BEVERLY HILLS, California: Nine fashion designers need your help to make their Oscar dreams a reality. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is again hosting its Oscars Designer Challenge, where emerging fashion designers can win a chance to have one of their original gowns worn by a trophy model during the Academy Awards telecast. Oscar fans and fashionistas can see the dress contestants online and vote once daily for their favorite until Monday. The winning gown — and the model wearing it — will appear onstage during the Oscar ceremony. Designer Clay Sadler said seeing his floor-sweeping, cream-colored creation on the big show “would be a lifelong dream.” “Even as a child, I would watch the Oscars and say, `One day I will have a dress on that stage,”' Sadler said Tuesday after displaying his dress alongside those of the eight other contest finalists at a fashion show at academy headquarters. Now in its third year, the Oscars Designer Challenge puts a glamorous aspect of the show directly into fans' hands and gives up-and-coming fashion designers unprecedented exposure, said coordinator Toni Pickett. Pickett's team perused sketches submitted by more than 30 designers to select the nine finalists vying for Oscar's spotlight. “For those who don't have the ability to contact celebrities, this can help springboard them to the next level,” she said, adding that one of last year's finalists, Oday Shakar, went on to design the black, backless dress Sandra Bullock wore to the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. “It was her comeback dress,” Pickett said. Shakar was discovered by the star's stylist through Oscars Designer Challenge. This year's contestants come from all over the country, and their submissions range from simple and sleek to bold and dramatic. One body-skimming black gown, designed by James De Colon, looked like it was made of liquid metal, with feathers covering the neckline and forming a little tail in back. It wasn't the only black, feather-trimmed design. Chicago-based Borris Powell said he was inspired by the Oscar-nominated film “Black Swan” to create his asymmetrical satin dress decorated with 25 hand-stitched feather pinwheels. Natalia Romano was inspired by the Oscar statuette itself. The 22-year-old designer, who also has a ready-to-wear collection, submitted a gold mermaid gown adorned with taffeta petals from shoulder to hem. “It's an honor just to be nominated,” she said of participating in the design competition.”
