The Stylist Edition 2012

Last year, I wrote about The Hollywood Reporter's top 25 stylist list (THR) and I added a bit of commentary about what I saw on the red carpet during the 2011 awards show season.  That post became one of my most popular of all time.  In fact, you will see that the post is still listed in my Top 5 posts of the last month.  So, I am happy to deliver THR's 2012 list and let's see if we agree on the choices.  Here we go.......

Michelle Williams with Nate Berkus in the background.

1.  Kate Young:  Last year, Kate was number two on the list behind Rachel Zoe.  THR bumped Rachel Zoe into her own stratosphere as "too big to rank", so Kate is the number one stylist this year.  She dresses Michelle Williams, Natalie Portman, and Rachel Weiz.  The photo above is one of my personal photos of Michelle from the Oscars in her tangerine Louis Vuitton gown. I know not everyone loved this look, but it was divine in person.  Rank Last Year:  2

2.  Leslie Fremar:  She dresses Charlize Theron, Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, and Scarlett Johansson.  It looks like Scarlett hopped on over from Nicole Chavez to Leslie after last year's disastrous Oscars look.  She also dressed a pregnant Reese Witherspoon for the Golden Globes and we certainly had no idea she was with child.  Huge star client list, but I wasn't wowed by what I saw this season.  Rank Last Year:  9

3.  Petra Flannery:  I think Petra is doing stellar work with her big It girl client, Emma Stone, but I couldn't figure out why she dressed Emma in a knock-off gown of the dress Nicole Kidman wore just 5 years before.  The Balenciaga dress was iconic, so I am surprised they went that route.  Flannery also dresses Claire Danes, Zoe Saldana, Mila Kunis, Megan Fox, and Faith Hill.  Rank Last Year:  3

4.  Elizabeth Stewart:  Elizabeth had a big year dressing two nominees from The Help, Jessica Chastain and Viola Davis.  Both looked stunning at the 84th Annual Academy Awards, so I would say her top 5 inclusion was warranted.  She also dresses Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence, Freida Pinto, Cate Blanchett, and Amanda Seyfried.  Rank Last Year:  8

I love this gold Marchesa dress on Stacy Keibler.

5.  Kemal Harris and Karla Welch:  Okay, this duo dressed the best accessory on the Oscars red carpet this year, Stacy Keibler AKA George Clooney's date.  Stunning.  They also dress Olivia Wilde, Hailee Steinfeld, Zooey Deschanel, and Paula Patton.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

6.  Jen Rade:  The leg heard around the world.  Yep, this is the gal who put Angelina Jolie in that Atelier Versace dress with the slit up to there.  I kept hearing rumors that Angelina was paid to wear the shoes and this was a great way to show them off.  I couldn't find any confirmation of this, but it's a fun, fashion rumor.  Rade also dresses Pink and Katherine McPhee.  Rank Last Year:  4

7.  Ryan Hastings:  He helps create Rooney Mara's cool chic look and I thought she looked unbelievable at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon.  He also dresses Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska.  Rank Last Year: N/A

8.  Samantha McMillen:  She dresses Carey Mulligan, Evan Rachel Wood, Dakota and Elle Fanning, Diane Lane, Colin Firth, Johnny Depp, Josh Brolin, and Ryan Reynolds.  Rank Last Year:  24

9.  Deb Waknin:  Yes!  This woman worked miracles on Sofia Vergara all awards show season. Vergara looked beautiful and sophisticated with her hour glass figure.  She had a bit of a miss with an ill-fitting dress on Sandra Bullock at the Oscars, but Waknin's clients usually look flawless.  She also dresses Halle Berry and Diane Keaton.  Rank Last Year:  7

10.  Cristina Ehrlich:  Hmmm, I've been very critical in the past about Ehrlich's work with actress Amy Adams, but this year they got it right at the Vanity Fair party.  So, I won't pass judgment this year.  She also dresses Penelope Cruz, Amber Heard, Tina Fey, and Julianna Margulies.  Rank Last Year:  6

11.  Jeanne Yang:  Oh, you know, she dresses minor stars like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Yes, they have the Holmes & Yang line together, but Yang also styles Andrew Garfield, Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, and Dustin Hoffman.  That's quite a list!  Rank Last Year:  10

12.  L'Wren Scott:  Not a busy year for her clients Nicole Kidman and Sarah Jessica Parker, but she's still strong enough to rank twelfth this year.  Rank Last Year:  13

She's beautiful, but this look has been done before.

13.  Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn:  I did not love Jennifer Lopez's Oscar look this year because she's worn it before.  I found it rather snoozy.  However, JLo looks the best she ever has and her stylists keep showing off those awesome curves.  They also dress Rihanna, Rachel McAdams, and Lily Collins.  Rank Last Year:  15

My personal photo of Gwyneth from the 84th Annual Academy Awards.

14.  Elizabeth Saltzman:  Her client is Gwyneth Paltrow and that Tom Ford gown with the cape was spectacular.  Gwyneth's body looked flawless.  Bravo!  Rank Last Year:  N/A

15.  Cher Coulter:  She is the IT stylist for the IT girls of Hollywood.  Think Kate Bosworth, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Elizabeth Olsen, and Sienna Miller for fashion styling.  She also partners with Bosworth for JewelMint.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

16.  Leith Clark:  Clark styles Kirsten Dunst and Kiera Knightley.  Rank Last Year:  11

17.  Jessica Paster:  She styled Bridesmaids star, Ellie Kemper, for the Oscars.  I thought she looked pretty, but it wasn't a "Wow".  I expect more for the Oscars.  Paster hasn't had that A-List clientele in a few years, but she's still powerful enough to rank on this list.  Other clients include:  Emily Blunt, Felicity Jones, and Andrea Riseborough.  Rank Last Year:  14

18.  Penny Lovell:  Lovell deserves to be on this list after that divine Elie Saab Couture pantsuit that she dress Bridesmaids star, Rose Byrne in at the SAG Awards and then capped off the awards season with a Vivienne Westwood gown at the Oscars.  Two wins for Byrne and Lovell.  She also dresses Ginnifer Goodwin.   Rank Last Year:  N/A

19.  Wendi and Nicole Ferreira:  These sisters did a wonderful thing for the woman who won every award along the way, Octavia Spencer.  They made a curvy girl look her best at every award show she attended this season.  I wish Melissa McCarthy had taken a play from the Ferreira/Spencer playbook.  They also dress Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, and Channing Tatum.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

Another personal photo from my spot on the red carpet.

20.  Brad Goreski:  We've all watched this season's It's a Brad, Brad World on Bravo and we know his relationship with Rachel Zoe is irreparable.  I have a feeling that the fact that Demi Moore and Jessica Alba jumped ship to Goreski's services might have something to do with it.  He also styles Rashida Jones, Noomi Papace, and Maya Rudolph. I did not think Rudolph's Johanna Johnson Oscar dress was a huge success, but I look forward to more from Goreski.  Rank Last Year:  22

21.  Nicole Chavez:  She styles Rachel Bilson, Kristen Bell, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Katherine Heigel.  I love the work she does with Bilson.  Enough said....and yes, I forgive you for Scarlett's Oscar dress last year.  Rank Last Year:  20

22.  Johnny Wujek:  Okay, I get it, you are a rock star and need to go all out.  So, he styles Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, and Kate Mara.  I'm not a fan, but I don't dress like Katy Perry.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

23.  George Kotsiopoulos:  He's still styling stars like Janet McTeer and Alice Eve even though he helms E!'s Fashion Police alongside Joan Rivers, Kelly Osborne, and Giuliana Rancic.  I loved what he did with Janet McTeer this year, she looked elegant and sophisticated at every event.  Rank Last Year:  19

24.  Arianne Phillips:  She was an Oscar nominee for Costume Design on W.E. this year and she solely focuses on her client, Madonna.  Eh, I respect the Oscar nomination the most.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

Love that navy blue tuxedo on Bradley Cooper. Photo courtesy of Just Jared.

25.  Ilaria Urbanati:  She's new to the list, but Urbanati has a strong list of clients:  Bradley Cooper, Armie Hammer, Nina Dobrev, Krysten Ritter, Chris Evans, and Joel Edgerton.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

There's the list for 2012 with all of my personal comments.  Do you agree or disagree with the list or my thoughts on fashion?  I would love to hear from you. Comment in the section below or join me on Twitter or Facebook.

To read The Hollywood Reporter article, click here.
To read my 2011 Top 25 Stylist post, click here.

The Stylist Edition

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Update:  To read the 2012 Stylist edition, click here.  

During Awards Season, I was commenting about the importance of a stylist and how they were critical in organizing an overall look for the celebrity based on their shape, personality, coloring, etc.  While some stylists are uber-high profile like Rachel Zoe, other stylists remain in the background doing all of the legwork for the big march down the red carpet.  It can be challenging to find out who is dressing the stars.  Well, my questions were answered by this week's shiny new Hollywood Reporter magazine that came in the mail.  Remember when I was questioning Amy Adams stylist?  Well, I am going to share some of the highlights from The Hollywood Reporter's Top 25 Stylists and I think some of the stylist/celeb pairings are going to surprise you.  (Because there are 25 stylists to go through, I will comment on certain ones and the others I will just list who they dress.)

Photo Courtesy of Amanda Lyons

1. Rachel Zoe:  Duh, of course. She put together 8 divine outfits for Anne Hathaway at The 83rd Annual Academy Awards.  That tux was the piece de resistance, in my opinion.  Also dresses: Jennifer Garner, Eva Mendes, Liv Tyler, Demi Moore (Although recent rumors have her defecting to former Zoe assistant, Brad Goreski.)

2. Kate Young:  Natalie Portman's stylist all season long.  I am not sure I agree with this because of the misguided Golden Globes dress, but the Rodarte dress at the Oscars was a winner.  Also dresses:  Alicia Keyes.

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

3. Petra Flannery:  Petra would have been number 2 in my book because made Mila Kunis into a red carpet movie star this year.  Mila did not have a single fashion misstep all season. Her other client, Hailee Steinfeld, was dressed age appropriately and simply looked fresh and lovely at the Oscars in Marchesa. Also dresses:  Zoe Saldana.

4. Jen Rade:  Another controversial one in my book because she has big hits like Angelina Jolie, but big misses like The Office's Jenna Fischer.  I love Jenna, but she never looks styled at any red carpet.  In fact, I was surprised to hear she used a stylist, that's how ill-fitting her dresses look.  I think this stylist/celeb pairing needs rethinking because Jenna deserves to shine like the beauty that she is.  Also dresses:  Pink, Cher.

5. Anna Bingemann:  Dresses Claire Danes, Naomi Watts, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Tina Fey.

6. Cristina Ehrlich:  Okay, we finally have the answer!!  This is who dresses Amy Adams. This is another pairing that isn't working. Amy is stunning and I always feel like her dresses miss the mark or they are styled with the wrong jewelry like at the Oscars this year.  Also dresses:  Penelope Cruz, Julianne Hough, Kyra Sedgwick, Ashley Green, Julianna Margulies.

7. Deborah Waknin:  Dresses Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock.  (That's some A-list star wattage!)

8. Elizabeth Stewart:  This one may be controversial for some of you, but Cate Blanchett looked amazing in person.  The fault of the stylist on the Givenchy Couture dress is that it did not photograph well. That is also a part of their job to make sure it translates well live and on camera.  Also dresses:  Jennifer Lawrence, Amanda Seyfried, Kristin Davis, Viola Davis.

9. Leslie Fremar: Dresses Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, Charlize Theron.

10. Jeanne Yang:  Dresses Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise, Christian Bale, and Melissa Leo (That Marc Bower dress at the Oscars was terrible and she will forever be the 2011 Oscar winner in that dress!)

11. Leith Clark:  Dresses Michelle Williams, Keira Knightley.

12. Estee Stanley:  Dresses Jessica Biel, Lea Michele.  This is a good stylist for young Hollywood as she has done a great job with putting Lea on the fashion map.

Nicole Kidman at the 2011 Grammys.

13. L'Wren Scott:  She's a designer and a stylist, but whoa--she was all over the map with her client, Nicole Kidman, this season.  Nicole has always been a fashion icon, but I don't think her fashion choices this year hit the mark except for the dress she wore to the Grammys.

14. Jessica Paster:  She used to be THE stylist to go to before the Top 10 crop of stylists came forward and made their fashion mark.  Dresses:  Annette Bening, Emily Blunt.

15. Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn:  Dresses Jennifer Lopez, Rachel McAdams, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, and Rihanna.  They've done a great job with J Lo's "comeback" on American Idol and giving her short dresses to showcase those Venus razor sponsored legs.  She looks fabulous.

16. Maryam Malakpour:  Dresses Heidi Klum, Courtney Cox, The Rolling Stones. (Yep, even old rock stars have a stylist.)

17.  Tanya Gill:  I was surprised to see Tanya this far down the list.  She dressed a very polished Hillary Swank this year.  Hillary's looks at the Oscars and the SAG Awards really hit the mark.  They weren't fashion game changers, but they offered up a softer side of the perennially buff Swank.  Also dresses:  Jane Fonda, Kate Winslet.

18. Tiina Laakonen:  Dresses Carey Mulligan.  I think we will all be hearing more from this stylist in the next few years with a high profile client like Carey.  She's definitely one to watch.

19. George Kotsiopoulos: You know him from E!'s Fashion Police.  He dresses Freida Pinto, Kristen Stewart, Kerry Washington, Katy Perry, and Kathryn Bigelow.  I expect him to be more of a TV personality versus a stylist with his new found TV fame.

20. Nicole Chavez:  Yikes, she dressed Scarlett Johansson this year.  That outfit was on trend with the lace, but it fit snugly in all of the wrong places.  I was about two feet away from Scarlett on the red carpet at the Oscars and this beautiful actress with an incredible body did not look her best.  Also dresses:  Rachel Bilson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Katherine Heigel.

21. Annabel Tollman:  Dresses Jessica Simpson, Cynthia Nixon, and formerly, Scarlett Johansson. (Go back to her, Scarlett!)

22. Brad Goreski:  One of my personal faves from Bravo's The Rachel Zoe Project, but he's now on his own dressing Jessica Alba.  Truth be told,  I want the real skinny:  Did Demi Moore defect to Brad?

23. June Ambrose:  Dresses Diddy, Jay Z, Kelly Ripa, and Mariah Carey.  (Eh.  Do any of these celebs make an impressive fashion mark?)

24. Samantha McMillen:  Dresses Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Nicole Richie at the 2010 Oscars.

25. Simone Harouche:  I cannot believe she is only number 25.  She is one of my favorites for creating Nicole Richie's current look after Nicole parted ways with Rachel Zoe.  On the flip side, she is also dressed Christina Aguilera and Miley Cyrus, so maybe that is why she is stuck in the number 25 position.

Well, there you have it, a fashion stylist bible all thanks to The Hollywood Reporter and a few added comments from me.  I also tried to link as many of the stylists' websites for you to peruse, it is surprising how many stylists hide behind their agency's websites versus becoming a brand like Rachel Zoe. (But that is another topic for another day!) The Style Issue is dated March 18, 2011 if you want to pick up a copy of this week's edition with Rachel Zoe on the cover.  I am keeping this one handy because we are going to need it with the next award season beginning in only 5 months.  Yep, Emmys season is just around the corner.  Be sure to comment below because I would love to hear your thoughts on some of these stylists and see if you agree with me or not.

To view my 2012 Top 25 Stylists article, click here.

Hints of Oscars Red Carpet Fashions: Shoes

I've been hinting about what I might wear on the Oscars red carpet on Sunday, March 2. I teased two dresses on my Instagram account already. I won't decide until the week of the Oscars which dress I will wear, but the good news is that I can eat this year. No crazy diets, both dresses are going to allow me to eat a few cheeseburgers leading up to the big day. Hooray!

While I am going to wait until Oscars morning to reveal my outfit, I thought I would give you a sneak peek of my shoes. I haven't seen them in person yet, but designer Zul Mohd of EMMETT sent me a photo. I think they are gorgeous and I cannot wait to wear them! He even accessorized me with a clutch to go with the outfit. I cannot thank him enough. I've worked with Zul before when he designed  incredible shoes and a clutch for the Thirst Gala last June. To see more of his work, visit his website.

How are you gearing up for Oscars Sunday? Let me know in the comments below.

Oscars Dress: A Cry For Fashion

I'm headed to the Oscars!  In exactly 19 days from now, I will be on the red carpet interviewing all of the nominees on Hollywood's biggest night.  There's only one problem...I still need a dress.  So, I am putting a call out to you...on the internet, on social media, and wherever else this little post might get passed around.  So, if you are a designer, established or up-and-coming, or if you know someone, pass them my information.  I can always be contacted here.

Me and my dress at the 84th Annual Academy Awards in the Toledo Free Press

In exchange for letting me borrow the gown, the designer will be promoted with a video, photos, across all social media outlets, and of course, it will be plugged on any media appearances I make before and after the show.  As we all know, the biggest question on Oscar night is, "Who are you wearing?"

If you want to see what I've worn in the past, take a look at Oscars 2011 and Oscars 2012.  I also found a beautiful vintage dress in the window at Decades.  That might be my dream dress.

While I am LA-based, I am hitting the road on Friday to cover Oscars trip across the country. I will be in Chicago through February 13th, so if there are any Chicago designers out there....hit me up!

Oscars 2013: The Red Carpet Interviews!

The top photo might be my favorite from all three years of covering the Academy Awards. It was so much fun yelling with the fans in the bleacher seats.  How could you not get excited? I am suffering from my usual Oscar hangover from fatigue (not alcohol!). It's such an exhausting, but exhilarating week.

Also, I have been talking a bit about #MySmarterCommerce which is IBM's campaign to see how technology affects our daily lives. It was so interesting for me to see a jump in interactions via Twitter since I was live Tweeting the red carpet. I couldn't even keep up with responding to everyone this year.  Holy cow, it was great!  I love to see technology impacting us all in a fun way.

Here is some of the inside scoop from this year's Oscars:

The official article on Starpulse.
The Oscars: What you didn't on TV for SheKnows.
My dress info is here.
Thanks to the Huffington Post for making my interview with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron #5 as a part of "The Queerest Oscar Moments of All Time"
And, of course, the interviews below!

I will have more coverage coming your way through Friday.

Let me know your favorite moment from Sunday night's Oscars in the comments below.

The perfect interview for Disney dorks, John Lasseter

With Luz Peña from FOXMundo.  You might remember her from Oscars 2011.

Sherri Shepherd from The View is always a fun interview.

Cracking up Django Unchained producer, Stacey Sher. She saw her Oscar nominee info card and we didn't have any "fun facts" about her. Don't worry, she's fun!

Photos courtesy of James Molnar, Gold Knight Blog

Will The Academy Recognize Stunt Performers At The Oscars?

Note:  This article originally ran on Fanboy Comics on April 16, 2012.  Check out my articles on their site every Tuesday.  

Now that the 84th Annual Academy Awards are in the history books, this is the time of year that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) revises some of the categories, reviews the show, and makes changes to the overall voting rules.  This year, there is big buzz surrounding stunt performers petitioning the Academy to get their work recognized at the Oscars.  Last year, there was a changing of the guard with Bruce Davis stepping down as Executive Director of the Academy and Dawn Hudson moving from Film Independent to replace him. The performers felt now was the opportune time to bring up the topic again. In a recent Hollywood Reporter article, Jack Gill, a veteran stunt performer, says that Hudson “seems to be a lot more receptive than the others.”  He has already started discussions with Hudson to make this a reality.

Stunt performers have long fought to be recognized in the entertainment industry, as they make box office action heroes like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis look downright heroic in their epic films.  They do have their own awards ceremony called the Taurus World Stunt Awards, but remember, so do actors, directors, and producers, and they are already recognized by the Academy each year.  Perhaps, the most shocking revelation in the article is the fact that the stunt performers considered protesting this year’s show but chose not to distract from other artists’ big Oscar day.  

While the stunt performers are not asking for a televised category, it begs for clarification. If the Academy created a new category, where would they put it?  There are already 24 categories on the televised show that usually runs too long.  The Sci-Tech Awards are held two weeks before the Oscars broadcast, but they honor breakthroughs in the technology of film.  Finally, the Governors Awards honor legends in film with Honorary Awards and the Hersholt Humanitarian Award, so it doesn’t seem appropriate to lump the stunt category in with that program.  Could the Academy create a fourth night to honor those in the entertainment industry?  There has long been an outcry to also honor casting directors for their work in film, and with the changing landscape in technology and animation, it is entirely possible we will see this evolution happen for more categories to be created.  This is definitely a battle to watch, because if the stuntmen succeed, more areas of the industry that are ignored on Oscar night are going to look for recognition.  

What are your thoughts on adding a stunt category to the Academy Awards?  I would love to hear your ideas.   

2011 Oscars, Day 5

Hanging on the red carpet with members of the US Military at Cinema City Film Festival

Yesterday was a tough one.  I think my Oscars Week madness officially took its toll, I was dragging my tail all day.  After a good night's sleep though, I am rarin' to go!  I want to kick off today with answering the big question of my week:  "Where can we see you on Oscar Sunday?"  Great question!  Now hear are all of the answers:

     1. Before, During, and After the Oscars:  I will be giving live updates via Twitter from getting ready to the last party of the night.  You do not have to sign up for Twitter to follow my updates, my page is public.  Just click on this link.
  
    2. During the Oscars: Once the show begins, I will be backstage in the interview room as the winners come through to talk about their big win.  I will continue to post pictures and videos from the red carpet and I will be live blogging throughout the night right here at Red Carpet Closet!

I hope you will all join me.  Feel free to ask questions either via Twitter or in the comments section below.  I will do my best to answer them throughout the event.

 Interviewing Cheryl Cecchetto about the Governor's Ball design.

Wolfgang Puck cooks and he talks....a lot!  

As for yesterday's coverage, I filmed my daily video on my couch at the end of the day which really was the perfect way to end a rainy day in LA.  There's lots of fun news in it and a preview of some of the jewelry I tried on for my dress, so be sure to check it out:




I am also catching you up on a few photos and videos from the past week from the Cinema City International Film Festival to my fun day eating with Wolfgang Puck and the rest of the creative team for the Governor's Ball.  Let me take you Behind the Red Carpet:

At Cinema City International Film Festival where I ask:  Who is your favorite Oscar pick this year?



And at the Food and Beverage Preview with Wolfgang Puck:

 I liked that Silver Screen Punch a little too much.

Tom Sizemore is back and healthy.  I hope we see him acting versus acting out on Celebrity Rehab. He was a very fun interview.  Stay healthy, Tom!

All photos courtesy of Mingle Media TV.

A Sneak Peek At My Oscars Jewelry

Year three of Oscars Week begins!

Given the number of views from yesterday's post, you sure like to read about shoes. I gave you a glimpse at the Stuart Weitzman platform shoes I am planning on wearing on Sunday. It may change as my stylist, Roni B., is not 100% sold on that shoe just yet.  She wants 1/2 of an inch more height.  We will see what happens.  

Yesterday, we picked out the final jewelry looks from Charles Winston. He has provided me jewelry over the last few years. You can see my 2011 look here and my 2012 look here. This year, we had to work with the beading on the dress.  It is much more dramatic, so the jewelry had to tell a different story than in years past. I don't want to give it all away, but I thought you might like to look at a piece or two.  

 I am wearing three rings this year. Only one of these rings made the edit, can you guess which one?

I tried this ring on early and even tweeted it yesterday. I was obsessed from the moment I saw it. This will definitely be on my hand on Sunday. The exciting thing is that I always get to keep one piece of jewelry after the Oscars each year. Can you guess which one I am already eyeing? 

 It was also a cold, wet morning on the red carpet. The red carpet has not been laid down yet. That should happen this morning, as long as the weather holds out.  We've had some rain in the last few days. The good news is that Sunday is expected to be sunny and hopefully, a little warm.

Yep, it was wet and ugly out there.

If you are interested in a little Oscar dance scoop, find out the names of the SYTYCD cast members who are performing on Sunday's show. It's a pretty good list. 

To follow my most up-to-date information on Oscars Week, make sure to follow me on Twitter.

Oscars Friday Five

Here's an Oscars Friday Five to help kick off what is going to be a very exciting week in Hollywood.  It will be filled with interviews, multiple wardrobe changes in my car (which I am getting quite good at.) and meals on the run.  I can't think of a better way to spend my week...

1. News Talk 690:  Tim Lewis labeled me a "red carpet diva"-the best compliment ever.  Listen to our interview and see the article.  Tim asked incredibly insightful questions and I really enjoyed my time on air with him.

2.  Red Carpet Report:  My insider's look at the Best Actor and Actress Oscar race. Who did I pick?  Find out:


3.  Kodak Theatre:  If you heard the news this week, the Kodak Theatre name is coming down due to Kodak's bankruptcy issues.  I am going to refer you to this post I did in 2009 and I mentioned my love of this theatre in my recent feature in The Gold Knight Blog.  The theatre has a significant role in my career and I will be sorry to see the name go away.......

4.  Chagoury Couture:  I'm not ready to reveal my Oscars dress until February 26th (Trust me, it's gorgeous!), but I want to give a little love to Marco D'Angelo and Gilbert Chagoury for continually dressing me every time I have a big event.  My Oscars dress last year was executed divinely and my Tonys dress was probably my favorite dress of 2011.  Go visit their site and see what everyone is raving about.

5. Reese Witherspoon:  Check out my iVillage interview with the 2006 Oscar winner, Reese Witherspoon, about her new film, This Means War.  The movie is a fun ride and if you are looking for a fun romp at the movie theatre this weekend, buy a ticket to this flick. (And after seeing her in person, she's definitely not pregnant.)

Top 5 Absurd Searches in February

I didn't have a chance to do this earlier in the month, but it is one of my favorite monthly posts.  What were people searching for at Red Carpet Closet in February?  Well, the usual absurd, wacky, and downright interesting searches were done all over the world wide web and they stopped here.  Thanks for coming by, your searches sure were unusual, and I will offer up a few links to help you find what you were looking for.

1. "Joan Rivers, Gay Swiffer":  Yes, after the SAG Awards, Joan Rivers did call someone a "gay swiffer".  That someone would be Angie Harmon.  Now, don't ever double cross Angie's fans.  They are called "twangles" and they have a lot of bite.  They love their Angie!  Read more about the "gay swiffer".

2. "Is Sandeep Parikh single?": I think my site is turning into a dating service since some of you were wondering about Charlie Bodin and Paula Rhodes of A Good Knight's Quest a few months ago. Well, I don't know if Sandeep is dating someone.  Let's ask....Sandeep, pipe in here!  If you want to know more about Sandeep Parikh, here is my interview with him about The Legend of Neil.  UPDATE:  Yep, he's single.  Ladies, line on up!

3. "Tuned out after Oscars F-bomb":  Okay, I understand, The 83rd Annual Academy Awards weren't the Oscars of your dreams.  Did the Melissa Leo F-bomb make you tune out?  The hosts?  The predictability of the show/awards?  Well, spice it up and read my behind the scenes take from the interview room at the show.

4.  "Where did Olga Kay get her gun dress?":  I love Olga Kay fans.  Each month they search for something new about their favorite YouTube star:  "Something serious in Olga Kay's life right now", "Olga Kay sneakers", "How tall is Olga Kay?".  Olga is awesome, learn more about her from my interview with her here.   We have an answer: BETSEY JOHNSON.  Thanks, Olga!

5. "Will the Oscars bleachers seats be cold this weekend?":  Geez, let me look into my crystal ball or direct you to The Weather Channel.  It was cold on the red carpet this year, so I hope you bundled up!  See my red carpet interviews from the Oscars or find out how you can register for the bleachers seat lottery for 2012.

Keep those searches coming because I already know March is going to be a good one with key words like "Is there a Mary Poppins bathroom at Disneyland?"  See you tomorrow at Red Carpet Closet!

Media Mondays

I love finding crazy photos of me on the internet.  This is from the IAWTV Awards where I dragged my former co-host, Matt Troyer, to be my +1.  Photo courtesy of Brenda White.

Are you guys ready for another week?  I sure am because this week I'm checking out the Governors Ball decor and food in the actual ballroom where all the celebs party after the Oscars.  It's the first time I've ever covered this event, so I'm am so excited.  I have done some coverage in the past the week of the Oscars, but it's never in the ballroom since it's too close to showtime. Let me know if you have any questions for Wolfgang Puck, he will be there cooking up some delightful treats.

Also, if hit the home page, you will notice I did a little 2013 makeover for the blog.  Let me know what you think of the layout.  I want to do more with it, but for now I think it gives it a fresher look and it's easier to find old posts if you missed them.

Finally, a big THANK YOU to all of you.  This weekend, I had the highest views ever on my blog since I came online in 2009.  I am so excited to meet new friends (Be sure to say "hi" in the comments below.) and I truly appreciate my friends that have been here since the beginning.  Tell me what you would like to see in 2013 here on Red Carpet Closet because without you, I wouldn't be able to do my job and bring you all the insight from Behind the Red Carpet.

Now, on to Media Mondays:

Hyundai:  I have been fortunate to host their internet shows from locales like New York, LA, and now, Detroit.  It's been such a thrill to work with the Hyundai and CDG team to bring this show to life.  Everything is live, so you never know what will happen.  This time, we did a behind the scenes look of the booth, so it gave viewers at home an idea of how big the Detroit show actually is.  Take a look here or see a photo of the event here.

Spreecast:  My fellow entertainment reporter, Lindsay Hoffman, and I chatted about this week's hottest Hollywood stories.  She's sitting on a big story that breaks on Wednesday while I dished about the rumor that Jessica Simpson is supposedly having a boy.  Check out the archive below if you want the latest scoop on Britney, Lindsay, Rihanna, and Demi....Lovato, not Moore.




Tom Barnard Podcast:  Tom and I agreed this week about Spielberg and his films.  If you are following the Oscars race, you might want to hear our opinions on this one.

Dara on Radio: I occasionally stop by Dara's show throughout the year.  Last week, I chatted about the Golden Globes and the differences between the awards shows.  I will be back on her show January 29th and March 5th, but, in the meantime, you can check out the archived show here.

More photos from IAWTV Awards.  Photo courtesy of Brenda White.

The Radio Dish: Fun highlights from the Golden Globes with the ladies in Kansas City. I come in at the 20-minute mark.  Lots of snark going on this week...lots.

SheKnows:  Here are my 3 favorite articles from last week:
Zoe Saldana and Chris Pine to host the Sci-Tech Awards--Two Trekkies at the Sci-Tech Awards? Perfect!
Will the cast of Les Mis perform at the Oscars?--I hope so!
River Phoenix's last film to be seen 20 years later--He's still missed after all of these years.

Don't forget to enter my Metric CD giveaway here.

Tonight is #RadioBurtt night at 6:35pm PT/9:35pm ET on KWSS.org on the Driving with Gass show.  I'll kick off your week with the latest in entertainment news. See you there!