GET A LEG UP

Perhaps it all started at the 2012 Oscars, but this year host Kelly Rowland nearly stole the show on the red carpet in a stunning black-and-white Donna Karan Atelier dress with a thigh-high slit (this just weeks after her half-time Super Bowl appearance lit up the twitterverse). Said the Huffington Post, “The architectural folds on the bodice and floor-sweeping train are grand, but we can’t take our eyes off her gorgeous gam.” This sly, yet stylish design element is a definite do: It infuses a maxi-length gown with some miniskirt appeal—for just the right amount of attention.

Kelly Rowland at the 85th Oscars

OSCAR SUNDAY

The biggest night in entertainment turns 85 this year! Follow the pre-awards excitement with the behind-the-scenes Donna Karan Atelier app and then settle in for a fabulous walk down the red carpet. Think you’ve got a solid idea of who’s going to win once the awards show starts? Care to make it interesting? Challenge your friends on Facebook with the official Oscars score card online. Talking about her inspiration when designing a custom piece, Donna Karan says, “Every design has that wow factor, making as dramatic an exit as it does an entrance.”Stay tuned…

My Oscar Picks

photo via

CRITICAL MASS

Everyone’s a critic these days, especially in New York, and especially during awards season. Take a crash course on this year’s top Oscar contenders with New York mag’s David Edelstein, the New York Times’ A. O. Scott, and EW’s Lisa Shwartzbaum. (Unfortunately, the ever grumpy Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets aren’t on the lineup though.) Watch clips of Oscar nominated films and get the lowdown on which films these reviewers think will win. It’s happening tonight at the 92Y’s Kaufmann Concert Hall, but you’ll have to wait another month till February 24 to find out if they’re right. Oh, the suspense!

Pre-Oscar Film Critics Roundtable

photo via

MONDAY’S TO-DOS

Pucker up and find an au naturel cure for chapped lips. 

Get to the Guggenheim before “Picasso Black & White” closes on Wednesday.

Order up Sazeracs and steak frites at Rogue & Canon opening tonight.

Check out former Girls singer Christopher Owens going stag at the Bowery Ballroom.

Catch up on your Oscar contenders at the Angelika downtown.

BANGS! BANGS! BANGS!

The Oscars were all about the silent flick “The Artist” this year, but
it seems like bangs were making big noise on the red carpet, observed
Allure.com. Admittedly bangs are tricky and “heavy fringe requires a
certain amount of coaxing to be camera-ready for the red carpet. It
takes a gutsy lady (and her glam squad) to make the style work at the
Oscars.” Some of the best looks were stars like Rooney Mara, Anna
Faris, Ellie Kemper, and Rose Byrne. According to celebrity
hairstylist Harry Josh bangs pack a major advantage because they “are
a great way to change your entire face shape without losing one inch
of length from the back.”
Bangs make a big noise at the Oscars via Allure

Photo via Allure

ALL QUIET ON THE OSCAR FRONT

Amid rumors that Borat would be banned from the red-carpet festivities
this Sunday, it seems like the Oscars are keeping it decidedly simple:
“After years of trying to jazz up the Academy Awards with flashy, hip
hosts, emcee Billy Crystal is returning for a ninth time in 2012,
bringing what Oscar watchers say is a level of predictability and
comfort to the show,” reported Reuters.com (read: no adorably goofy
antics courtesy of Anne Hathaway and James Franco). And, mum seems to
be the word, with the silent romance “The Artist,” among the
frontrunners like the civil rights pic “The Help” and the tearjerker
“The Descendents.” Still there are sure to be some loud fashion
statements on the arrivals—it wouldn’t be Oscar without them.
Oscar 2012 is going to be a year of comfort via Reuters