Pictured here wearing Ralph Lauren is Sarah Deanna modeling the dress worn by Gwyneth Paltrow to the 71st Academy Awards® on March 21, 1999, when she won the Best Actress award for Shakespeare in Love.

Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley curated “A Celebration of Oscar® Fashion” to a standing-room-only crowd attending the presentation of gowns worn by nominees, winners and presenters at the Academy Awards over the years.

“We searched high and low to find the best-of-the-best gowns worn over the years,” said Talley. “Of course, we wanted Cher’s infamous black Bob Mackie - that dress made history all on its own. And who could forget Charlize Theron in that shimmering gold Gucci that she wore when she won the Oscar for ‘Monster’?”

The retrospective was the idea of 79th Academy Awards producer Laura Ziskin, who asked Talley to curate the collection and announce the show. “I have vivid memories of the actresses first appearing in gowns,” said Ziskin. “In each of those moments, they were perfect. Those moments can’t be re-created, but these dresses are little pieces of history and we wanted to remind people of them.”

The invitation-only event showcased over 40 previously worn gowns and was attended by designers, current owners and, in some cases, the original wearers. To preserve some of the more delicate gowns, several were displayed on mannequins, including the Gold American Express gown worn by Lizzy Gardiner when she won the Academy Award® for Costume Design for her work on “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”

André Talley (center), 79th Academy Awards® producer Laura Ziskin (seated, left) and models (clockwise from upper left) Heather Sutton in a dress by an unknown designer worn by Elizabeth Taylor in 1970, Grace Miller in a dress by an unknown designer worn by Carol Channing in 1968 and Lily Taylor in a dress by Bob Mackie worn by Cher in 1988.

The event represented a collection of gowns worn over the past few decades, including gowns worn by Cher, Annette Bening, Ingrid Bergman, Halle Berry, Cate Blanchett, Geena Davis, Edith Head, Angelina Jolie, Keira Knightley, Sophia Loren, Barbra Streisand, Elizabeth Taylor and Charlize Theron.

Celebrity hairstylist Mark Townsend and makeup artist Paul Starr guided a team of artists to create the looks to expect on the red carpet this Awards season.

To complete the looks, the Oscar gowns were paired with contemporary jewels by Cartier, Martin Katz, Neil Lane, Fred Leighton, Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston. Shoes and accessories were provided by Manolo Blahnik, Judith Leiber, Christian Louboutin, Prada, Roger Vivier and Stuart Weitzman.

Vogue West Coast editor Lisa Love and Vogue fashion editor Lawren Howell collaborated with Talley to create the show. Rabin Rodgers Inc., a creative and consulting lifestyle marketing firm specializing in event production, produced the show.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

The Oscars® will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), beginning with a half-hour red carpet arrivals segment, “The Road to the Oscars.”