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Ask the average person who won best actress in a leading role at the 1986Oscarsand they’ll be stumped.
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(It was Geraldine Page, just FYI.)
But ask them who wore a two-foot-tall showgirl headdress and they’ll shout, “Cher!”
And the dress was Givenchy as in, it was made by Hubert de Givenchy.
1955: Grace Kelly
The key to being an icon?
“I love the roses in her hair,” adds hairstylistSerge Normant.
“I’ve used flowers from hotel rooms as last-minute hair accessories quite a few times.
They add a sweet touch to asimple bun.”
Hairstylists used to cut short pieces just to make those."
1969: Barbra Streisand
“Barbrawasthe look that everyone copied in the ’60s,” says Garren.
“They wanted her teased bob, herbangs,and hercat-eye liquid liner.
(Well, that and thecleavage.And the diamonds.)
“The dress, the eye shadow, and the ribbon match her eyes perfectly.”
1974: Raquel Welch
“Is she wearing a pantsuit?
That’s fantastic,” says Townsend of Raquel Welch’s outfit.
(It’s actually a jumpsuit.)
“Her waves seem exaggerated, but their shape is perfect for softening her face.”
1976: Anjelica Huston
“Now this is ’70s glamour.
“Her date isn’t bad, either,” she says of Jack Nicholson.
1978: Farrah Fawcett
“Man, those were the days.
“It’s what she was known for.
I mean, she’s wearing a liquid-gold dress to the Oscars.”
“Here, she’s in the brown lip color everyone wore and big, flipped-out waves.”
“Why not?”
“It’s over the top, but still beautiful.
1988: Daryl Hannah
“Perfectsexpot waves,” says Garren of the Daryl Hannah.
“It’s very Veronica Lake, which will always be in style.
This is one of Daryl’s best moments ever.”
1990: Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger designed this dress herself.
1996: Gwyneth Paltrow
Remember when Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt were together?
Remember when their hair matched?
“The rich color lets her get away with the casualblowout,” says Garren.
“And the easy hairstyle keeps the dress from looking bridal.”
“Her smoky eyes are perfect it’s like someone put a soft-focus filter on them.
And a deep berry red lip like hers is my current favorite for any complexion,” says Dubroff.
Her slick hair was something different: “She was brave to do this.
No one was wearing sleek hair at the time,” says hairstylist Garren.
1997: Nicole Kidman
Wearing aFrench twistto the Oscars is expected and a little stuffy.
Why Nicole Kidman’s works: her hair’s fuzzy texture paired with matte mulberry lips.
Now that is cool and surprising, says her hairstylist, Enzo Angileri.
(“The longest part was the blowout.")
“She was nominated forMonster,so we went for full-on glamour.”
“Usually I use fishing wire to attach jewelry to the hair.
But I forgot my needle at home on the one day nothing can go wrong.”
“Her romantic side bun ignited a trend,” says Lecompte.
2007: Reese Witherspoon
Remember when everyone wanted Reese Witherspoon’s bangs?
“We cut them right before the Golden Globes.
“The waves make herhalf-up styleflirtatious and playful.”
“The pale lips match her dress to tie the look together.”
“It also reflects the embroidery in her dark dress, brightening up her whole look.”
(He tied her hair into atight ponytailfirst, so the bun lasted all night.)
“It’s classic Jennifer Aniston hair, worn down and loose with a deep side part.”
It’s ethereal fresh.
We wanted [Nyong’o] to look like modern-day movie star.”
“It would have been safe to go neutral,” Goodwin said.
“But no one wears color like she does.”
“You really start to think about form and texture and shape in a different way.
She really pushes me.”
“Janelle wanted a cutso I gave her one,” hairstylist Nikki Nelms said at the time.
“I’m thankful that she trusts me with such major red carpet moments like the Oscars.”
Stylist Vernon Francois wasinspired by traditional Rwandan Amasunzu hairstylesin crafting this memorable updo.
Her nails were a highlight too, which came courtesy of manicurist Gina Oh.
2021: H.E.R.
‘ssoft waves and baby-hair swoop.
2021: Zendaya
The inspiration forZendaya’s extra-long hair?
Cher, according to her stylist Law Roach.
Makeup artistSheika Daleykept the makeup look pared-back, with a splash of color via her rose-tinted lip creme.
