Nothing to shriek at, or stare at in distrust, or make you double-up with helpless laughter. Or possibly they really got it right, because, for once, the Academy Awards “catwalk” was pretty much an exercise in dressing well for the occasion.

Zoe Saldana obtains my vote for the best-dressed of the night. She wore a stunning gown by young Riccardo Tisci, the inspired director at Givenchy, who was celebrating, after presenting his autumn/winter collection in Paris last night, at about the same time Zoe was receiving dressed in Hollywood.

She wore the stunning, “Natalia” gown, from his summer collection, strapless, chiffon, and shadow-dyed, from palest lilac, on the crystal-strewn bodice, behind to the deep violet of the bouffant hem.

Molly Ringwald wore a Grecian-style one-shouldered purple gown, and Mariah Carey, nearly wore her off-the-shoulder purple.  Charlize Theron sparkled in lilac Christian Dior, with a rather curious “bra” detail on the bodice; and Elizabeth Banks in flowing lilac Versace.

The ‘ladies in red’ awards go to Vera Farmiga, in a strapless Marchesa, with a sculpted flow of ruffles; and Penelope Cruz, in a slightly flamenco Donna Karan.

Several required the safety of the BBD – the big black dress – among them, Carey Mulligan, in Prada, and, perhaps, not obviously, Hollywood’s favourite vampire-lover, Kristen Stewart, in Monique L’Huiller.

Maggie Gyllenhaal amazed in a vintage floral, hand-painted with cobalt brush-strokes; once again, red-hot off the catwalk from Van Noten’s show a few days ago in Paris.