Oday Shakar is a Southern California designer whose career took off after entering the 82nd Academy Awards fashion event “Oscars Designer Challenge 2010” – while he didn’t take home the gold, he certainly can say that the Oscars have forever impacted his life. OscarLooks caught up with Oday while he prepared for this year’s show, anticipating that we might see one of his beautiful creations on the red carpet later this month…

How has your life and work changed since being part of the Academy’s Designer Challenge back in 2010?

When I entered the challenge I had a small, private clientele and I worked solely out of an office here in Los Angeles. Shortly after the competition, Sandra Bullock wore something I designed and suddenly there was a lot of media attention and things began to change very quickly. In 2011, I opened a larger office here and moved my production operations to NY and opened an office and showroom there.

Do you have a favorite Oscar fashion memory?

My a-ha moment was when Halle Berry wore Elie Saab the year she won Best Actress. It took me back to my childhood overseas. As a 13-year-old boy I had first gone to an Elie Saab runway show in Lebanon because my uncle knew I wanted to be inspired and somehow wrangled tickets for us to go. Elie Saab was already quite established in Europe and the Middle East – he was dressing royalty there and had a huge following - but it was that moment that launched him in the United States and put him on the media and pop-culture frontline. I remember that he was so unknown in America at the time that Joan Rivers made a joke when she heard his name, asking “Isn’t that a car?”

If you could choose a movie legend from the past to wear a gown you’ve designed, who would it be and why?

I would choose Audrey Hepburn, she represented the best of both worlds:  she was not only sexy but timelessly chic.

What trends do you think we’ll see on the red carpet at the Academy Awards?

I think we will be seeing a lot of strong bold colors like cobalt blues and vibrant greens as well as nudes and pale pinks with lots of shimmer this year.

What advice can you give a woman trying to best accessorize her gown?

I always start with a great pair of heels. But the key to everything else is understated simplicity. The wrong hair and make-up can kill a look—too much make-up, too much jewelry and too-big hair will always diminish the impact of a great gown, so stick to a more natural look, which is always more glamorous.

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