webster; all rights reserved by photographer.
Taking her moment in front of the backdrop, EleanorJean Webster shows off a lovely one-shoulder confection from Dead Dollz, named Pola.
Finally, Lunarayvin reminds us of the gown Angelina Jolie wore a few years ago, slit up the side to the top of her hip.
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Congratulations again to the winners, who should be getting paid within a few minutes of my publishing this article; and many thanks to all the entrants.
Previous winners:
Around the Grid 