The field shook itself out fairly rapidly for this year’s Oscar Fashion Photo Contest. As ever, thank you to all the entrants, and I hope you enjoyed the opportunity to show off your red-carpet chops.
The main difficulty this year was between First and Second Places. It could easily have gone the other way, and almost did. A fresh evaluation gave this order, however; and I’m pleased to welcome a new First Place winner this year.
So, with further non-ado, here’s this year’s placers ….
First Place, with a prize of $L25,000:
Copyright 2018 by Synn Sage; all rights reserved
sweetie lecker (Synn Sage) pulls off First Place with her maiden entry — an Oscar winner catching up on the headlines in her dressing room the day after the awards, with the statue on her vanity beside her. The monochrome photo invokes Oscars history (appropriate in this year’s 90th anniversary of the Academy Awards), and the photo is well balanced. As a nice touch, sweetie has a reflection of herself in the vanity mirror — a trick I haven’t quite mastered yet. She took the time before going to bed to get her gown onto a dress form, and so it’s ready to be taken to the cleaners before going back into her closet.
sweetie wears lingerie from Elegance Boutique.
Second Place, with a prize of L$10,000:
Copyright 2018 by Skye Donardson; all rights reserved
Skye Donardson has a history with the OFPC — two previous Third Places, and last year’s First Place. And she’s done it again this year for a Second Place, setting a serious bar for the future with a lovely, slightly bittersweet concept piece. Both Skyes are wearing the same gown, from Junbug. This piece just happens to be even better (though this wasn’t taken into consideration in the judging) when you compare it to Rita Moreno’s appearance as a presenter at this year’s Academy Awards, wearing the same (if slightly updated) gown she wore when she won Supporting Actress in 1962 for West Side Story.
Third Place, with a prize of L$7,500:
Brit Applewhyte gives us a twist on getting ready for the night — her brother, Ric, is the one up in curlers (grin).
Honorable Mentions (L$2,000 each; no particular order of placement):
Copyright 2018 by Connie Arida; all rights reserved
Connie Arida looks ready, just in case she does a “J. Law” and trips over the stairs. Although she says it’s for protection. Truth to tell, I wouldn’t take a chance on her wanting to take a cut at me with that stick ….
Copyright 2018 by Anandaheart Resident; all rights reserved.
cherry Ravinelli (Anandaheart Resident) is either presenting or accepting; I’m not sure which here. (Gown by Giz Seorn; jewelry by Chop Zuey)
Copyright 2018 by Sannita Cortes; all rights reserved.
From Sannita Cortes. One of the singers of the nominated songs knows how to work the house here, both musically and stylistically.
Copyright 2018 by LadyEllenT Resident; all rights reserved.
LadyEllenT Resident (right) appears here with Anarinya Crystal in two versions of a gown from ChicModa.
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The jury is out whether there will be a Tenth Contest next year. Time should be less of a constraint in 2019, but I have to ask if the interest is there. Publicizing this contest has always been difficult, which has resulted in smaller entry pools as the years have passed. I’ll give this some thought, along with the others, and we’ll see if we can devise a way short of sending messages to every Resident on the Grid (grin).
Previous winners:
Around the Grid 