Oscar fashion goes bold. Thank Lady Gaga!

Taking a tip from music stars Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, Hollywood's A-list actresses are expected to turn up on Oscar's red carpet in many bold, futuristic designs, fashion experts predict.

The eye toward the future marks a turnaround from recent years in which styles at Hollywood's biggest awards shows have featured vintage gowns, subdued designs and colours, and less jewelry in a nod to the world's economic woes.

But with consumer confidence up, Hollywood's top female actresses will be wearing distinctive gowns highlighted by draping and accented shoulders and sleeves. Expect a wide array of colours, from pale shades and skin tones to bold purples, oranges, midnight blues and classic black.

Designer Marc Bouwer said this year's futuristic fashions are influenced by some of the "out-there" costumes of pop music superstars like Lady Gaga, Minaj and now Britney Spears as seen in her latest video, "Hold It Against Me."

"Artists are starting to dress much more crazy, more out there and it has a ripple effect on fashion," said Bouwer. 

"While you won't see a Lady Gaga outfit necessarily on the Oscar red carpet, you will see more architectural styles -- an expanded shoulder, a pronounced sleeve. The stronger power woman has emerged, and you cannot ignore that trend."

Styles on the red carpet ahead of the world's top film honors are expected to be similar to those debuting last month at Hollywood's Golden Globe Awards.

At that show, "Glee" star Lea Michelle dazzled fashionistas in a pink asymmetrical Oscar de la Renta gown, and other actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Michelle Williams and Scarlet Johansson turned up in skin tones and pale shades of rose.

Jewelry is back

This year Bouwer, who famously dressed Angelina Jolie in a white satin halter dress for the 2007 Oscars, is working with nominees including "The Fighter" star Melissa Leo on the trend he calls, "futuristic architectural minimalism."

It is a look that he and others said not only takes into consideration the dress, but accessories that come with it.

"We're going to see statement pieces," said Greg Kwiat of Kwiat Diamonds. His jewels previously were worn at the Oscars by past nominees such as Anna Kendrick and Natalie Portman.

"A bracelet, a necklace. There will be everything from classic diamonds to lots of colours like yellow gold or aquamarine," Kwiat said.

If the dresses and jewels are bold, then the hair has to be simple and "not so overly complicated" according to celebrity hair stylist Anthony Morrison.

"Whether the hair is up or down, it's more about having a finished look, not frizzy or disheveled," he said. "We've been using a lot of smoothing products to make sure hair is glossy, shiny and polished."

Hair colour is also expected to be big and bold this year.

"The colour is going to look amazing," Morrison said. "Rich brunettes, gorgeous reds and perfect blondes. Everybody will enhance whatever colour they have."

Colour enhancement is likely to be seen in many gowns, as well, along with classic black and ivory found at black-tie events. Allen B. Schwartz, creative director of A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz said to expect bold greens, purples, corrals, oranges and midnight navy.

"Colour is usually about positive energy," he said. "We all know what's gone on with people struggling because of the economy. Everyone has started off the year with a renewed energy for a better time (and) colour is about being happy."

© Copyright (c) Reuters

The Art Of Empowerment

Sex sells. The music industry is very aware of this fact, and have used it to build the careers of moneymaking machines such as Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Britney Spears. Lady Gaga also capitalized on this idea, launching her career with lyrics like “I’m bluffin’ with my muffin” and the infamous “I wanna take a ride on your disco stick”.

Gaga manages to stand out from pop music’s sea of catchy beats and over sexualized stars. Although her first album debuted a mere three years ago, she has broken several chart records and already reached the iconic status of stars like Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, and Madonna. But how did she achieve this status so quickly? Some argue that it is because of her obscure fashions, ranging from a dress constructed entirely out of animal flesh to a very convincing Joe Calderone ensemble. Others note her unexpected performances and music videos, which contain bizarre production elements, convoluted storylines, and almost always leave viewers scratching their heads. Though such factors have certainly contributed to Gaga’s exponential rise to fame, she enlists another pivotal tool to secure iconic status: empowerment.

Gaga has an impressive resume in the field of empowerment. Like many artists, she uses her pop star status to raise revenue for philanthropic organizations. But Gaga also gives a significant amount of her time to spread messages important to her fans and herself. Rather than using the spotlight of the 2010 VMAs simply to promote her music, Gaga invited openly gay soldiers to accompany her to the event, highlighting the flaws of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which had yet to be repealed at the time of the awards show. When Gaga discovered that Target donated money to politicians with homophobic agendas, she addressed the situation by refusing to sell her album Born This Way at the store unless Target started donating funds to pro-LGBT causes. Instead of briefly expressing her condolences when gay teen Jamey Rodemeyer committed suicide, she set up a meeting with President Obama in order to discuss the need for anti-bullying laws. Regardless of the situation, Gaga is sure to go the extra mile.

Gaga also empowers her fans through more direct channels. She constantly reminds her 14 million followers on Twitter- affectionately referred to as her “little monsters”- that they are beautiful as they are. Gaga uses her voice to urge her fans to exude confidence despite the obstacles they may face. More importantly, Gaga spreads positive messages to her following through the lyrics of her songs. In the title track of her most recent album, Born This Way, Gaga tells her fans that they are “on the right track” regardless of sexuality, color, or disability. The album contains many power anthems such as “Highway Unicorn”, a track encouraging her large number of gay fans to “be strong on the road to love”, and “Marry the Night”, which helps each fan see that they should “not give up on their lives” when things get tough.

Although Gaga has undoubtedly empowered her fans, many question her intentions. Skeptics argue that her message in the song Born This Way is hypocritical, as Gaga constantly changes her hair, makeup, and persona in order to hide her natural self. In addition, many argue that her motivation for empowering her fans is an economic one. Gaga has broken several digital sales records, which prompts questions of whether she appeals to the emotions of her fans in order to succeed economically or to avoid being a one-hit wonder. After all, she has proven to be an excellent performer. So is it too far of a stretch to wonder if she is also an excellent actress as well?

Gaga enthusiasts argue that she is not using empowerment as a manipulative device. They claim that she acquired fame because of her artistic talents rather than her agenda of empowerment. Instead of using this agenda as a marketing strategy, fans argue that she spreads positive messages to them because she deeply cares about such issues and knows that she can use activism and her fame to make a difference. Gaga is not classically pretty, and has shared stories to her fans about the relentless bullying she encountered throughout school. Therefore, fans find it easy to empathize with Gaga and to believe she is sincere.

Though both arguments have their merits, skeptics and believers can both agree on one thing: Lady Gaga has made a positive impact in the lives of her fans. And she isn’t about to stop.