“You hadn’t been able to open a newspaper or magazine without seeing another young Hollywood A-lister wearing that hot-damn curvy dress: Scarlett Johansson, Cameron Diaz, Rachel Weisz, Keira Knightley, Nicole Kidman—so many, it was verging on a joke… wrote Mower in Vogue’s October 2007 issue. “You put it on, and you looked like an icon,” added the designer.
With as many colors as a book of Pantonne swatches, the dress came in a double wool crepe that gripped the body like a second skin. The silhouette was below or at the knee, waist-cinching, with a square neckline and sculptural cap-sleeves. Like the jeans in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, it was universally flattering.
Mouret wasn’t the only designer delivering body-con dresses. At this time, Hervé Léger (which, in April 2007, had been relaunched by Max Azria) was binding women up like metropolitain-chic mummies in his bandage dresses. No red carpet was complete without at least one bandage dress.
Victoria Beckham in Roland Mouret, 2007Photo: Getty Images
Blake Lively on location for “Gossip Girl” in Hervé Léger, 2009Photo: Getty Images
Paparazzi-Chic: Sidewalk Becomes Catwalk
In the aughts, the magazines (and tabloids) were still the predominant form of fashion news, along with budding blogs and e-news sites. All of these were filled with snaps of celebs circulating in the starry constellations of Hollywood. Paris Hilton and her Simple Life co-star Nicole Richie were frequent tabloid fodder; so too was Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, Lindsey Lohan, and newcomer on the block, Kim Kardashian.
These off-duty looks produced head-scratching trends adopted by the masses. Juicy Couture velour tracksuits with script on the derrieres, ragged-edged miniskirts paired with Ugg boots, and baby tees emblazoned with words like “Angel.” Pageboy caps, It bags, and a Starbucks Frappuccino finished off the look.
Mischa Barton, 2007Photo: Getty Images
Olivia Palermo, 2008Photo: Getty Images
Top Designers of the 2000s
Chloé, Hervé Léger, Roland Mouret, Balenciaga, Burberry, Yves Saint Laurent, Juicy Couture, Marc Jacobs, Versace, Prada, Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Fendi, Tom Ford, Gucci, Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten, Vivienne Westwood, Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto, John Galliano, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Kenzo, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Michael Kors, Moschino, Alaïa, Lanvin, Roberto Cavalli, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, Pucci, Gareth Pugh, Christopher Kane, Rodarte, Phillip Lim, Jason Wu, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, Nina Ricci, Raf Simmons, Isabel Toledo