As part of the festivities in the run-up to this year’s Oscar telecast, Laura Ziskin, 79th Annual Academy Awards® producer, has announced A Celebration of Oscar Fashion – a live event presenting a unique retrospective of Oscar fashion.

Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley will curate and call the invitation-only fashion celebration at 10 am on Jan 30, in the Academy’s Grand Lobby in Beverly Hills. The presentation will highlight the famous and infamous fashions in Oscar show history.

“Water cooler conversation about the Oscars focuses on the movies and the clothes,” said Ziskin. “Rather than trying to forecast what people might wear this year, we thought it would be more fun to put on a runway show that features many of the spectacular dresses that have been worn to the Oscars through the years.

“We’ve had amazing success finding these dresses thanks to enthusiastic help from a lot of great designers and stars, but we’re missing some pieces we’d love to have.” Some of the gowns have been auctioned, sold or donated and Ziskin and Talley are reaching out to anyone who might have them.

“We are still looking for some of the great dresses that were auctioned, like one of Mia Farrow’s disco-era outfits, Julie Andrews’s 1965 Oscar dress, one of Natalie Wood’s dresses, or an exquisite gown that we haven’t even thought of and that Andre may hope to include,” said Ziskin.

Any leads that might help identify the owners of gowns that remain elusive can be communicated to the Academy via e-mail at publicity@oscars.org.

“We have put together a show that recaptures unforgettable Oscar Night® glamour,” said Talley. “When you see these gowns, you’ll immediately remember all these wonderful actresses in their Oscar Night glory – as far back as Ingrid Bergman and as recently as Renée Zellweger.”

Talley, who selected the gowns to be showcased, will serve as host and editor of this first look at Oscar fashions of the past. Invited guests will be treated to a filmed retrospective and a live runway show with models wearing the Oscar gowns worn by such stars as Elizabeth Taylor, Carol Channing, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Kim Basinger, Diane Keaton, Angelica Huston, Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone and Hilary Swank.

To add to the event’s glamour, the Oscar gowns will be paired with contemporary jewels by Fred Leighton and other jewelers, and shoes and accessories from designers including Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, and Prada.

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

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