This season’s Oscars red carpet accessory – baby bumps

PHILIPPA LEACH LOS ANGELES – Baby bumps appeared to be in fashion on the Oscars red carpet on Sunday as a procession of glowing A-listers proudly paraded their pregnancies at the Academy Awards.

In the past, pregnant movie stars were hardly ever seen, particularly during the awards season, lest it dim their star power or in some way reveal a mere mortal in place of their screen goddess persona. Not so any longer.At the 80th Academy Awards there were not one but three stars celebrating their condition as expectant mothers, following in the footsteps of Catherine Zeta Jones who accepted the best supporting actress award for her role in ‘Chicago’ shortly before giving birth in 2002.And with the empire line style at the forefront of fashion, it appears to have been no hardship or compromise to the stars of today.Presenter Jessica Alba wore a strapless aubergine silk chiffon dress by Marquesa with feathered details at the bust and flattering pleats covering her baby bump.Her hair gathered up and wearing gold hoop earrings and matching gold clutch, she revelled in that maternal glow.A heavily pregnant Cate Blanchett chose an unusual, but stunning, navy blue silk satin dress by Dries Van Noten – not known for their maternity wear – which worked particularly well with the beaded neck piece which complemented the distinctive embroidered hem of the dress.Nicole Kidman, whose slender frame hardly revealed her condition, chose a simple black dress with a sweetheart neckline but also the telltale empire waist and gentle pleats which made her pregnant state all but disappear.It was, however, accented with a spectacular diamond necklace featuring more carats than everyone else on the red carpet put together, which somehow distracted attention from her discreet little bump.- Nampa-AFPNot so any longer.At the 80th Academy Awards there were not one but three stars celebrating their condition as expectant mothers, following in the footsteps of Catherine Zeta Jones who accepted the best supporting actress award for her role in ‘Chicago’ shortly before giving birth in 2002.And with the empire line style at the forefront of fashion, it appears to have been no hardship or compromise to the stars of today.Presenter Jessica Alba wore a strapless aubergine silk chiffon dress by Marquesa with feathered details at the bust and flattering pleats covering her baby bump.Her hair gathered up and wearing gold hoop earrings and matching gold clutch, she revelled in that maternal glow.A heavily pregnant Cate Blanchett chose an unusual, but stunning, navy blue silk satin dress by Dries Van Noten – not known for their maternity wear – which worked particularly well with the beaded neck piece which complemented the distinctive embroidered hem of the dress.Nicole Kidman, whose slender frame hardly revealed her condition, chose a simple black dress with a sweetheart neckline but also the telltale empire waist and gentle pleats which made her pregnant state all but disappear.It was, however, accented with a spectacular diamond necklace featuring more carats than everyone else on the red carpet put together, which somehow distracted attention from her discreet little bump.- Nampa-AFP