What is up with THIS?
Audrey Tatou was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Actress for her work in “Coco Before Chanel” – this is her only nomination, as her name didn’t turn up for the Globes or the SAGS. And wouldn’t we expect her to be wearing Chanel to promote the movie and her nomination in London? Sure, she looks amazing in this rose pink off the shoulder Lanvin with the puffed sleeves – it’s very sweet. And we LOVE how she accessorized with red clutch and shoes – so rose-colored-glasses. But wouldn’t Karl Lagerfeld dress her? WHY isn’t she wearing Chanel? We deduce that there is something wrong with this picture, and that we will get to the bottom of this.

Carey Mulligan is definitely one popular lady in her native Great Britain these days. She won the BAFTA Award in London
on Sunday for “best actress” for “An Education” – beating out both Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock, who keep winning stateside. She also beat Audrey Tatou, another popular European actress, from “Coco Before Chanel.” But the newly blonde Ms. Mulligan – and we have to assume that’s for a movie – REALLY won big in the fashion arena. While she’s been downplaying it to the Globes and the SAGS in chic little numbers, she went FULL ON in this two tone black and white print gown by Vionnet, SO gorgeous. It’s rather overwhelming on a small person, but she looks incredible nonetheless. We love a bi-level dress, and a black and white print is incredible. Chic, chic, chic! The jewelry is vintage Fred Leighton.

Kristen Stewart finally went full-on femmy to the BAFTA Awards in London this weekend, in a white strapless Chanel.
She continues to wear very short dresses, with befits her young age – and since she can’t do much about the Joan Jett
mullet she’s letting grow out (from filming the movie “The Runaways,” which she’s apparently amazing in), it works
to wear short dresses and keep the jewels simple with that rocker hairdo. But, Karl Lagerfeld giving her a dress to
wear is a big deal. How many ladies have you see in Chanel this awards season? NOT MANY. Kristen won the Orange Rising Star
Award at the BAFTAs, a very big deal. And she does have a lot of new movies – some without vampires – in the hopper.

Here at Fashion Rules, we know that ladies in their forties have a different set of criteria on an awards show red carpet – Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep and Susan Sarandon and Julie Christie have all set the standards of wearing sleeves, sometimes tuxedos, adding coats over gowns, and in a dignified manner – covering the cleavage in a discreet way that befits an Oscar winner or nominee. Sarandon has been known to cross that cleavage line - and get a lot of flack for it, too.

      But that doesn’t mean a woman of around fifty can’t be sexy – they just have to be – careful. Meanwhile, CHECK OUT SHARON STONE at the BAFTA awards in London – in this tight strapless red dress. Everything about it is all WRONG – but on her, IT’S ALRIGHT! We applaud how hard she must work on that bod to be able to wear that dress and know everyone’s thinking, “HOW does she look like that?” (There’s only one way – HARD WORK!)

We don’t know who created this dress yet, but we will find out and report it – and we will kiss their feet!

      Meanwhile, hovering around age 60, Goldie Hawn is also a beauty – but NOT IN THIS DRESS! Goldie, Dolce & Gabbana may NOT be the best choice of anyone but Giselle Bundchen and some 14 year old models and Rosario Dawson – that’s about it. And but that bust away – it’s had a good career and can now go on vacation.

Marisa Tomei has been all over the fashion map this awards season – in society lady Oscar de la Renta at the Golden Globes, in yellow sweeping “Gone With the Wind” style Elie Saab at the SAG Awards. We love a fashion chameleon – particularly one who does let the big looks overwhelm her. Marisa is giving us our money’s worth, doing up in various moods and modes every time we see her – and she’s obviously having a ball with it. At the BAFTAS, the British Oscars, she went for the Grecian-but-1920′s still flapper goddess look, in a one shouldered grey-beigebeaded toga chiffon dress – and her hair pincurled and wild like a twenties movie star. Sure, it’s a little costumey – but it’s got COJONES!!! Bet Donatella LOVED it!!!

Well, she did it, folks – Penelope Cruz finally won her deserved Best Supporting Actress Award for “Vicky Christina Barcelona” at the BAFTA Awards in London, Britain’s Oscars. Kate Winslet won for a lead in “The Reader,” so Penelope moved into the top supporting slot.

        And fashion-wise, she did, too. She’s been having an Azzedine moment this season, and this couture black velvet long-trained Alaia made exclusively for Penelope was pretty crowd stopping. First of all, obtaining a couture Azzedine Alaia dress is no easy feat. He is a very private Paris couturier, who dresses the world’s most famous women, and sells to very few stores. Cruz did it up with very deep smokey eyes and her hair up, fresh cropped razored bangs, and petite understated  Chopard jewels- making her eyes all themore severe. Whew, is all we can say. This is couture high fashion at its highest – simple and drop dead, all at once.

It plays in Barcelona, it plays in London, and it plays in Hollywood. There are women who wear too much black – Jennifer Aniston.

But somehow Penelope makes it look different whenever she dons it. Maybe it’s the Spanish thing. We have a feeling Woody would agree.

 Amy Adams hasn’t picked up any Best Supporting Actress wins for her much-nominated role in “Doubt” – and at the BAFTAS – the British Oscars – she lost of Penelope Cruz, who finally scored a win for her much-heralded role in “Vicky Christina Barcelona.” (Kate Winslet wasn’t in the supporting category this time.) But Amy DID win the fashion BAFTA – check her out in this sky blue Roland Mouret RM dress. SO form-fitting – it’s like a long blue girdle, but on her, it looks great. RM is an extremely hip label to wear because Monsieur Mouret may be French, but he resides in London. And he is the man who made Victoria Beckham a fashion icon. Like Narciso Rodriguez, he is a master of the form-fitting and simple, and this is the chic way to go to an awards show in a major recession - and right before New York fashion week, where we predict the looks for fall 09 will be form fitting and much simpler than seasons past.

   The Oscars are Feb 22, the Independent Spirit Awards are Feb 21 – but if you are jonesing for more awards show fashion, this weekend brings you both the Grammys on Sunday – and the BAFTA Awards, essentially, the British Academy Awards. Since London is nine hours ahead of Los Angeles, the winners and photos will start showing up online on Sunday at our time around noon. Fashion Rules will be posting photos and fashion news as soon as the show starts.

                      There is an award for “Best British Film,” but otherwise, the nominees are not that different than the Oscar nominees, so expect to see, in the leading actress category, Angelina Jolie,  Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet TWICE in the lead category (what is she cancels herself out and doesn’t win?), and Kristin Scott Thomas, who is actually British and not Oscar nominated. In the Supporting Actress category, there are Amy Adams, Penelope Cruz, Marisa Tomei, but instead of Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson who are up for Oscars, there are Freida Pinto from “Slumdog” and Tilda Swinton (a Brit) from “Burn After Reading.” Tilda is always a fashion highlight – so look for BAFTA coverage on Fashion Rules this Sunday.