Brilliant colours reigned supreme at the 80th annual Academy Awards as actresses chose to wear red and other vivid hues, brightening an arrivals line threatened by rain and wind.
Gloomy movies may have seized the spotlight at this year's Academy Awards, but it was bold, vivid red that reigned on the Oscar red carpet and cut through the cold gray of a rare rainy day in Hollywood.
Under plastic sheeting above the red carpet, stars like Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Miley Cyrus, Katherine He Read more

Brilliant colours reigned supreme at the 80th annual Academy Awards as actresses chose to wear red and other vivid hues, brightening an arrivals line threatened by rain and wind.
Gloomy movies may have seized the spotlight at this year's Academy Awards, but it was bold, vivid red that reigned on the Oscar red carpet and cut through the cold gray of a rare rainy day in Hollywood.
Under plastic sheeting above the red carpet, stars like Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Miley Cyrus, Katherine Heigl and Heidi Klum stood out with varying hues of crimson on their elaborate gowns.
Many of the dresses were in deep, dramatic red, evoking the brooding themes of revenge, despair and doomed love in best film nominees like "Atonement," "Michael Clayton" and "There Will Be Blood."
A crippling writers' strike had also cast a pall over the entertainment industry in recent months, and fashion watchers wondered how that would play out on Oscar's big day.
Hathaway chose a crimson Marchesa gown, its lone shoulder covered with silk roses. The draped dress, fitted with a long train, was a liability in the rain, the actress said.
Supermodel Klum, host of television's "Project Runway," wore a scarlet Galliano gown to raise awareness of women's heart disease.
Mirren, last year's best actress winner, opted for a George Chakra gown the color of garnets with sparkling, beaded sleeves and back.
Other electric hues were seen, such as the emerald green Alberta Ferretti chosen by 13-year-old Saoirse Ronan, nominated for best supporting actress in "Atonement."
Shades of cabernet were the colors for Jessica Alba and Cate Blanchett.
Alba wore a strapless Marchesa gown with feathers at the bodice, suitable for her pregnant belly.
Red was the color of Tilda Swinton's hair but the best supporting actress winner opted for a black Lanvin dress with one flowing sleeve, a look that prompted some barbs.
In a refreshing departure from red, Marion Cotillard, best actress winner for her portrayal of French singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose," wore a white gold Jean Paul Gaultier gown. Its scalloped edges made the raven-haired actress resemble a modern-day mermaid. Close