I went to the Academy Awards on Sunday! Yes, the real Academy Awards. I was there on behalf of InStyle to report on all the behind-the-scenes action at the ceremony and the *official* Oscars after-party, the Governors Ball. That meant that I had to walk the red carpet—and find the perfect look to do so!
I called in several dresses from designers and bought a few as backups (hey, everything's returnable these days). I ended up choosing this silky satin cobalt blue one-shoulder dress by Halston, one of my impulse purchases from Net-A-Porter. (My birthstone is sapphire and I'm obsessed with being a Virgo, so my friend texted me when she saw me and told me I was shining my inner Virgo goddess, which made me laugh.) With picking a dress, I learned that while borrowing gowns is a dream, you really have to go with the one you feel most comfortable in, and that was this one.
The gown was so simple and so elegant that I decided I needed to punch it up with accessories—bold, bright, big ones. I turned to Marchesa to borrow one of their beautiful clutches. This one had thousands of crystals on it, which made it heavy to carry but oh-so-wonderful to look at. Then, I needed some diamonds: Forevermark loaned me a pair of flower-inspired earrings and a diamond bracelet to match. When I put everything on, I felt like Kate Middleton's engagement ring—sapphire in the middle, and diamonds all around.
Finally, it was time to figure out the makeup and hair. My friends at Glamsquad, the app that sends stylists to your house for an at-home experience, helped me figure out the look. I showed them the dress, and placed my trust in their hands. The talented Sarah Latchford pinned up my hair in a textured layered bun, while makeup artist Christopher Miles gave me a clean face, long lashes, and a berry lip, which he said would really pop against the blue (he was right).
When I hit the red carpet that night, I was comfortable and confident. Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow were right behind me when I walked into the Dolby Theater, so when everyone starting cheering, I pretended for just one second the cheering was for me. Why not, right?
New York Fashion Week has officially kicked off! Follow us on Instagram @instylemagazine and on InStyle.com for up-to-the-minute news, moments, and happenings.
Editor Preview: The New Atelier Swarovski Collection
There's no better way to brighten up the gray slogs of winter than with a visit from the Swarovski team. It seemed as if they unloaded a bag of sunshine when they came by to visit me at the InStyle New York offices recently and showed me the forthcoming sparkly, crystallized bracelets, necklaces and rings from their Atelier Swarovski collections.
The rock-like beads are part of the core line, which was inspired by the archives of founder Daniel Swarovski; the white coral-looking white bracelets and rings are by Chinese designer Masha Ma, who was inspired by the Epiphyllum flower; and the sculptural bursts (as seen on the Jennifer Aniston cover) are by Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen, who named his capsule "Frost."
Apparently it's Canadian Tux Thursday at InStyle HQ. Without any coordination whatsoever, two of our assistants showed up to work sporting two different, but equally awesome, head-to-toe denim ensembles. Twinning!
Claire Says: We've been a fan of Mary Lambert's ever since she collaborated with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on the gay rights anthem "Same Love," so we were psyched when she stopped by our N.Y.C. office for a visit before kicking off her tour this spring with The Script. Not only are we big admirers of her powerful lyrics and political drive, but we find her ability to rock a crop top in the dead of winter extremely impressive.
Pictured, from left: Samantha Simon (InStyle Editorial Assistant), Sharon Clott (InStyle Senior Editor), Claire Stern (InStyle Editorial Assistant), Jennifer Davis (InStyle.com Assistant Editor)
