Oscars 2011

The haute couture gown Nicole Kidman wore to the 1997 ceremony raised the bar for good. It's been an annual rite of "Can you top this?" ever since. "I was the new boy at the big House of Dior, and there were people who didn't think I would cut it," says John Galliano. "Nicole looked like a goddess and showed the world she believed in me. I had seen all of her work and wanted everyone to see her as a star in her own right, as well as being Mrs. Tom Cruise at the time. I've always been seduced by Hollywood, and it was a complete honor to dress her. Nicole trusted us and let us suggest a new direction and the striking chartreuse color, which was controversial at that point because everyone was using primaries or pastels. Dior turned the dress around quickly, as it had only been a month since the gem of the idea had appeared on the catwalk. She looked incredible—and even all this time later, she remains timelessly elegant and yet still directional."

—Hal Rubenstein

SEE ALL LOOKS

Sites We Love