You already got a look at the Zang Toi dress I wore to Vanity Fair’s Oscar party in Los Angeles on Sunday. Now you can look some more!
What Wendy Wore
Dress: Zang Toi (2012)
Shoes: Tom Ford (2012)
Hair and makeup: Stephanie Daniel
Nails: Tracylee Percival
Necklace: My own Gloriana design
Earrings: My own Empress Wu design
Rings: My own Marie Antoinette and onyx skull designs
This Zang Toi gown was in my first post on high/low hemlines, aka “mullet” dresses. I had been coveting it ever since Zang showed it on his runway in February 2010.
Photo from Elle.com. Click for source.
Last fall, I finally decided that I had to have it. Zang was happy to do it for me, though it was a full year after the dress’s official season. That’s a nice thing about designers like Zang — and me and Stacy Lomman — who do a lot of custom work. It’s never too late. This isn’t even the first time I got a dress from Zang after thinking about it for a year. Also, as you can see, Zang changed his design for me. Instead of covering the mini skirt with beaded flowers, as he did on the runway sample, Zang scattered a few flowers around the waist. I would have loved the original look but all that hand-beading was going to break my budget so Zang came up with an alternative. What service! Anyway, I felt fabulous in my mullet, and I liked that my hair was half up and half down to match.
Look, Angelina Jolie! I have legs too!
I got dressed while watching the Oscar ceremony and, like many people, I was fascinated by Angelina Jolie’s leg display.
It’s fine to work the slit in a dress on the red carpet for a few photos, but when she struck the same pose while presenting an award …
… my reaction was …
Click to pre-order my silver WTF rings.
Props to Best Adapted Screenplay winner Jim Rash for imitating Angie when he got on stage. More props to the person who started the Twitter account for Angie’s leg, which has over 25,000 followers as I’m writing this. (But I’m more entertained by the tweets written by Angelina’s big head.)
I wasn’t blown away by any of the fashion at the ceremony. Best Actress nominee Viola Davis looked beautiful in green Vera Wang, and — as you can tell from the model I picked for my lookbook shoot — I’m a fan of short natural hair. (Makeup artist Stephanie Daniel and I gasped in unison when Davis lost to Meryl Streep.) Emma Stone’s dress was stunning, but it was strange how much it looked like Nicole Kidman’s dress from 2007. Presenter Gwyneth Paltrow is my choice for best dressed thanks to her chic Tom Ford caped dress, but somehow her look didn’t give me that, “OMG, I wish I were wearing that” feeling. I WOULD like to wear Rose Byrne’s Vivienne Westwood gown if it weren’t in boring black. I do enjoy a dress with an interesting back.
I also didn’t yearn for any of the dresses I saw at the Vanity Fair party, though I would like Sandra Bullock’s perfect skin, or at least the name of her dermatologist. I would also take the name of P. Diddy’s dermatologist; the artist formerly known as Puffy had nice skin too. Other people who stood out to me included Michael Douglas, because I saw him accidentally stand on a lady’s train, pinning her to her spot at the bar. He looked very surprised when her friend interrupted his conversation to ask him to free her. Busy Philipps led her BFF, Best Actress nominee Michelle Williams, everywhere by the hand. (It was nice to see Williams representing the peplum trend.) I was happy to see Willem Dafoe because I got to quote the Family Guy episode in which Dafoe is under Stewie’s bed to MrB. To my amazement, Alexander Skarsgard of True Blood is even more gorgeous in person than he is on screen. And so tall! People were just staring at him in awe. MrB and I puzzled over a young blonde who perched on a top of a banquette. She was very pretty and we knew she was somebody but couldn’t figure out who. When I saw the news coverage the next day I recognized her by her dress — it was Miley Cyrus.
When we returned to our hotel, we met one of the winners in the sound categories in the elevator. I couldn’t take pictures at the party, so I figured I should jump on the opportunity to take a picture of an actual Oscar statuette. The gentleman kindly accommodated my request.
Despite all the Vanity Fair fun, the HIGH point of Oscar weekend didn’t become clear to me until I was packing to go home. During the big night, I was fueled by Champagne, speaking animatedly, and gesturing with my purse. To my horror, a small, white object flew out. I knew instantly that it was an OB tampon. I scurried after it and put it back in my purse. But a few minutes later, I saw ANOTHER one on the floor. I pounced on that too. The following morning, I emptied my evening purse before putting it in my suitcase. I found two small, white objects: one OB tampon … and one tiny baggie filled with white powder. “What do you think this is?” I asked MrB. “FLUSH THAT DOWN THE TOILET!” he answered. I flushed it, baggie and all. So, while my Oscar night was great, someone else’s was probably missing a little something.
We just say no to drugs.
You are such a rock star, WB!
That gown is exquisite!
xoxox,
CC
You flushed! Oh no! You look so glamorous I could pop and you saw Alexander S in the flesh. Sigh…
I wanted to love Rose B’s dress but the fit was really odd. Also it was my most favorite of colors. LOL. I loved GP’s dress the most. See I only like black, white or grey. I am dull. On the way to see Meshuggah and I am wearing black and grey Rick Owens befitting of technical death metal!
Oh and Wendy B OMG and Evelina rings!
Love the A.J. dress!
Now that is what I Call good service, you look fantastic!
I really, really, love your gown! And the story about the baggie made my morning!
love everything about this post, esp the party roundup and your snap with Mr B. You guys always look like you have such fun.
Yours is the most fun post-Oscar account I’ve read! You look beyond gorgeous in your gown. I hope no one picked up an OB later that night, thinking it was . . .
LOL!
OMG, too funny about the other “tampon!” You look smashing and I have to believe you were the most fun couple in the room.
Wahahahaha, you just ruined someones night! Bet they wasted the rest of the evening trying to score. Fab dress too, you look like a wicked queen x
Ravishing! And I adore the skirt display shot. Big reveal!
Ha ha ha..And they can’t even ask it back!! It would be a big scoop if we knew who it belonged to;-)
BTW, you gown looks amazing, and I like it better without the beadwork!
Jim Rash (aka, Not-Moby) KILLED me when he did his best Angelina impression. That Oscar was well-earned. I lovelovelove your dress. What an awesome opportunity to be at the Vanity Fair party. Take me with your next time. I can sneak in underneath the poof of your amazing gown.
I am so absolutely loving this gown…it reminds me just slightly of Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy ballgown from the movie “Sabrina”! Definitely a fav with me, since I designed my wedding gown to reflect Givenchy’s work. Your gown looks very regal on you, perfect with your lovely jewelry! Speaking of which…what GORGEOUS pieces you design, you have incredible artistry!!! I would kill for one of your necklaces, if only it was in my poor newlywed’s budget–someday!!!
<3 Cambria
jupefashion.blogspot.com
BWAH on baggie
You look beautiful, Wendy! Black and purple really suit you, and the shoes go so perfectly with Zang Toi’s dress.
(I actually LOL’d at your closing anecdote. Then I read it to my boss, who chuckled.)
Just love your blog. Always fascinating and funny! I will have to look for a close up on your necklace.
I loved those shoes as well. Perfect with your dress. BUT! Just how drunk were YOU? Thank God you didn’t try to insert that baggie at any stage..You and Mr B make a great looking couple.
You look so gorgeous and the dress was perfect! for the event. You and Mr.B look so snazzy together. I also like your dress better without the bead work. I think the shoes really make the outfit.
I loved that Vivienne Westwood, but hated the length. I saw her on a couple of the carpet round ups.
Also I am WTF-OMGing at your “find”. Eeeep!
oh angelina and that chicken leg! blargh! why did she DO that?!?!? horrifying, but it made me laugh and laugh!
and love the purple color in your dress!
That dress is stunning, and wow the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. You rule! The Angelina’s leg Twitter account is actually quite dull but then so is her puny leg. Off to check out her big head. Thanks for the tip off!
OMG Wendy
I am in love with this dress
the color is fab u lous
brett
Wow, unbeknownst to you, you were a courier!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank GOD you didn’t get on the plane with that ‘OB Tampon!’
You’d have called me, begging me to get you out of the LA can!
Love that dress, and I was thrilled to note how perfectly the shoes worked with it.
What a story, I loved this post.
I’m going to edit your number in my phone contacts so it says “Bail” instead of “Elizabeth” 😉
Good idea—You never know when you’re going to call that number. You might as well make it easy to find.
Ha ha! I love your post party story. Reminds me of the recent Zac Efron-condom-dropping-incident on the red carpet story.
Awww, you make me want to wear my OTT Sarah Whitworth purple taffeta mullet dress now. Although your amazing Zang Toi is far more streamlined and I fear I may be actually drowned in Eighties with mine.
As for Angelina’s dress. I think if you have to keep jutting your leg to demonstrate the split, then it’s a badly made dress. A split should just happen, just kick out when you do…like all good Ossies do! xx
And she blamed her stylist for putting her in an ill fitting dress that FORCED who to stand like that. Ha! LOVE your Zang gown!
gorgeous dress! and when I first saw the photo, I thought Zang must have hand made the shoes to match! Gorge, and natch, perfect accessories!
I couldn’t believe I found those perfect shoes!