Oscars 2011

Christian Bale Wears Harry Winston Watch At Academy Awards

Chistrian Bale Wears Harry Winston Watch At Academy Awards

Actor Christian Bale received the award for Best Supporting Actor at the 2011 Oscars for his role in "The Fighter." His winning speech was of the more lively you could say - with rambling a aplenty. I am happy the Academy decided to let speeches go long this year as the "meat" of the show is packed in this often amusing/embarrassing unscripted content. Bale was himself, proving to audiences that his real personality is far less composed and reserved than his on-screen persona might suggest (though perhaps his famous rant was more telling of that). Though I was barely listening given that I was staring at his unshaven maw as though the closest thing to a shaving razor had was a lawn mower. What was up with facial hair as the Oscars this year?

What I also barely noticed was the Harry Winston Ocean Dual Time watch on his wrist. In an Ocean style case, the watch has two dials for the time, a small subsidiary seconds dial, a day/night indicator, a big date indicator, and a moon phase indicator. Interesting that this was Bale's choice, I like seeing men's Harry Winston watches getting more celeb wrist time. It would have been awesome to see him wearing one of their Opus collection timepieces.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2011, academy awards 2011, Christian Bale, ocean, oscars, oscars 2011, watch, watchspotting, wears, what

RSVIP: Notes From the Academy Awards Red Plush and More

by Jeffrey Slonim (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

Dateline Hollywood: At the Golden Globes this year, Julianne Moore stopped on the red carpet to inform RSVIP that Bruce Cohen, the co-producer of this season's Academy Awards, who won an Oscar himself for producing "American Beauty," wanted this reporter on the red carpet at his Oscars. "He's really trying," she said.

The Backstory: I won't give the year, but in High School, back in Falls Church, Virginia, Cohen introduced me to his close friend, then known as Julie (nee Smith), a sweet redheaded sophomore. We went on exactly one date, Homecoming. Bruce was always the hyper-organized one, who made all the posters for class elections. At Yale, we were in the same film class. As RSVIP practically lives on the red carpet, I have run into both him and Julie (now Julianne Moore) every few months over the past 20 years.

And on Oscar Sunday, Februry 27, true to his word, Cohen invited RSVIP inside the world's largest red-carpet media bubble.

Tags: academy awards 2010, christian bale, elton john, florence and the machine, florence welch, jennifer hudson, jennifer lawrence, melissa leo, michelle williams, oscars 2011, rsvip

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'Black Swan' Good for Ballet Ticket Sales

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

Darren Aronofsky's hit film, "Black Swan," may do more for the arts than earn Natalie Portman a slew of best-actress awards. It may in fact have helped to boost professional dance companies - at least the ones performing the ballet "Swan Lake," which the film is centered around.

To prepare for the film, Portman trained with former New York City Ballet dancer Mary Helen Bowers. That company performs "Swan Lake" each year and this year its two-week run (which will end on Saturday, Feb. 26) sold extremely well, according to City Ballet spokesman Rob Daniels. The company sold out tickets to all nine of its performances in the 2,500-seat David A. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center.

Tags: academy awards, ballet, city ballet, culture, dance, film, natalie portman, new york city ballet, oscars, oscars 2011

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Academy Awards-Inspired Cocktails from Grey Goose

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events

Academy Awards-Inspired Cocktails from Grey Goose

Grey Goose, the super-premium vodka blended and bottled in the celebrated Cognac region of Western France, has come up with some entertaining cocktails inspired by this year's Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards (aka the Oscars). The drinks have been cleverly concocted to reflect the films for which they're named and the stars themselves – don't orchids remind you of Natalie Portman? Bottoms up and may the best man win....:

Tags: Academy Awards, Academy Awards 2011, Black Swan, cocktails, entertainment, Grey Goose, movies, Natalie Portman, Oscars, Oscars 2011, Social Network, The Kings Speech, vodka

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Vivienne Westwood Red Label Show and Collaboration with Chivas Regal Unveiled (exclusive with video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Celebrity Design

Vivienne Westwood is a busy Dame. Dame Vivienne, that is. The iconic London-based fashion designer is one of the rare few who shows her collections in various cities, including Milan, London and Paris. When Luxist had the opportunity to experience her work up-close on Sunday evening when she unveiled her Red Label Fall/Winter 2011 collection, it was on the third day of London Fashion Week. Earlier that day, her Austrian-born husband, Andreas Kronthaler, Vivienne Westwood's Creative Director, noted, they did a fitting with Helena Bonham Carter for the Academy Awards. A busy day, indeed.

Vivienne West's show was larger than life (see video below). It was presented at the grand Royal Courts of Justice at London's Strand, a gothic cathedral-like setting that was befitting for a designer of Dame Vivienne's stature. The inspiration behind her "Red Label" collection show was Lewis Carroll's "Alice through the looking glass" which evoked a feeling of British society and change. Models wore tartan prints, dresses with mis-matched seams, fantastic oversized hats (designed by Prudence Millinery, some were crowns), over-the-top makeup (including gold-painted faces) and hair styles that seemed to defy gravity. A video of the entire show can be seen on Vivienne Westwood's website.

Bold face names at the show included Jo Wood (ex-wife of Rolling Stones Ronnie Wood), singer Paloma Faith, Boy George, former tenns pro Boris Becker, Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, and contemporary artist Tracy Emin. All were wowed by the show which was as magnificient a production as the Red Label Collection itself. "I am a big fan of Vivienne's, so I enjoyed the show," Nick Rhodes told Luxist backstage after the show. "She always has a few surprises. She is remarkably good at cutting things. So it has always reminds me of the Japanese, but I think they took it from Vivienne. I thought some of things were really exquisitely beautiful. There was one skirt and blouse toward the end that was quite classical. It was a black skirt with a white blouse that I thought was just exquisite---beautiful."

Former pro tennis player Boris Becker was equally impressed with the collection. "I thought, as always, she was spectacular with the different designs and the makeup--one girl was golden," Becker told Luxist. "Her creativity never stops. The Royal Court of Justice is a unique location with a very long runway. The girls did have to walk a long time, but nobody faulted and everyone did a good job."

Gallery: Vivienne Westwood's Red Label Fall 2011 Collection