Fashionistas, gossip columnists and feisty gay men unite! There’s one night of the year where we all have the opportunity to sit on our couches, grab handfuls of popcorn and judge freely. What night am I referring to? The Academy Awards, of course! No red carpet has become more famous than the one that lines the floor to the most prestigious awards show of the year! Glamour legends like Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn have strutted their stuff proudly down this carpet, and by stuff I mean gorgeous gowns designed by Dior, Chanel, Valentino. However, along with the glamour, there are always a few duds and a few downright cringe-worthy outfits that seem to make headlines the next day. While there’s been much speculation about what dress will go down in infamy as the worst red carpet garb in 2012, there are some clear, historic standouts that cannot be outdone.
Top 3 Worst Academy Award Dresses
3. Bjork’s Swan Dress, 2001:
Bjork turned heads on the red carpet when she arrived at the 73rd Academy Awards in 2001 eschewing traditional Hollywood glam in favor of feathers. The Icelandic singer’s swan dress, designed by Marjan Pejoski, is so infamous that it’s almost famous. In fact, a Debenhams poll , published in the Daily Telegraph, voted it the ninth most iconic red-carpet dress of all time. Although fashion critics cried “foul” and considered the dress to be outrageous and flamboyant, what else would we expect from the quirky singer?
2. Demi Moore’s Cape Dress, 1989:
While some cringe at the thought of Bjork’s swan dress, it cannot be denied that even that looked like 100% regal class when compared to Demi Moore’s Oscar outfit, circa 1989 . In 1989 the fashion outlook was positive…meaning that the spandex and embarrassing perms teased into Texas-beauty-pageant-coifs were slowly dying out. Knowing this, Moore’s self-designed Oscar outfit can only be described as a step in the wrong direction. I don’t even know if this qualifies as a dress or a glorified unitard consisting of spandex, a bustier and one hell of a cape/skirt. Since the ’80s, we’re happy to report that Demi Moore has found a stylist.
1. Cher’s Bob Mackie Disaster, 1986:
Ah, the ’80s. So full of hair products, acid wash, and neon spandex. Although the ’80s were jam packed with fashion disasters, Cher’s ensemble to the 1986 Academy Awards ranks as one of the most memorable. This spider-meets-peacock inspired head dress, paired with a two piece evening gown looks more like it belongs on a Las Vegas stage than on a red carpet. Still, we must commend Cher for her unabashed approach to fashion risk-taking. In outfits like this, she’ll always be one of a kind.