Red Carpet

It wasn't a disaster — more of a mishap. But it was almost as if ABC forgot that the Oscars red carpet is the longest-running fashion runway in history. Keyboard critics took to social media to throw a collective hissy fit about the network's coverage, which was the only live broadcast of arrivals during the hour before the show started, due to a newly extended exclusivity deal. That magic hour is, of course, when the biggest stars in the best gowns typically arrive. But when fashion fans might have been seeing or hearing about Angelina Jolie's stunning black velvet Atelier Versace gown, they were instead treated to an awkward Nick Nolte attempting to answer questions about a pet crow that he may or may not own. It was a missed opportunity — to put it mildly.

Justin Bieber and Masters golf champ Bubba Watson, BFFs? Who knew? "Justin Bieber is the only person I talked to on the phone that night after I won," Watson told E! News over the weekend. "He called me and I talked to him on the phone and he and Selena [Gomez] were congratulating me, and it was a big honor that they would both call me and talk to me," he said . Watson, who won the legendary green jacket a week ago Sunday, was part of the red carpet frenzy at the Tim Tebow Foundation Charity Celebrity Golf Classic in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where on Friday he gave his No. 15-emblazoned Masters players badge to the man the event was named after.

It was a Golden Globes red carpet with more fashion fizzles than sizzles. Shades of pale were a popular trend, as were fishtail hems. And there was a certain boring sameness to many of the looks, including Bérénice Bejo's blue strapless Gucci gown, Freida Pinto's blue strapless Prada gown and Mila Kunis' black strapless Dior gown. But for those who dared to make more unconventional choices, it paid off. PHOTOS: Golden Globes 2012 best and worst dressed Charlize Theron embodied the stuff of which Hollywood fairy tales are made.

Jane Goodall was clearly out of her element recently when she walked the red carpet for the premiere of a new film. After all, the conservationist has spent much of the last 50 years in the wilds of Africa studying primates. But this was no mere movie, and the title alone explains why it brought Goodall, 78, to a red carpet in Orlando, Fla. Disneynature's "Chimpanzee" opens in theaters Friday, giving the world a breathtaking glimpse into the lives of a family of chimps in the Tai Forest National Park in Africa's Ivory Coast.

Remember when stars dressed themselves for the red carpet, and when personal style and glamorous gaffes (Cher, Barbra Streisand) were part of the award show viewing experience? The red carpet lost some of its luster when celebrity dressing turned into big business. Now that gowns must be stylist- and publicist-approved and are sometimes line items in lucrative endorsement deals, much of award show fashion has succumbed to a predictable sameness. Enter Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci.

Want to learn how to dance like a "Slumdog Millionaire"? As part of the pre-Oscar hoopla, personable 33-year-old Artesia-based Bollywood choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan was called in to instruct media personalities and television viewers in one of the most popular dance forms in the world, a combination of classical Indian dance, folk dance and Western styles like hip-hop, Latin and jazz.

With a lifetime of red carpet misses ranging from uncomfortably busty Guinevere gowns to something reminiscent of Grandma's doily tablecloth, Disney princess Miley Cyrus hasn't exactly been fashion It Girl material. Until now. The sleek and chic futuristic white dress Cyrus wore to the People's Choice Awards on Jan. 11 was so well-received that it could single-handedly turn the star's fashion fortunes around. The dress was by David Koma, a designer who hails from Georgia, shows in London and is so new to the fashion scene that his website is still under construction.

Texture aside, there's nothing cushy about an award show's red carpet. In fact, it's one of the biggest challenges of an award night. From the moment nominees or presenters pull into the three-cars-deep arrivals' circle, they'd best be ready to run a gantlet of minor indignities. From a strobe of flashes to a cacophony of shouts for attention, those on the red carpet have to endure ? and do it wearing formalwear and a smile. And they'd best be ready to learn their place in society.

A splatter of midafternoon rain fell on the tented red carpet for the 82nd Academy Awards, but it was just an empty threat. In the end, the sun (and Johnny Depp's mad grin, thanks to a giant billboard for "Alice in Wonderland") looked down on the most fame-packed piece of real estate on Earth. Here's the report from this year's rug. Master of the carpet: Some stars spent little time on the rug -- Morgan Freeman, for instance, jog-walked right past the media despite the protestations of a heartbroken BET team -- others linger for the long haul.

That annual Oscar conundrum -- how to make a fashion statement on the red carpet while honoring tradition at the same time -- was solved this year with one easy concept: texture. The actresses who made some of the grandest entrances stuck to architectural details and dresses that looked as though they were sculpted for them. Whether it was the black and ivory frayed chiffon camellias adorning Diane Kruger's Chanel Haute Couture gown or the layers of pleated raspberry ruffles swirling down the front of Vera Farmiga's Marchesa frock, some of the most striking dresses came in 3-D this year -- no goggles required.

Kim Kardashian was "flour bombed" Thursday night -- that is, someone hurled a baggie of flour at her -- as she arrived on the red carpet to market the launch of her new fragrance. The flour bomb assault on Kardashian could lead to new rules of engagement between the public and public figures. Hollywood and the tabloid machine relish images of celebs interacting with fans at red carpet events -- like Tom Cruise being close enough to grab a fan's camera and pose with it. But such proximity can potentially be fraught with danger.

It wasn't a disaster — more of a mishap. But it was almost as if ABC forgot that the Oscars red carpet is the longest-running fashion runway in history. Keyboard critics took to social media to throw a collective hissy fit about the network's coverage, which was the only live broadcast of arrivals during the hour before the show started, due to a newly extended exclusivity deal. That magic hour is, of course, when the biggest stars in the best gowns typically arrive. But when fashion fans might have been seeing or hearing about Angelina Jolie's stunning black velvet Atelier Versace gown, they were instead treated to an awkward Nick Nolte attempting to answer questions about a pet crow that he may or may not own. It was a missed opportunity — to put it mildly.

Despite a growing embrace of environmentalism among many designers, so-called sustainable fashion continues to conjure notions of burlap. Awards show commentators rarely use the term - elegance just isn't synonymous with eco-friendly living. But at the Academy Awards, Missi Pyle, part of the ensemble cast of"The Artist," will walk the red carpet in a flowing blue gown made from organic silk, hand-dyed with natural mineral pigments and lined with recycled polyester. The gown was designed by Valentina Delfino, one of hundreds of designers around the world who submitted sketches to the third annual sustainable couture competition known as Red Carpet Green Dress in the hopes of presenting their creations on the most glamorous - and watched - red carpet in the world.

In certain circles, the Oscars red carpet generates more buzz than the awards ceremony itself. That two-hour window when stars stroll, preen and gush often showcases the results of hours and hours of prepping by a team of experts tasked with readying their client to face a sea of photographers and impromptu interviews - to say nothing of the worldwide TV audience and the crush of off-camera media in critique mode. For an event as big as this one, that team often includes a fashion stylist, tailor, hairdresser and makeup artist.

For red carpet appearances, celebrity hairstyles usually play a secondary role; it's the gowns that get all the attention. But sometimes a coiffeur has enough oomph to command headlines. At last week's Golden Globes award show, a number of stars posed for the cameras with memorable looks that ranged from "Great Gatsby" to '60s-inspired Bond girl. And it's a safe bet the trend in high-impact hair will continue at the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Awards, Grammy Awards and Academy Awards.

With a lifetime of red carpet misses ranging from uncomfortably busty Guinevere gowns to something reminiscent of Grandma's doily tablecloth, Disney princess Miley Cyrus hasn't exactly been fashion It Girl material. Until now. The sleek and chic futuristic white dress Cyrus wore to the People's Choice Awards on Jan. 11 was so well-received that it could single-handedly turn the star's fashion fortunes around. The dress was by David Koma, a designer who hails from Georgia, shows in London and is so new to the fashion scene that his website is still under construction.

During award show season, inevitably it's the women's wardrobe choices that face the fiercest scrutiny, while the men, for the most part, get a pass. Sure, the occasional bolo tie or Kangol hat (LL Cool J, we're talking to you) is singled out for criticism, but beyond that, the tuxedo-clad men seem to fly beneath the fashion radar. But there are always a few sartorial standouts — on both sides of the score card — and this year's red-carpet rundown has proved to be no exception.

Many of the best dressed stars at Sunday night's SAG awards picked up on spring's biggest runway trend: vibrant color. And really, on a soggy wet Sunday, it was better than wilting in a pale shade of chiffon. (As much as I love Angie Harmon, I was worried that her feathery Monique Lhuillier gown was going to molt by the time she reached the end of the red carpet.) Jennifer Lawrence and Mila Kunis were neck-and-neck for the evening's most show-stopping looks. Lawrence wore a shocking pink Oscar de la Renta gown with a black ribbon belt (many of the gowns were belted, which looked fresh)

It was a Golden Globes red carpet with more fashion fizzles than sizzles. Shades of pale were a popular trend, as were fishtail hems. And there was a certain boring sameness to many of the looks, including Bérénice Bejo's blue strapless Gucci gown, Freida Pinto's blue strapless Prada gown and Mila Kunis' black strapless Dior gown. But for those who dared to make more unconventional choices, it paid off. PHOTOS: Golden Globes 2012 best and worst dressed Charlize Theron embodied the stuff of which Hollywood fairy tales are made.

It comes by Brink's truck and is hand-delivered by security guards. It is served up on silver platters and in lighted glass vitrines at chi-chi cocktail parties. The finest jewelry in the world is in Hollywood during the weeks leading up to the Golden Globes and Oscars. Because no matter how valuable a diamond may be, a photo of a celebrity wearing one on the red carpet is priceless. Awards show season is the Super Bowl of celebrity placement. The world's biggest jewelry brands (Harry Winston, Cartier, Chopard, Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Fred Leighton, Pomellato)