StyleSpy with Katrina Szish

Many of you already know that I'm a huge Reem Acra fan, but after checking out the Emmys, it's clear that many of Hollywood's red carpet standouts are also part of the club.

Acra has outfitted myriad celebrities in the past, but last night her designs bedecked not one, not two, but FIVE stylish stars.

Christina Applegate stepped out in an asymmetrical pale aqua, silk organza, jacquard draped gown fresh from the Spring 2009 Collection.

"Desperate Housewives'" Felicity Huffman's newly-cropped bob added extra flair to her gorgeous embroidered and beaded pale peach tulle floor-length gown.

The dazzling Olivia Wilde of "House" made jaws drop in a pearl grey, silk satin-faced chiffon twist-front gown with jewel encrusted cap-sleeves.  The fit was flawless...

Outstanding Drama Series nominee, Julie Benz of "Dexter," looked like royalty in a deep purple, embroidered-waist gown from Acra's 2009 resort collection; actress Lisa Rinna also found her knockout number from the resort collection, and channeled her inner goddess in a one-shoulder, ivory crepe gown.

As always, Acra had a distinct aesthetic in mind when dressing these women:

"At this year's Emmys my designs blended a Parisian sense of elegance and fine tailoring with iconic Hollywood glamour. The result is a look of 'Hollywood Couture' that offered an edge and freshness to the red carpet." --Reem Acra      

There's really only one word that adequately describes attending the Oscars: WOW. 

The Golden Ticket was still golden....even though my seat was in the last row (no joke!)

It's not just literally brushing shoulders with mega-watt stars -- Cate Blanchett (I also shared a porta-potty moment with her at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday afternoon at the beach in Santa Monica); Marion Cotillard (those fish-scale details on her dress were quite something to behold as I walked into the theater behind her), Cameron Diaz (we both tried -- to no avail -- to grab a last-minute, pre-ceremony libation), Daniel Day Louis (incredibly tall and slim), Tilda Swinton (incredibly tall and slim), John Travolta (very gracious, even at the end of a long evening) -- but it's also the psychological rush that happens when your brain finally processes that YOU ARE AT THE OSCARS.  Simply from a historical perspective -- this was the 80th, after all -- it is truly a mind boggling experience.

The closest I'll ever get to being Olivia Newton John in Grease

Working -- not to mention walking! -- the red carpet is always a rush.
Part of my job is to identify the trends as the celebs weave through the throngs of reporters (it's often difficult to get a good look at them) and instantaneously translate that to cohesive fashion commentary on live television. 

With CNN Showbiz's AJ Hammer and Brooke Anderson overlooking the red carpet

Last night, working the arrivals with the amazing team from CNN, the top trends I spotted were:

1.   RED

The color of the night!  Ladies in red include: Anne Hathaway in Marchesa (above), also wearing $1 million worth of Harry Winston gems on her ears; Miley Cyrus; Heidi Klum; Helen Mirren; Katherine Heigl in Escada...to name a few

2.  STRAPLESS

Forget cleavage -- it's all about the clavicles.  Shoulder-baring A-listers: Mom-to-be Jessica Alba in Marchesa, Jennifer Garner in Oscar de la Renta, Laura Linney in Michael Kors, Keri Russell in Nina Ricci, Kristen Chenowith in Armani Prive, Amy Adams in Proenza Schouler, Cameron Diaz in Dior

3. ASYMMETRICAL NECKLINES

An instant way to score points for elegance and edginess.  To wit: Hilary Swank in Versace, Tilda Swinton in Lanvin, Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl

4. THE STATEMENT NECKLACE

While many of the stars who went strapless kept their necklines unadorned, several of my fashion-forward favorites -- Nicole Kidman, Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner -- revived the statement necklace trend.

5. BACK IN BLACK

Black was also big (Jennifer Garner, Hilary Swank, Ellen Page, Nicole Kidman), and it felt fresh.  Perhaps it was the near overdose of bright colors at the Grammys (which I admittedly loved) that made my style spy eye pop for the classic gals in black.

I chose none of those trends (yep, a fashion rebel, that's me), and opted for a stunning silk taupe J. Mendel dress straight from the Fall 2008 runway collection, paired with about $60,000 worth of Sasha Primak jewelry (Primak regularly collaborates with It-designer Erin Fetherston). 

My moment in the spotlight!...sort of...this was taken by a valet parking attendant after the awards ceremony

I LOVED my ensemble, and it was the perfect way to show of the fruits of my Red Carpet Countdown labor.  I felt fit, fabulous and fashionable...what could be better?!

Perhaps a solid chocolate, ten inch Oscar statuette covered with 24-karat gold dust (below), as conceived by Wolfgang Puck, adorning the top of the dessert platters at The Governor's Ball???!!! 

I almost brought one home....but then what?  I pictured a melted gold mound at the bottom of my LV luggage, and decided remembering the moment with a snapshot was a better idea.

Almost, but not quite.
Feeling like a star at The Academy Awards definitely takes the cake...er, the chocolate.

And that's all she wrote.

Until next week.

Style Spy is taking a much-needed spa retreat (I just checked in today, and got the inside scoop that there happens to be a major TV star chilling out here, too)...Check back next week to find out exactly where I escaped (there are hot springs involved), complete with pictures and decadent details, of course!  See you then...

*all red carpet celebrity images courtesy of and credited on InStyle.com's Oscar photo gallery*

I'm referring to the Oscars, of course!  There's less than a week to go until the biggest night in Hollywood -- until the red carpet of all red carpets -- and Style Spy is going to be there checking out all the action, both on the carpet and inside the Kodak Theater. 

This night will also be the culmination of my Red Carpet Countdown, which means the Complete Body Development team and I have only a few days left to get me in gear.  Although I've been working hard since the last week in November, I still feel I have a long way to go.  Admittedly, Fashion Week put a bit of a wrench in my Oscars fitness plan: my crazy schedule meant no time to work out and less-than-perfect meals; then came my wedding anniversary celebration; then Valentine's Day; then President's Day weekend...you get the idea.  I will definitely be continuing the Countdown after the golden statues have been awarded.  Bikini season is rapidly approaching, after all, followed by my best friend's wedding in Jamaica.  See?  There's always a "red carpet" in the future -- for everyone -- which means the RCC is always relevant.

BUT...back to the present.  I hit the gym this morning and -- besides a killer workout, ouch! -- Alex, Alicia and Ramon gave me some final countdown tips to help ensure I'm as lean and mean as possible when I step onto the carpet next Sunday.

Alex Reznik, trainer extraordinaire!  Check out my pink boxing gloves!

RED CARPET COUNTDOWN:  ONE WEEK LEFT TO WHITTLE

1.  Cardio, Cardio, Cardio!  Focus on low-resistance training instead of weight training to streamline.

2.  Munch a little, a lot.  Keep your metabolism working overtime by eating small snacks throughout the day.  Stop eating by 7pm, or at least 3 hours before bedtime.

3. Food focus:  lean protein, raw or steamed veggies, low-sugar/high-fiber fruits (blueberries, grapefruit) -- no processed foods, salt, or alcohol and minimal carbs

4. Don't drink too much water; limit intake at least three days before the event to guarantee a bloat-free event

5. Steam!  Spending time in the steam room flushes toxins and stimulates circulation.

Although my dreams of hitting the red carpet at the Golden Globes this weekend have been dashed, I refuse to wallow.

Instead, I will be painting my nails red.  "E! Live From The Red Carpet" red, to be exact.  This limited edition shade is the result of a smart collaboration between nail polish guru Essie and the stylish peeps at E!, created in honor of awards season and all the glam glory that (usually) comes with it. 

And, at $8 a bottle, it's way easier to justify than Chanel couture.

So who needs a carpet to strut your stuff when you've got a bottle of limited edition nail polish to keep you on your toes?!

Kate Walsh rocks short red nails

Come to think of it, even if real-life red carpets continue to elude us in the coming months, this polish would still be a fab choice for Valentine's Day.  Good thing it's available (at Essie.com) 'till the end of February.

The winning dress, that is (scroll down to see the whole story): Black silk chiffon with ivory straps and waist ties by DINA BAR-EL. (this miracle-in-a-garment-bag greeted me upon my arrival at the Beverly Hilton).

This picture was taken by a Fox News correspondent from Tampa at about 11am, waaaaaay before the big event began.  And, I am proud to report that I hit two of the big trends of the night: black and white (Debra Messing, Sandra Oh) and plunging necklines (Marcia Cross, Minnie Driver, Eva Longoria).  My STYLE SPY-sense was tingling...

Next, back to the hotel for a costume change (into a sexy, floor-grazing kaftan/kimono by Issa -- a must-have label, maker of amazing dresses), then off to the CBS bureau (in a stretch limo originally slated to pick up "Ugly Betty's" Eric Mabius, which I scored at the last minute due to a scheduling snafu) to watch the red carpet arrivals on a live feed.

Made it to the airport.  Talk about traveling in style (even though I was in coach!)...Check out the view (and the logo...who knew?)

Dress update:  packed one of the four gowns I showed you (any guesses?) but got word that there would be a few more dresses waiting for me at my hotel in LA (woo-hoo!).

Okay, so less than 36 hours till the Emmys.  My first instinct:  call everyone I know to see if I could borrow a dress. Thanks to VH-1's uber-stylist Alana Kelen, by 8pm Friday night I had about fifteen dresses to choose from, which I quickly narrowed down to four.

Hot pink duchesse satin from Badgley Mischka (my Italian Grayhound WIlhelmina 
really likes this one) ...

Canary yellow, asymmetrical knee-length from Feraud (love at first sight, especially after seeing all the crayon-box colored, asymmetrical neckline dresses that stormed the runways during Fashion Week)...

Ballet pink silk shantung from b. Michael Couture (dresser of Beyonce)...

And a royal blue chiffon strapless, also from Badgley Mischka (have you seen their  new lingerie ads with Teri Hatcher?  Wowza!).

But before trying anything on (remember the post fashion week puff I mentioned?), I bolted to the gym and pleaded with my new trainer Alex Reznik (former trainer to elite Russian soldiers) to pleeeeeeaaaaaaaase work some of his Russian magic and get me into instant Emmy shape.  I have only been working with Alex a few weeks (I found him via a Women's Wear Daily article), and in that short time I discovered he is not just a trainer but also a nutritionist, physical therapist, psychologist and life coach (though he may not yet realize it).  Despite his hardcore fitness background, he does not believe in the "no pain, no gain" mantra. To wit, his countdown advice:

1.  Don't workout like crazy before a big event -- it's likely you will injure yourself.

2.  The most important thing to do:  get enough sleep.

3.  Don't try anything new (crash diets, intense exercise regimes, unfamiliar foods).

4.  Don't stress, because it will show in your face and in the way you carry yourself on the carpet.  Spend the majority of your free time meditating.

5.  Avoid salt, processed foods, soda, pasta and all the things you should avoid anyway.

6.  For a temporary yet effective toned look and posture boost, do a series of sun salutations or a few tricep dips on the edge of a chair just before going to the event.

I left Alex feeling reinvigorated and surprisingly calm...until I got home and tried on the dresses.  Nothing fit.  Too big, too long, too droopy, too short, too something-isn't-quite-right.  I tried my best to focus on Alex's 4th piece of advice.

15 hours till take off and still no dress.

Countdown to...THE EMMY'S??

Just when I was about to kick back, relax and do some fall-cleaning after a frenzied fashion week, I learned (Friday morning) that I would be flying out to LA (Saturday morning) for the Emmy Awards (Sunday afternoon).  Don't get me wrong -- I was THRILLED.  But, as I am red-carpet-perfection obsessed (MUST BE IN PERFECT SHAPE! MUST HAVE PERFECT DRESS!), I was a smidge panicked. 

The plan was to hit the red carpet for a Fox News Channel live shot Sunday morning, hit a super-hot People Magazine party, and then prepare for the MAIN event, a live fashion wrap-up on the CBS Early Show, on Monday morning at 5:08am PST.  My Monday morning wake-up call would be jangling at about 1:30am.  Ouch.

I hadn't even thought about packing (my L.A. wardrobe is way different from my New York wardrobe), plus I didn't have a carpet-worthy dress.  And, searching for carpet-worthy dresses less than 24 hours before departure when you're not Katherine Heigl is a bit of a challenge.

So not only was I recovering from fashion week puffy face (champagne, early mornings, late nights,more champagne) and workout withdrawal (who has time for the gym during fashion week?!), but now I needed to be red-carpet ready in all ways in less than 36 hours....

Stay tuned...