It’s the one trend we didn’t see coming, and a reminder that sometimes red carpet fashion strays away from the catwalk and finds inspiration elsewhere. In this case, bacofoil. From Kate Winslet‘s stunning srapless sheath (was I the ony one who thought she looked like a hot, female version of the statuette award itself?) to Helen Mirren‘s soft grey Badgley Mischka and Elizabeth Banks‘ Versace ruffles, silver was the night’s surprise contender.

Sure, the colour has occasional connotations of bad sci-fi or those blankets they wrap aound olympic athletes, but when done well it makes a sultry and elegant choice. Particular praise is due to director Kathryn Bigelow, who became the star of the night in a fittingly silver gown when her filmThe Hurt Locker scooped six awards, including Best Picture.

Looking understatedly gorgeous, Bigelow gave us a pang of feminine pride as she became the first woman in history to win the Academy Award for Best Director – a vistory made all the sweeter as she triumphed over her ex-husband James Cameron, whose film Avatar only took home three oscars.

Check out our gallery of metallic dresses to see who else was a shining example of the trend.