Giuliana Rancic Reveals How She Picks an Oscar Gown, Why Lupita Nyong’o’s Prada Grew on Her

From the red carpet to the podium, Oscar night belonged to Lupita Nyong’o, and while the 12 Years a Slave star’s sky blue Prada took a little while to grow on her — Giuliana Rancic revealed that it is now one of her top picks for 2014.

“I didn’t know what to make of it when I first saw it because I expected her to come in something fashion forward and very structured. When she came in such a fairy tale dress, it threw me off a little bit. But the more I looked at it the more I love it,” the E! red carpet host told The Hollywood Reporter at the Crystal Light Liquid brunch at the SLS in West Hollywood on Wednesday. 

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“It took me a minute to realize what a strong move that was — she has done the formal gowns and the caped dresses, and then to come in something flowy was genius. It grew on me much more over the past few days.”

Rancic’s overall favorite of the 86th Academy Awards remains Kate Hudson, however, who wore a dramatic pearl white Atelier Versace gown. “Kate looked incredible. I look for gowns that make statements — the shoulder pads and the cape were just fabulous!”

Giuliana followed the same philosophy of making a strong statement with her own choice of dress this year. 

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“Mine was the same idea of fairy tale,” she told THR. “The designer, Paolo Sebastian, sent me that dress, and my first thought was, ‘Is it too much?’ and then I thought, ‘When would I ever wear that much tulle besides a wedding?’ Even at my wedding I didn’t wear that much tulle!

“To pick out an Oscar gown, I have to look at it and think, ‘I couldn’t wear that at the Globes, it would be too much,'” she explained. 

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“I think the viewers love that too, they don’t want to be underwhelmed. They want you to come out in something fabulous and fun and over-the-top.”

After two months of back-to-back awards shows, Rancic is ready to take a vacation, and revealed that her next stop will be the beach. “I am going to Mexico and taking a break!”

The new season of Giuliana and Bill premeires on E! on April 1 at 8 p.m.