When my friend and former roommate Roger Ross Williams asked me to dress him for the Oscars, no one knew that he would wind up getting bum-rushed by a hysterical woman during his acceptance speech, making it one of the most memorable moments of last night’s telecast. Elinor Burkett, the redhead who seemingly flew in from the eaves clad in a purple Snuggie, had pulled out as producer of Roger’s short doc Music by Prudence over creative differences last year. After nominations were announced, however, she changed her mind about being associated with it. Burkett foreshadowed last night’s Lady Kanye moment the day before the Oscars by hogging the microphone at a Q & A following a screening of the film at the Writers Guild Theatre on Saturday morning. Well, what’s done is done. Roger got in one heartfelt sentiment in the speech, and got the cameras to capture the star of his film, the handicapped Zimbabwean singer Prudence. Equally important, Roger’s 87-year-old mother, who had never been on a plane before, got to watch her son take the gold (thanks to a first-class ticket provided by HBO). 

Now that the speech-crashing is a story du jour, and a permanent footnote in Oscar history, I wonder if any of the companies I had contacted in order to dress Roger might now regret having said no. In my Oscar-styling debut, I learned that not all nominees are alike—even if they are up for an award given out on the big night (instead of during that ugly stepsister technical awards to-do). The costly effort fashion companies make during Oscar season ultimately targets a small percentage of famous names. Gucci, Dior Homme, Bottega Veneta, and a few other major labels I deal with regularly for fashion shoots ignored my emails asking for loaners for Roger. The VIP dresser for John Varvatos told me the company dresses “actors only.” Diesel and Paul Smith extended discounts. Roger went with Paul Smith for the big night. Only two companies enthusiastically said yes, with no string attached: Theory (which he wore to the Independent Spirit Awards) and Affliction (which he wore to the WGA screening).

Cecconi’s in West Hollywood was a sea of black Sunday night at a cocktail kick-off party to Oscar week. Hosted by Audi, and the eveningwear label Marchesa, and actress Camilla Belle, the event attracted a crowd of too-cool-for-color guests. Enter Camilla Belle. The actress (who is currently filming From Prada to Nada, which is slated for release next year) arrived in a white, feathered frock from Marchesa’s fall 2010 collection, causing guests (including me) to sweat a little.
When I asked the actress what she loved about Marchesa—besides being given a dress that won’t even be available to the public for months—she said, “The attention to detail and texture is incredible. The dresses are just beyond feminine. I love that.” Camilla owes her consistent placement on best-dressed lists to her mother, Cristina Routh, who also works as her stylist. “My mom used to be a designer in Brazil. She has that great eye. And we are close, so it just makes sense.” The dress on the mannequin next to Camilla is the one she wore to the MTV European awards. (Katie Perry wore the same one to that event.) I asked Camilla what she would be wearing to the Oscars this Sunday. No feather, apparently. “I’m staying home and having a little Oscar party this year.”

Photo: Mark Sullivan/WireImage

Anastasia Soare (on right in pic), known as Hollywood’s “Queen of Brows,” is adding another party to the very crowded awards-season schedule. This one is different, though: It’s for people who primp and dress the stars. “Everyone works so hard this time of the year. Why shouldn’t they be able to pamper themselves a little bit?” she told me earlier this week in her Brentwood salon at the first of what she says will be an annual shindig. Celeb wardrobe stylists (including George Blodwell and Phillip Bloch, pictured), hair and makeup artists, and personal assistants got manicures, make-up applications, blow-outs and, of course, eye brow waxing, and also looked over jewelry by Kimberly McDonald (at left in pic). The designer showed an imperial jasper ring, quartz cat’s-eye earrings, and a new series of macramé bracelets with geodes and diamonds. Anastasia became a fan of Kimberly’s work through—who else?—an actress. “[Brooke Shields] would come in with gorgeous pieces--a different one everyday. And I would ask her, ‘Who is this jewelry?’ Kimberly’s BFF Patrick McDonald was on hand, wearing zebra-opal cuff links that are also part of the collection. By the end of the evening, a few guests walked out with new jewels adorning their primped-out bodies.