I was okay with Jennifer Lawrence’s Dior gown at the Oscars. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. Considering some of the Dior disasters that have come down major red carpets before, I thought J-Law’s Dior was a safe choice for an Oscar nominee who didn’t want to be the center of attention this year. J-Law even arrived at the Oscars at the last minute, barely having time to pose for photos before booking it into the auditorium.
At this point, praising J-Law’s Dior gowns feels like a waste of time and energy – she doesn’t even have a choice, because her lucrative Dior contract basically means that she has to wear whatever they give her. But all of the people on E!’s Fashion Police were still acting like J-Law-In-Dior was the second coming of Old Hollywood… until Tim Gunn shut everyone down.
In case you can’t watch the video, Tim Gunn absolutely loathes this gown. Gunn said:
“I loathed this look. I thought it was the amateur hour. From my many years of teaching, this to me looked like a student project. The evidence in the boning, the lace over it; it was all the sort of cheap shots that students pull! And I will add: For Jennifer Lawrence and her station in Hollywood and this industry, when she appeared, I honestly thought, ‘Who is that?!’ I just felt that … she’s not rising to the occasion that I would expect her to. I’m a truth teller!”
I get what Gunn is saying, and he’s not wrong. There is something amateurish about the design, and I think Gunn is complaining more about the state of the House of Dior these days than about Jennifer Lawrence as a person. I would point out that the lingerie-look and the ruffled skirt have been done to death for the better part of a decade, and that this Dior is obviously beneath Jennifer and her place in Hollywood. That being said, I think that the dress reflected her goal for the evening: to be boring, to not make news, to not be the ass-over-tea-kettle hot mess that she usually is at major events.
Also, if we’re looking to insult her fashion choices, that Alexander Wang two-piece ensemble she wore to the Vanity Fair party was absolutely appalling.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Ha! Yay Tim Gunn. I feel validated.
I actually prefer the two piece she wore to the VF party—that’s really a testament to how much I hate that Dior dress…
It looked like the one Taylor used for the Grammys a couple of days ago. Not my favorite but better than her Oscar dress. Her makeup & hair were gorgeous so sad that the dress Dior gave her was a pile of ruffle mess.
The panel is just too afraid to say something bad about “Dior”. But the dress sucks. Most of what they make now is awful and is the farthest from the Dior-look that had been curated over the years.
Where’s the precise tailoring? The flirty but classic design? The lux fabric?
Karen, after the Zendaya(sp) situation, I think they’re afraid to step on anyone’s toes. They did an ok Job and Tim Gunn was a refreshing change, but there will never be another Joan. She started the whole “who are you wearing?” line that EVERYONE uses now. Going back though, the Giulianna comment about dreads ruined the show. People are called out on anything and everything and a silly show like Fashion Police loses any edge or humor having the ears of the politically correct waiting to attack. #ripjoanrangers
I’m gonna whatch FP today just because they had Tim. Finally someone who know fashion on a show about critiquing fashion.
Right?? Why do they get people who know nothing about fashion but a lot about butt-kissing to do this?? Tim Gunn = my Hero!!
Love Tim for his brutal honesty!
I love him too! I’m rereading his book Tim Gunn: A guide to quality, taste and style right now and enjoying it as much as I did the first time I read it. He is a national treasure!
I love him too! Fashion Police these days is so dull, the guests never say anything even remotely negative (for the most part) so it was doubly refreshing to see Tim Gunn call it like he sees it and pull no punches.
Honestly, it just makes me miss Joan Rivers even more. Imagine the two of them together on that panel?
I would have LOVED to see Tim Gunn and Joan Rivers together on FP. You wouldn’t need anyone else, because the two of them would have been EVERYTHING!
Dior hasn’t been the same Galliano was fired / left. I agree with Tim he always gives a solid critique.
Bad fashion night for her, but I do think her face has matured a little and she is at her most beautiful ever in that regard.
I love Tim Gunn and while I’m not a fan of lace I didn’t think this look was that bad. But I agree that from the neck up she looks amazing. I was thinking her longer hair is such an improvement over the short hair she had for a while, which was really not flattering.
Agree. I don’t like the dress, but my reaction wasn’t horror or anything. After I read his statement, I could see what he meant, but it didn’t strike me at first glance.
I agree! I was astounded by how good her face looked. I think the face distracted me from noticing that the dress might be somewhat bad looking.
I have to agree, JLaw seemed to me so average in terms of looks in the Hunger Games, I kept saying “I just don’t see it, I just don’t get her appeal”, but recently, I find her very pretty more and more often. Love her new haircut and color, too.
Thank you Tim Gunn! He’s not saying anything bad about Jlaw but of Dior, & he’s so right about complaining of the shitty dresses they’ve been designing. They’re not Marchesa, Dior is a legit fashion house so Tim Gunn is just pointing out that these looks shouldn’t be even put on some of the actresses who represent them.
Marchesa is a legit fashion house- the clothes aren’t great always but they are legit. If your curious if that’s true walk into any Neimans or Saks that carries couture and you’ll see it.
If it’s in Neimans or Saks, it’s ready-to-wear. Couture is cut and made for the client.
I work in fashion I know what couture is- I also know how the departments are named. It is at Saks and Neimans in what they call their couture because it’s elevated so it’s not bridge evening. Couture is not used in its true sense anymore.
Neither dress is great IMO . I trust Tim’s opinion on fashion. I think he’s smart and honest regarding how clothing looks on a person. I would definitely listen to him.
Also, Tim explains the poor construction of the garment so it’s not just his personal opinion but an issue of craftsmanship. This looked like a boudoir piece not high fashion.
Tim always has the right words to what I am thinking.
She really had some work done.
My guess would be her nose.
Nose job, yes. She didn’t need it, but it’s a very good one.
Yeah she looks tweaked. I thought she was Cate Blanchett at first glance.
Oh, God, yes. I thought the same thing in the new Dior ads.
As much as I love Tim and agree with him on the Dior….I wonder did they ask him about Heidi who was top of most people’s worst dressed lists.
+1
Heidi’s dress was one of the worst I’ve seen on any red carpet, ever.
What did Michael K call it–southern bridesmaid hell?
They did! He thought it was terrible, too, but she wasn’t his worst dressed (Charlize Theron was for showing too much skin, basically). He said something about there being a huge playing field between boring dresses and terrible dresses and she needed to explore that space.
Yeah Heidi’s dresss was truly awful.
Lol!
Dior has been a mess of a contract for her. It’s been said a million times, but she got bad advice going down that road instead of hooking up with an American brand, which would’ve served her 10x better.
Most actresses are short to average height so I am wondering which designer label would suit most with that particular height? Most are made with tall models in mind and tailoring them doesn’t seem to work because it’s the whole structure of the dresses, the cuts etc
I know Jennifer is seen as tall but she’s not model tall, but even she can’t pull off these dresses, that and her body has meat on it so she can end up looking shorter.
She looks good in Calvin Klein but honestly I don’t think she looks THAT good in their dresses because she’s not straight up and down obviously and the dresses seem to drag.
yeah. Jennifer, Charlize and Marion all are Awards/festifal regulars and its so obvious that Dior cannot keep up with the production of decent original designs for all of them at every occasion.
Huge mistake on their part.
The greed for A-listers has bankrupted their creativity.
People here seem love Charlize’s red dress, but even that one suffered from fitting issues.
Am I taking crazy pills? I love both dresses!
No! I do too!
Guess I’m only half crazy. I loved JLaw’s dress. Grant, I’m a fan of vaguely gothic dresses, and I’m looking at everything on my iPhone. To me it looked just everything enough and quite pretty. I’m no seamstress so am clueless about what’s cheaply executed and what’s not.
I did hate Charlise’s gown. IMO Vegas showgirly and just red. Nothing special about it. To me it seemed people liked it because of her bearing and RED. Really it’s just not my taste, so not objective about it at all.
Just relieved one voice out of one thousand isn’t full on spears out for JLaws dress. So thank you for that.
My fave for the night is still the unknown corseted wonder, Dorith Mous… Or some name like that.
That made me laugh, it wasn’t great but it wasn’t the worst of the evening. That being said he has a very set view of what is right I mean the man thought Charlize (best dressed of the night) looked I believe he used the word vulgar.
I love JLaw’s hair and makeup it’s flawless and her dress is eh, but her hair is pretty.
I think he (like many) are tired of the Deep V. Open back. It’s a lot of skin. She lucks out as an ex model that she’s tall, thin, and has gravitas to make it not appear to be as vulger as the design is on her.
But put that dress on j.lo, Heidi Klum, even Kate hudson…. even with same hair/makeup/jewels and its vulgur. Charlize is more of the exception, than the rule.
I think he’s considering that the event is meant to carry the most deference of any award that an actor can be given, and he expects that to be reflected.
Totally agree with you Karen !
Well said !!
its not even the amount of skin that bothers me with the sternum view, it’s that everyone is wearing it this season and from a design p.o.v. theres just not a lot that can be done to give it an original twist. These oscars & parties there must’ve been over 20 of them, and the Golden Gloves also had about a dozen.
Kind of reminds me of a few years ago when EVERYONE wore a fishtail, and after that the peplum overkil. It was boring. And if everyone including the dlisters wear that same design, it is kinda vulgar if a super A-lister who is usually above it does it too.
When Charlize wore that white gown to the AA a couple of years ago everyone was also ‘she looks amazing because – Duh- its Charlize, but ewww its a peplum I should hate it she deserves better.’
That is fashion though not everything in high fashion is meant for all people. Charlize wore an elegant fashion forward dress that fit her body, she also styled it to perfection. There was nothing vulgar about it. I like Tim Gunn and often agree but he is sometimes set in his ways which is fine but the look Charlize had when done right was anything but vulgar.
If you don’t dress for your body you will look bad and that dress doesn’t work on a person with immense curves.
Both Chanel and Dior has been a bit blah in the last little while. When the fashion houses come looking for me to sign a multi-million dollar deal ( they’re always after me 😉 ). I’d probably go Gucci at the moment.
I agree with Gucci! but there were some Gucci dresses and I was underwhelmed (cant remember who wore them!).
I did not like Charlize Theron gown either which was Dior also.
I know, it’s so hard to pick and they can be so persistent. The struggle is real y’all.
Tim always says what I’m thinking!!!! Lol
I think she looked her age but maybe not her personality. This is the problem when a celebrity signs on with a designer. She ends of dressing for the brand and loses herself in the process.
The black two-piece is seriously unflattering. J-Law’s got a lovely figure, and that low-hanging tube top makes her look much wider than she is. It just seems to hit her in the wrong places, visually.
For the first time I watched Fashion Police last night. Tim Gunn was great. No holes barred for him. I actually agreed with what he said about the dress. His complaint was more about how the dress was made, very amature.
Im not a fan of either look. Not bad, just kinda blah. I do like here hair.
Am I the only one who doesn’t like Tim Gunn? I think he’s a snob. He’s hilarious for sure… But so snooty. I guess it’s normal for his industry though.
Tim only punches up (Anna Wintour, the Kardshians) never down, and that’s what I love about him. He doesn’t take cheap shots at people.
I think he has high standards, but I wouldn’t call him a snob. I think he’s actually a very kind and sentimental person, and usually just calls out the really mean or really tacky. He probably thinks JLaw is tacky because of her antics. So maybe he is a snob. Oh, no. I’m all confused.
Minx and GNAT, I have to pay more attention to him then. I’m probably wrong. I only hear about him when he says something bad about someone’s styling, I haven’t seen his kinder moments.
I think he’s a pretty sensitive guy, actually. And a kind person, he seemed to really want to mentor the people on Project Runway and clearly cared about them as people. And unlike some fashion critics (ahem Kelly Osbourne) he’s actually educated and knows his stuff. So when he’s bitchy he at least has actual knowledge and expertise backing him up.
I don’t like him much either. I think it’s hilarious how people treat him as this ruthless truth teller, because I always see that in the context of mundane subjects like the Kardashians and red carpet style. How is it risky or brave to say Jennifer Lawrence has bad style?
I like discussing fashion but I’m always put off by the people who take this so seriously.
He’s saying DIOR has bad style. I would call that punching up.
I think he’s honest but is never unkind. If he criticizes he backs it up with reasons why an outfit didn’t work instead of just insulting people.
Years ago, Mr. A gun was visiting his mother at the hospital where Inused to work. Although I missed him ( sad face), many of my cohorts met him and said how lovely and charming he was and how he took the time to speak with everyone. I loved his book as well and recommend it highly. It will give you great insight into him.
Tim Gunn is right. Even though she looked beautiful and feminine, the upper torso is quite revealing and cheap. Tim Gunn is not a fan of too revealing clothes. He is trying to send a message to the women that by revealing a lot does not mean sexy. I am glad we still have somebody like Tim Gunn.
She looked great in non Dior dresses in low key awards events. Although she’s a nominee, she wasn’t expected to win so her whole look looked lazy.
Eh. Don’t like the dress anyway. With this hair color, she is starting to look like the vanilla Paltrow.
LOVE Tim Gunn !!!
He is an old pro, and you can’t pull the wool over his eyes ~ one look and he knew the boning was off, cheap tricks being pulled, etc.
He’s the best !
Like someone else said, imagine him and Joan Rivers together ?! Perfection.
I even said to my husband how boring the red carpet was this year. The Worst ever. I turned to the hubby and said, “God, I miss Joan so much”. He knew exactly who I was talking about !
The second dress looks like she borrowed it from one of the Kartrashians. Yuck.
I liked the dress but didn’t notice the black boning until I read his comments. Now it is driving me crazy.
I thought Tim Gunn was great on Fashion Police. He got just about everything right. He should be on the show permanently, they could go on easily without Margaret. The funniest moment is when he critiqued Heidi Klum. I thought he might go easy on her, but told the truth. I think she got worst dressed by the whole panel. Jennifer looked ok, but has looked better….she knew she wasn’t going to win. I know she’s a natural blonde, but that platinum is way too blonde imo, but she’s a cute girl.
Tim’s honesty is always appreciated, of course, even if I don’t quite agree with him on this one. I also like that he didn’t focus his disdain on her, in fact it seemed like he was trying to say that she deserves better. Also, am I the only one who kinda liked the Wang ensemble?
At last, my Gunn has come along. He’s so right about this dress. It’s not egregious, but it does have that Dior look. 80% of their dresses are deeply flawed in some way. That dress does look as if someone ran out of time with it. Yassssssss Tim!
I like that he is a knowledgable critic about design and fashion. I don’t ever remembering trashing a person on PR(the early years-lol), but making the designers that one function of design to is make the wearer look good. He is essentially telling Dior- you failed your client. And he is right in this instance.
The dress is lovely!
I like the hair color and long Bob hairstyle on her.
Both dresses are bad but the two piece is just awful and trashy. She’s overexposed and she knows it, seems like she doesn’t care anymore..
Did anyone else cringe over Margaret Cho’s terrible jokes? I was embarrassed for her. I’m all for a hilarious crass joke but she was just sad.
I want to grab the tops of both of these looks and yank them up. Both outfits make her boobs look flat and droopy. Just looks sad.
Dior has gone downhill ever since Galliano was ousted.
Everyone thought Tim Gunn had lost his mind when he named Charlize Theron worst dressed. She was such a showstopper! Now her dress was nothing spectacular, but she looked spectacular in it and that’s what counts, so worst dressed was a bit much. She didn’t look vulgar in it. She still managed to look elegant. Olivia Wilde showed much more skin. He is probably just jealous of Charlize. He wishes he could be her. Or he’s stuck up.
Raf Simons has been fired from Dior. Finally.
Maybe they can bring in Alber Elbaz who recently left Lanvin.