Fashion & Beauty

16 young and ageless celebs who turn it out on the red carpet

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QUVENZHANÉ WALLIS Nine-year-old Wallis is the youngest Oscar nominee ever in the Best Actress category. At four recent events, including here at the Academy Awards Nominations Luncheon, Wallis has chosen David Meister designer duds. But with a purse in the shape of a puppy, she makes it her own. “Quvenzhané has a very clear idea of what she likes, which can be seen through her signature puppy purse,” says Meister. “And she always has to have bling!” Other red-carpet musts? “She loves purple and pink and she has to be able to twirl in it,” he adds.

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EMMANUELLE RIVA Emmanuelle Riva clocks in this year as the oldest nominee for Best Actress — 85 years old at the time of her nomination for “Amour,” and she celebrated her 86th birthday at last night’s ceremony. Ari Seth Cohen, author of “Advanced Style,” applauds her sartorial perspective, as seen here at last year’s Cannes Film Festival — but does give a few pointers. “She has a very natural look to her, so I don’t think she should go over the top with makeup or anything,” he says. “The garments are flowing, but I do think she could do something a bit more glamorous for the red carpet, whether it’s a bit more fitted or moves more.”

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TATUM O’NEAL In 1974, 10-year-old Tatum O’Neal took home the statue for Best Supporting Actress in “Paper Moon” — and she did it in statement-making style. Her custom-made Nolan Miller tux took inspiration from Bianca Jagger, whom her father was dating at the time. “It’s so cool and of the era, and feminisim was really in the cultural zeitgeist,” says Bevan. “She knew exactly what she wanted to wear, is what Nolan Miller said, so I like that she was that decisive as a 10-year-old girl.”

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HAILEE STEINFELD Critics loved 14-yearold Hailee Steinfeld’s tulle Marchesa dress and Ferragamo platform pumps at the 2011 Oscars, at which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “True Grit.” “She really raised the bar for herself and for other girls her age during her press for ‘True Grit,’ so she was already solidified as Hollywood’s new fashion plate,” says Bevan. “The tealength hemline is perfect for her, and it’s a good balance of being modest, but not too child-like.”

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JODIE FOSTER For the 1977 Oscars, 14-yearold Jodie Foster was nominated for Supporting Actress for “Taxi Driver.” “She’s possibly a bit underdressed, but it was the ’70s, and there is still something just so effortlessly cool about this — especially with her date’s giant tie,” says Bevan. “There’s something almost Laura Ashley about it, but I think on the right girl in Williamsburg, this dress would look genius right now — just not for the Oscars.”

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KEISHA CASTLE-HUGHES New Zealand native Keisha Castle-Hughes chose a Kiwi designer, Liz Mitchell, for the 2004 Oscars in which she was nominated at the age of 13 for Best Actress in “Whale Rider.” “I feel like she was not super-comfortable, and it feels out of place for her,” Bevan says. “But I do like that the shoulders are covered and that they’re sheer so there’s not too much fabric that she’s being swallowed up in. You’re running a risk when you’re putting a young teenager in spaghetti straps. So it does bridge a nice gap.”

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ANNA PAQUIN Anna Paquin, who won Best Supporting Actress at age 11 in 1994 for “The Piano,” chose New Zealand designer Chrissie Potter’s taffeta look as a shout-out to her homeland. “I remember watching and thinking ‘What is that girl wearing? Is she crazy?’ ” says Bevan. “But looking at it now, it is so cool. It’s almost Vivienne Westwood and sort of punky Elizabethan. I feel like if Helen Mirren won an Oscar as a child, this is what she would have worn.”

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ABIGAIL BRESLIN In 2007, 10-year-old Abigail Breslin chose a Simin pink dress and Swarovski handbag for the Oscars ceremony at which she was nominated for Supporting Actress in “Little Miss Sunshine.” “It’s sort of Easter basket-esque. She was so happy that night, and that’s all that really matters,” laughs Bevan. “But she’s sort of like a little piece of cake, and it’s endearing.”

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SAOIRSE RONAN Saoirse Ronan said she wore a green dress because she wanted everyone to know that she is Irish, says Bevan. So for the 2008 Oscars (for which she was nominated for Supporting Actress in “Atonement” at age 13), she snagged this beauty of an Alberta Ferretti. “There’s such beautiful detail, and I like that it’s not poofy,” says Bevan. “And it’s withstood. This was in 2008, and it still feels very fresh. There’s something timeless about it.”

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JUDI DENCH A familiar presence on the Oscars red carpet, Dame Judi Dench chose a gown and jacket by Indian design duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla for her look at the 2006 awards at age 71, when she was nominated for Best Actress in “Mrs. Henderson Presents.” “It looks like something you’d wear to a wedding or even a bat mitzvah,” says Cohen. “She could wear something more contemporary like a Jil Sander suit and look amazing. Something with a bit more shape would look great on her.”

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EDITH EVANS Nominated for Best Actress for “The Whisperers,” Edith Evans was pure class at the 1968 Oscars at the age of 80. Here, she presented the Best Film Editing Oscar to Hal Ashby. “Gloves are an accessory that work really well and are so elegant,” says Cohen. “Also, a long glove is a great solution to not having to wear a full-sleeved gown. The jewelry over the glove adds a little — dare I say it — pizzazz.”

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GLORIA STUART At age 87 in 1998, Gloria Stuart decked out in satin Escada for the ceremony for which she was nominated for Supporting Actress for “Titanic.” But it was her bling that had everyone talking. Icing her chest was a $20 million, 15-carat Harry Winston sapphire and diamond necklace replicating Rose’s in the film. “I’m not one to be wowed by an incredible diamond necklace,” says Cohen. “But she looks very aristocratic and like royalty here.”

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JESSICA TANDY In 1990, Jessica Tandy claimed Best Actress gold for “Driving Miss Daisy.” At the Oscars the following year, age 81, she stunned in a shimmering gown with the hottest accessory du jour: Jeremy Irons. “I love the pulled-back hair look,” says Cohen. “And [the dress] is slimming by going in at the waist, and it has a great neckline.”

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ANN SOTHERN “It’s a little Baby Jane,” says Cohen of Ann Sothern’s look at the 1988 awards, at which she was nominated for Supporting Actress for “The Whales of August” at the age of 79. “I think she is trying to look like she did years ago," says Cohen. "But who cares? You can tell she’s having one of the best nights of her life."

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RUBY DEE Nominated for Supporting Actress for “American Gangster” in 2008, then-85-year-old Ruby Dee strutted her stuff in an ensemble by Kevan Hall. “This is an example of a woman wearing a really bold color, and it works great,” says Cohen. “I love that it’s cinched up at the waist. But it’s her beautiful, natural white hair that stands out to me.”

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RUTH GORDON In 1969, Ruth Gordon won Best Supporting Actress for her turn in “Rosemary’s Baby” at 72 in a pink crepe dress with striking black coq feathers at the waist. “Her hair and the pearls are classic, but then she’s got this avant-garde touch to it,” says Cohen. “These women should be allowed to be a bit flashy and take a risk here and there.”