Oscars 2023: Red carpet queen Dijanna Mulhearn tells what stars should wear this year

Australia’s Cate Blanchett and Naomi Watts are among those who have sported best ever looks on the Oscars Red Carpet.

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If you are what you wear, then Red Carpet Oscars author Dijanna Mulhearn would be invoking McQueen or Armani.

“Alexander McQueen because he was so inspired and innovative. His pieces were confronting, emotional and magical. Giorgio Armani because from the 80s he changed the way people dress and he is an icon who is still relevant today. However right now I’m obsessed with the bespoke tailoring and shirting at E Nolan in Melbourne,” she says.

Cate Blanchett wearing Giorgio Armani dress on the red carpet at the Oscars 2014. Picture: Getty

Naomi Watts sizzles in a gun metal Armani Prive dress.

“I like extremes, either a sharply tailored men’s suit in a striking colour or check or a dramatic maxi dress that billows around the body. To me, mindful dressing is the most elevated; curating a signature style that you can change up is far more interesting than wearing something new all the time.”

Dijanna’s book, which has been released in time for this year’s 95th Academy Awards on March 12, is a showcase of the gowns and outfits worn by Hollywood’s darlings at the event since 1929.

Actress Julia Roberts arrives for the 76th annual Academy Awards Feb. 29, 2004, in Los Angeles in a Armani satin sheath dress. Picture: AP

“It’s basically a reference book about the subliminal messages in clothing, packed with glamorous pictures and disguised as a gorgeous coffee table book. I’m particularly interested in sartorial semiotics, how what you wear affects your behaviour and communicates subliminally to others.”

Gwyneth Paltrow in Alexander McQueen at the 2002 Oscars.

Who: Dijanna Mulhearn

Where: A freshly renovated 1925 California bungalow with my husband Paul, son Thommy, Scarlet the cat and Amber our bearded dragon.

Red Carpet Oscars author Dijanna Mulhearn. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Home inspiration: It’s a bit of a mishmash of classic decor studded with quirky pieces that tug at the heart. We prefer vintage or preloved pieces that are sympathetic to the home’s 1920s roots without being too literal. And as the property was originally a horse paddock, we have a few equine touches too.

Home means: Being surrounded by people you love and things that make you smile.

RED CARPET OSCARS AUTHOR DIJANNA MULHEARN’S FAVOURITE THINGS AT HOME

Aespo Exalted Eye Serum

Eye watering.

I’m pretty lazy when it comes to beauty rituals so I’m always looking for products that are uncomplicated and work. I recently discovered this eye serum, it feels fresh on the skin and perks up my eyes to make me look alert when I’m overtired.

Alistar Fowler Ceramics

A colony of characters.

I’m obsessed with the hand-formed creatures created by Alistair Fowler and dream of having a colony of characters. Colourful, quirky and super sweet, each playful piece comes with its own story and in the artist’s words ‘reflects the fragility and patchwork nature of the human condition’.

Books

Judge this book by its cover.

I love reading books and I love books as ornaments, so with Red Carpet Oscars it was really important that the content was fun yet informative and the cover was beautiful enough to stay on display.

Timorous Beasties Indie Wood Wallpaper in black of pearl

Enchanted forest.

Interior designer Briony Fitzgerald suggested this paper for the powder room and from the instant I saw it I knew it was the right choice. Every time someone goes in there you can hear the oohs and aahs, it feels like entering an enchanted forest.

Studio Australia cockatoo lamp base

Australian. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

A gift from my husband and son because I love the sulphur crested cockatoos that live in our area. They are so friendly and haven’t been destructive for us. We love animals, so we like to have pieces dotted around the house that celebrate wildlife and remind us of how precious all life is.

Trudon Candles

Secret indulgence.

Trudon candles are my secret indulgence. I don’t know if it’s because this French company is the oldest candle-making company in the world but the scents always envelop me with a sense of nostalgia and I swear they give me a boost when I’m suffering from writer’s block.

Antique dress patterns

Linen bursting out.

I scour vintage and charity stores for old dress patterns because I love the cover art and if they come in my size, that’s a bonus. I have a wall of framed vintage patterns, just a hint of the avalanche of patterns threatening to burst out of the linen closet.

Custom Catherine Martin acacia rug from Designer Rugs

Entrance feature.

It was amazing, the reps came to my home and selected colours for the rug that matched a painting that would be hanging in the next room. The finished product was so striking we couldn’t resist making a feature of it at the entrance to the house. Taking the time to tease out colours from the artwork really made all the difference.