Age: just a number?

The red carpet has seen a lot of stilettos and suits over the years. Since 1821 it has hosted famous faces, style icons and fashion fails of all ages. This year, the Oscars brought us a range of generations to the red carpet, and here we celebrate the best of both the mature and fresh faced.

Reminding us that there is no age limit for experimentation, Dame Helen Mirren put the likes of Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj to shame. She strutted onto the red carpet at this year’s BAFTAS with bubble-gum pink hair. Although told by disapprovers that ‘the only way was down’ after her drastic move, we argue that Mirren keeps it current by shooting an injection of youth and vitality into her look. Helen matched her new hair with a long-sleeved Nicholas Oakwell gown that combined chiffon and floral embroidery to ensure her look was graceful. Another fashion success was her full-length black lace D&G dress with gold embroidery at the 25th European Film Awards. This dress fuses together classy and sexy to leave Mirren looking hotter than any other 60 something year-old and showing us how elegance is timeless.

Another red-carpet regular is Meryl Streep. Despite claiming to have no interest in fashion, Streep is a fashion icon. She always looks poised and elegant, maintaining an effortless level of composure that some of us can only dream of achieving. At the 2006 Oscars, Streep wore a beautiful plum Rogelio Velasco dress. With a low neckline and purple embroidery, it really was beautiful. In 2011, Streep donned a white Stella McCartney coat and gold dress for a photo shoot in London, showing us that glamour is not only for the red carpet.

Having frequented the big screen since 1954, Lady Jane Fonda is an old-hand at the red carpet. In 1970, Fonda looked the image of perfection with her long floaty white dress, minimal makeup and snakeskin clutch. Looking just as glamorous as she did over 40 years ago, Fonda wore head to toe Gucci to the 2012 LACMA Art and Film Gala. Matching black silk jacquard trousers with brocade jacket, Fonda transformed this outfit with splashes of silver through her clutch and shoes. She also brought an element of the androgynous to the red carpet but still looks poised, ensuring she is still in the running for best dressed.

Now, please turn your attention to Quvenzhané Wallis, star of Beasts of the Southern Wild, the youngest star to ever be nominated for an Oscar. How does one dress a nine year-old for the Oscars? Ask David Meister – the man who designed all of Quvenzhané’s outfits for her award shows to date. Her stylist, April Steiner, says that Quvenzhané asked to be shiny, twirly and wear one of her over 20 animal handbags – you can’t get much cuter than that! Quvenzhané has worn an array of signature puppy-dog bags and she knows how to match and contrast them accordingly. At the 65th Annual DGA Awards, she teamed her sparkly blue puppy bag with a cute pink dress and when presented a Breakthrough Award, she wore a green Ralph Lauren green with a black poodle purse. Just when we thought she couldn’t get sweeter, she looked adorable in her purple embellished dress and her white puppy purse at the Academy Awards.

One actress that has always been on the silver screen is Dakota Fanning. Blonde hair, blue eyes: Dakota is a classic beauty and has always kept her makeup minimal. That is until recently for the final Twilight premiere. Dakota shocked with her new brunette hair and red lips, looking striking in her emerald Elie Saab dress. You might remember Dakota at the War of the Worlds premier in 2005? She looked so cute in her white party dress; in a way she has changed so much yet so little at the same time.

Nobody has transitioned from a gorgeous girl to a stunning teenager quite like Chloe Moretz. While most of us at her age were playing with our Baby Borns, seven year-old Chloe made an unforgettable appearance at the premiere of’ The Amityville Horror in 2005 in a floor length pink floral dress matched with natural makeup and loose curls. Transforming from a girl into a teenager, Chloe showed us just how stylish a 14 year-old could be at the 2012 People’s Choice Awards. She looked striking in a Proenza Schouler dress and black Mary Janes, but only just touched on her potential. She shocked at the Metropolitan Opera earlier this year in a navy floor length YSL gown, choker necklace and scraped back hair. Demonstrating just how grown up Moretz has become, and just how stylish she intends to be.

From rejoicing the style of these icons of all ages, never have the words of Yves Saint Laurent seemed more appropriate; ‘fashions fade, style is eternal’.