In Memoriam: 10 Oscar de le Renta Gowns That Made Your Jaw Drop

Oscar de la Renta passed away last night at the age of 82 and the whole fashion world erupted in tears. Yet another legend has left us too soon and we can only look back at his legacy with nostalgia as we peruse through each of his previous collections. Oscar was a man who knew what women wanted. His designs always conveyed elegance, glamour, femininity, and that wow factor we all yearn for when award season comes along. Any celebrity wearing an Oscar gown knew she'd be on a best-dressed list in a heartbeat because Oscar knew how to make everyone fall in love with his designs. To commemorate this iconic designer, let's take a look at some of the best Oscar dresses that graced a red carpet in the last few years.

NUMBER 10

Lea Michele was a vision in pink at the 2011 Golden Globes. The intricate folds of the dress enhanced its feminine appeal while the fitted bodice highlighted her curves. This was the ultimate girly dress and it embodied the essence of Oscar.

Golden Globes

via www.popsugar.com

NUMBER 9
Back in 2012, Carrie Underwood wore the famous cloud dress, named for its fluffy skirt and misty colour. This dress may be reminiscent of a stormy night, but it was probably a romantic one from a Harlequin novel. Oscar's dresses had that mystical effect on us all.

Billboard Music Awards
via www.popsugar.com

NUMBER 8
The expression "fit like a glove" probably came from celebrities wearing dresses like these. Alba's mermaid gown from the 2013 Golden Globes was one of her most memorable looks due to the gorgeous colour and elaborately pleated skirt. Simply looking at this dress, you knew that it had to be Oscar's work.

Golden Globes

via www.zadenrow.com

NUMBER 7
Kerry Washington ALWAYS looks amazing, but at the NAACP Awards back in 2013, she looked breathtaking. Of course, she wore Oscar. The lovely lace detailing and long elegant train instantly give it away.

NAACP Awards
via www.glamazondiaries.com

NUMBER 6
Remember when Amy Adams wore this to the Oscars and you were completely dazzled? Remember when she won an Oscar in this very gown? Knowing that you're up for an Oscar is always the perfect indication that you MUST wear Oscar.

The Oscars

via www.aloversanthology.com

NUMBER 5
Sarah Jessica Parker was the belle of the ball at the 2014 Met Gala. Every aspect of this dress was reminiscent of Carrie Bradshaw from the long white gloves to the full skirt. Though the black and white made it a classic look, the design was anything but simple. Oscar knew how to take classic elements and transform them into a drop-dead-gorgeous gown.

Met Gala
via www.glamazonsblog.com

NUMBER 4
For the Noah Premiere, Emma Watson decided to go gothic chic in this stunning Oscar de la Renta gown. Though the long sleeves and full skirt are conservative, the deep V at the back gives it that sexy wink to complete the look. Oscar knew that overt sexuality is not always the key to a beautiful dress, but rather, subtle sex appeal.

Noah Premiere

via uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com

NUMBER 3
Taylor Swift looked pretty in pink at the 2014 Met Gala. The deep V at the back and fabric manipulation at the tail are typical of Oscar de la Renta. You can tell that this man LOVED beautiful fabric.

Met Gala
via www.popsugar.com

NUMBER 2
Natasha Poly killed it at the Cannes Film Festival in this gothic, yet feminine, Oscar de la Renta dress. One of my favourite pieces from that collection, she gave it all the attention it deserved with pulled back hair and minimal jewelry. Everyone knows that an Oscar dress has to be the centre piece.

Cannes Film Festival
via www.fashionvent.com

NUMBER 1
Finally, who can forget the most recent tribute to Oscar: Amal Almuddin's wedding gown. This very picture was taken at her fitting with the designer himself. That had to have been magical.

Wedding
via nypost.com

R.I.P Oscar de la Renta. You'll always be remembered as the man who knew how to dress a woman in a way that made her fall in love.

XOXO,

Bella

Chic Marie Makes Dreams Come True

Every year, awards season sweeps us off our feet with elegant dresses worn by our favourite celebrities by designers like Oscar de la Renta, Elie Saab, and Naeem Khan. Ever since I was a little girl, before I even understood the meaning of fashion, I've been fantasizing about walking down that Red Carpet in a stunning gown that would make it onto everyone's best-dressed lists. At 6, I would watch Cinderella and wish I could pull off that chic baby blue gown because inevitably, it would bring me my Prince Charming.

Chic Marie is about to make that dream come true.

I spoke to Marie-Philip Simard, co-founder of Chic Marie, and she gave me the scoop on her new startup dress, suit, and accessories rental business.

Image from Source

Marie-Philip Simard is a girl just like you and me. She simply didn't drink the fashion juice that made its way into my diet, but rather, followed her brains and became a lawyer. After finishing her studies at Universite de Montreal, she currently works at the law firm, Fasken Martineau. For the past year and a half, she's been attending glamorous charity events with simply one worry in mind.

What am I going to wear?

A month ago, she managed to answer that question (sometimes it takes that long). After searching the closets of her mind and speaking to various people in her surroundings, she teamed up with Philip Rivard and together they came up with Chic Marie, the solution to your evening affairs and the product of all your Oscar fantasies.

According to Marie-Philip, "some company in New York was doing it. They weren't shipping in Canada. That's why I decided to push this idea with men and women."

Hear that, Canadians? We're about the become the coolest kids on the block.

After joining the Founders Institute Incubator, they began building their own team of stylists to put together a dress rental website that would fulfill the needs of every business professional. Not the most fashionably inclined? Neither was she. Lucky for you, these stylists will put together three looks to suit your needs and all you have to do is present your measurements on an avatar of yourself and await the dress of your dreams.

"We wanted to democratize fashion, she said, people cannot afford these kinds of things. People want to look good. It's important to look good at a big evening. You can be Cinderella for a night."

And isn't that what we all really want?

With names like Harry Rosen, Birks, Tiffanys, Marie St. Pierre, Denis Gagnon, Hugo Boss, BCBG, and Louboutin being name dropped as potential suitors, we're all well on our way to falling in love. The best part? The dresses will be available to rent for 10% of the buying price! Moreover, shipping, returns, and cleaning will be free. I don't know about you, but I'm already drooling.

What lies ahead for this power team?

"Once we have an agreement with designers, they have warehouses all over the world. Technically we can transfer to London, Paris, San Francisco," said Simard.

For now, Montrealers get the insiders privilege of accessing this service. Chic Marie plans on shipping to Toronto and Boston as well. Mark your calendars, ladies and gents. On Sept. 1st, you'll stop asking yourself "what am I going to wear?" because Chic Marie will have the answer for you.

Have a lovely day!

Bella

Why We're All Obsessed With Award Season

There's a mutual consensus amongst Canadians that January is the dreariest month of the year. Christmas spirit is drifting away, all of our money has been spent, temperatures are at arctic levels, and daylight is fleeting. The only salvation we can strive for resides in our fantasies and there is nothing that rings "fantasy" more than awards season.

As we began with the Golden Globes last Sunday, everyone awaited anxiously on Twitter (in the comfort of their homes) for the hour to commence. Countdowns began and snack preparations were made as we eagerly anticipated that glorious Red Carpet. It started with a bang as the first scandal of the year hit the social media spheres. The carpet was flooded by the sprinkler system. Alas, with the magic of Hollywood, the evening was salvaged and beautiful celebrities adorned in designer gowns materialized. Whispers of "That dress is fabulous. I'm obsessed" and "Who killed a banana and put it on her?" were exchanged between fashionistas, TV personalities, bloggers, and common folk alike. The excitement was palpable (as a taste of the Oscars stimulated our tongues). 

And then, last night, the SAG awards took place and once again, celebrities in beautiful dresses took us by storm. From Lupita N'Yongo in stunning turquoise Gucci to Amy Adams in a striking cobalt Antonio Berardi, the Screen Actors Guild Awards gave us all yet another reason to sigh, marvel, and judge. Isn't that what we all do best? 

The question is: why do we all love rating celebrity gowns so much? Why do we all spend hours watching these tedious award shows simply to discuss who's wearing who and whether it's worthy of our own personal best-dressed lists? Why are we all so intent on constructing the most convoluted metaphors to describe our least favourite gowns? Is it due to an obsession with playing celebrity stylist? Or, are we simply incurably bored? 

I, for one, am guilty of being addicted to ferociously checking every best-dressed list possible in order to concoct my own and read the judgments of others. There is something about rating celebrity gowns that makes us feel connected to our favourite celebrities (and gives me the tingles). Maybe we even proceed to imagine ourselves in one of these dresses strutting down the Red Carpet with a poised pout for all the world to judge. Don't deny it. There's nothing like a fantasy to get us through January, right?

Happy Sunday!

Bella 

P.S Don't miss Oscar Sunday, hosted by Ellen Degeneres on March 2nd!

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