The 9 Best Red-Carpet Moments of 2014: Blake Lively, Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Beckham, and More
Photo: Tony Barson/FilmMagic1/9Blake Lively in a Gucci Première dress and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry
The actress may have opted for a temporary hiatus from the silver screen this year but choosing to focus on her website, Preserve, along with expecting her first child with husband Ryan Reynolds did not take away from Lively’s red-carpet luster. At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Lively, as a L’Oréal ambassador, truly shone but it was her spin in a black-and-white Gucci Première sweeper that broadcast the message “I’ve arrived."
Photo: Harold Cunningham/Getty Images for IWC2/9Cate Blanchett in Giambattista Valli Haute Couture and an IWC watch
Having played the lead role in **Woody Allen’**s film Blue Jasmine, Blanchett had her fair share of high-wattage appearances last year. Sophisticated with a keen aesthetic, Blanchett’s choices— diaphanous dresses from Givenchy or Armani Privé—have been mesmerizing. However, it was a Giambattista Valli Couture look she wore to an IWC launch event that had the fashion crowd enamored. Elegant, yet approachable, Blanchett channeled another fashion icon, Mrs. Carolina Herrera, in a simple white blouse, full skirt, and minimal makeup, for a winning finish to the season.
Photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic3/9Charlize Theron in a Givenchy dress, Harry Winston jewelry, Saint Laurent bag, and Christian Louboutin shoes
_Vogue’_s June cover girl showed off her bold style this year in between starring in A Million Ways to Die in the West, promoting her philanthropic efforts with beau Sean Penn, and raising her son Jackson. And while she kept things classic in black-and-white Dior at this year’s Met Gala, it was her arrival in a Givenchy minidress with a cropped new cut that reinforced the concept of nineties glam.
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images4/9Emma Stone in a Valentino Couture dress and Graziela Gems and EF Collection jewelry
Typically cast in comedic roles, Stone—_Vogue’_s May cover girl—opted for quirky girl roles this year in films including Woody Allen’s Magic in the Moonlight and **Alejandro González Iñárritu’**s Birdman as well as reprising her role as Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. At numerous press junkets, we saw Stone slip into Chanel, Lanvin, and countless others, but the truly amazing look came in the form of a forest green tulle Valentino Couture dress that Stone wore to the Venice International Film Festival. Frothy, yet simple, the dress lent Stone a touch of Old Hollywood glamour.
Photo: Pierre Suu/WireImage5/9Jennifer Lawrence in a Dior Haute Couture dress, Irene Neuwirth earrings, Ana Khouri ring, and Christian Louboutin shoes
It’s well-known that Jennifer Lawrence is apt to be dressed in Dior for her many appearances, so it’s refreshing when her off-duty style is captured in the form of something unexpected, be it from Public School, Antonio Berardi, or Nina Ricci. But Lawrence pinpointed the crop top as the look for young Hollywood this year when she donned a Dior Haute Couture at a photocall for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 in Cannes. Fresh and vibrant with a colorful accent, the top cascades elegantly into an A-line skirt—another major red carpet staple.
Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage6/9Lupita Nyong’o in Ralph Lauren Collection and Fred Leighton jewelry
She won the Academy Award for Best Actress this year, and no one owned the carpet quite like Lupita Nyong’o. Our July cover star clearly follows fashion, having sported everything from Chanel Couture to Prada, but it was a scarlet, off-the-shoulder Ralph Lauren dress at the Golden Globe Awards that solidified her as one of Hollywood’s fashionable trailblazers.
Photo: Elisabetta A. Villa/WireImage7/9Rooney Mara in Balenciaga
One of the more mysterious ladies on the carpet circuit, Mara dresses to her own beat; she’s inclined toward macabre frocks from Calvin Klein Collection, Chanel, and Givenchy. But no one wears black quite like the young starlet who captivated at the Rome Film Festival in a Balenciaga top and skirt with sheer detailing.
Photo: Getty Images8/9Sarah Jessica Parker in Oscar de la Renta
Her name is synonymous with fashion and often abbreviated to just three familiar letters: SJP. In addition to clicking her heels all across the globe on behalf of her own label, Parker also championed on the red carpet in frocks by Alexander McQueen, Mary Katrantzou, and Schiaparelli. It was the Oscar de la Renta look she wore to this year’s Met Gala, however, that truly transcended all eras. The custom piece in black and white was a majestic reinterpretation of the concepts put forth by the exhibition’s honoree, Charles James, featuring peplums and a dramatic, cascading hem featuring de la Renta’s signature in red. Truly a museum-worthy moment.
Photo: Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images9/9Victoria Beckham in Victoria Beckham
This was the year of Victoria Beckham. The designer opened her first flagship store on Dover Street in London and won the Brand of the Year award at the British Fashion Awards with many opportunities to showcase her designs on her best model: herself. On red carpets everywhere, Mrs. Beckham expanded her repertoire beyond the traditional floor-length sweepers, most notably in the form of the standout optic white, feathery dress with flounce she wore in Singapore.
