Prior to the 74th Academy Awards ceremony , its producer Laura Ziskin encouraged attendees to make an effort . However , the gowns seen on the red carpet were generally not well received , with Marcelle D'Argy Smith , formerly of '' Cosmopolitan '' , describing it as a " night of fashion blunders " , saying that only the men in their tuxedos looked really gorgeous . One dress that was particularly criticised was Gwyneth Paltrow 's black Alexander McQueen dress with a transparent ruched bodice , which , ten years later , was still being cited as an Oscar fashion disaster . Also criticised were Barbra Streisand 's burgundy velvet " tent/wrap/curtain " and Jennifer Connelly 's strapless tulle dress in " shrieking beige " and " pale dung " ( described elsewhere as " phlegm-coloured " ) . Nicole Kidman 's pale pink Chanel dress was dismissed as nice but boring by D'Argy Smith , although admired elsewhere . She was the only high-profile attendee in Chanel that evening , having requested exclusive rights to being dressed by the house
74th Academy Awards
74th Academy Awards
Red carpet fashion in 2002