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Ladies wear red to the Academy Awards

Stars including Anne Hathaway, Heidi Klum, Helen Mirren and Miley Cyrus all wore red to the 80th Annual Academy Awards. (Newsday.com composite)

BY ANNE BRATSKEIR | Special to Newsday

11:12 PM EST, February 24, 2008

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The fashion drought is officially over (hey, it was even raining on the red carpet). With the Golden Globes gone frumpy due to the writers' strike and the Grammys being barely a warm up, well, thankfully, the 80th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre provided its fair share of fashion sizzle.

The red carpet apparently served as inspiration for many: Red ruled. Anne Hathaway did it best in a crimson Marchesa one-shoulder (the rage, by the way) dream with dramatic rosette embellishment. Katherine Heigl, also in a one-shoulder job, was smashing in a silk georgette Escada. The color spanned the decades -- from teen star Miley Cyrus, lovely in bow-backed Valentino, to grand dame Ruby Dee, who donned a ruby red satin suit with long sleeves and a rhinestone belt. Helen Mirren joined the ladies in red wearing a custom-made garnet Georges Chakra satin number.

For a slice of blue heaven, Laura Linney was divine in Michael Kors' midnight silk strapless bustle-back gown. Amy Ryan went more restrained but classy in (again) a one-shouldered silk column in deep navy from Calvin Klein.

Black was anything but basic on Jennifer Garner, who was drop-dead in a thick diamond choker and Oscar de la Renta's strapless, black silk taffeta gown right off his fall runway. Hilary Swank charmed in flower-embellished Versace. Others in black did not fare so well. Juno's adorable Ellen Page flopped in an unflattering tiered number. Tilda Swinton, so talented, said she had never even watched the Oscars, and you could tell. Her pale makeup, extreme orange hair, and glossy Lanvin sack -- eek, a tad scary. And sorry to say, Daniel Day Lewis' wife did not strike oil with her look: honker brooches, red straps, way too much texture and checkered shoes -- need we say more?

Marion Cotillard went for white in Jean Paul Gaultier's mermaid dress, featuring graphic scales. One had to wonder if her movie, "La Vie en Rose," served as inspiration for the top -- two strategically placed roses. Also in white, Jennifer Hudson in a halter-topped goddess gown.

Fashion made its way to fertile ground as at least three famous bumps donned some serious designer duds. Jessica Alba, in her third trimester, glowed in an aubergine strapless, silk chiffon gown by Marchesa. Cate Blanchett was radiant in her Dries Van Noten purple silk gown embellished with gold. Though her empire waist black silk dress didn't reveal much, Nicole Kidman pulled off classic Hollywood glamour, complete with ropes of diamonds by L'Wren Scott.

The guys were less newsy -- lots of facial hair (scruffy) and skinny ties. Spike Lee eschewed a tie completely, wearing a casual, white shirt and a fedora. Tom Wilkinson donned a long gray vest, while Viggo Mortensen did a frock coat. Host Jon Stewart 'fessed up early on that he was wearing Armani -- and a thong (though he may have been kidding).

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