GETTING READY FOR OSCAR'S STARRY, STARRY NIGHT.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Fashion Editor

As the final countdown to Oscar night - March 25 - begins, stars and their stylists are madly searching for the perfect gown, hair style and jewels.

This means attending exclusive designer open houses where gowns are showcased, meeting with hair stylists and jewelers, and even attending eyebrow-plucking parties and shoe soirees.

Gowns this year will likely be red, gold or silver. Or maybe turquoise, from the looks of the gowns shown last week at the official Oscar Fashion Preview held at the the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills.

Newly appointed fashion coordinator Patty Fox, author of ``Star Style at the Academy Awards,'' selected a variety of designs from Saks Fifth Avenue as examples of what might be seen on Oscar's red carpet.

She opened and closed the show with silvery designs by Pamela Dennis, who's a fave with numerous celebs, but included several body-hugging and revealing designs by John Galliano, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Bouwer, Badgley Mischka, Richard Tyler, Chanel and L.A.'s own star Bob Mackie.

Frederic Fekkai, official stylist for the Oscars, was responsible for all the models' hairdos, and he said to expect hair to be worn up, but in a whimsical style, or in sophisticated bobs or loose, cascading curls.

With simpler gowns and hair styles, jewels become an important accessory, according to Carol Brodie Gelles, spokeswoman for Harry Winston. ``We should expect to see earrings with long diamond silhouettes, brooches pinned in unexpected places ... and wide diamond cuffs like the kind we made for Madonna's wedding.''

'RED,' THEY SAID

At the Oscar Fashion Preview, models agreed that Richard Tyler's red number would be perfect for Catherine Zeta-Jones to wear to the Academy Awards.

Christian Lacroix, who designed Zeta-Jones' wedding gown, also sees the raven-haired ``Traffic'' co-star in red. Holding court at his dinner party at Lucques on Melrose Avenue, the French designer confided, ``This kind of girl (Zeta-Jones) has everything - beauty and talent - and she should stand out in something simple yet tremendous. No minimalism for her. I'd like to see her in vibrant colors such as purple or red because everybody else wears black or pastels.''

On the subject of red carpet gowns, Lacroix expressed surprise over the turquoise chiffon gown with black beaded bodice that Zeta-Jones wore to the Golden Globes. ``I designed nine gowns for her, and that was created for a dinner party. I didn't know she was going to wear it to the Globes. I guess she really liked it,'' he commented.

As Lacroix mixed and mingled with stars' stylists, he talked about Jennifer Lopez, commenting, ``I think Jennifer needs sparkle and glitter but nothing too exotic ... and I think the gown should be long and show one bare leg.''

PARTY, PARTY, PARTY

Do stars buy a dress off the racks for the biggest night of their life?

Not a chance.

They and/or their stylists call their favorite designers to send over a few things, but they also attend fashion parties held in showrooms or hotels all over town.

This year, the German house of Escada kicked off the Oscar season with a two-day open house at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. Here, in a huge suite, guests were offered champagne, pastries and other nibbles, while models modeled the beaded beauties, often paired with fox fur stoles and a smaller version called a ``shrug,'' which was hot in the '40s.

Escada design director Brian Rennie, wearing a blazer ornamented with a golden dragon, talked about the collection of gowns he'd selected from his European runway show: ``This year, the beading is lighter with more texture and chiffon because heavy beading looks heavy on camera. Besides designing for Oscar's red carpet, we've also given consideration to how the gown looks at the podium with plenty of detailing and sparkle at the bodice.''

At Escada, there's an emphasis on jewel tones plus platinum and gold, with high slits, plunging backs and that new one-shouldered goddess or Grecian look, with a long list of stars like best actress nominee Joan Allen ready to try them on. Even if they don't agree to borrow a gown, the celebs still go home with a swell party favor - a bottle of Escada perfume.

Other parties scheduled for Oscar week include Anastasia's girls' night out event with eyebrow waxing and plucking at her Beverly Hills salon, beauty tips by Bobbi Brown at the Four Seasons Hotel, and a bunch of soirees at L'Ermitage Hotel hosted by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, shoe designer Stuart Weitzman and others.

HOLLYWOOD'S BEST-TRESSED

Movie industry hair stylist Susan Germaine, who did Jennifer Lopez's locks for ``The Cell'' and is currently combing Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges' hair for the upcoming film ``K-Pax,'' has run her fingers through most of Hollywood's tresses.

So, she knows a good head of hair when she sees it. According to Germaine, the Oscar contenders for best hair would be Madeleine Stowe, Kate Hudson, Gillian Anderson and Jennifer Lopez. The latter, she says, can wear her hair up or down, but this year she may go for a glamorous up-'do.

``It's all coming back, those dips and waves like Lana Turner, and elegant upswept styles that look so good on Gwyneth Paltrow. She's as close to Grace Kelly as we've got. I think younger women will wear their hair in neat knots, while older actresses will pull it up into French twists, chignons and elaborate free-form styles using hair pieces,'' she explains.

More beauty shop talk was going on at that snazzy new restaurant Chadwick's in Beverly Hills, where several fashion mavens buzzed about the Nicole Kidman-Tom Cruise breakup. According to Kidman's studio hair stylist, Barbara Lorenz, Kidman is ready for a few changes in her life, and she's already had her hair cut quite short.

Now that she's sort of single (divorce papers pending), will she wear something really racy to the Oscars?

``Doubtful,'' says Lorenz, ``as Nicole is a big fan of Christian Dior. But she may not even attend this year.''

And Cruise? The group of stylists and fashion editors chuckled, commenting that Kidman's style savvy extended to Cruise's wardrobe, so left alone he could end up looking like anybody ... even Johnny Depp with his gypsy ponytail from ``Chocolat.''

CAPTION(S):

11 photos

Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Pamela Dennis' platinum silk charmeuse halter gown was the opening number in the official Oscar Fashion Preview held at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills.

(2 -- color) Frederic Fekkai: ``Today's young actor is more daring, creative and eclectic, and hair styles will complement that trend.''

(3 -- color) THE OSCAR MOM: Oscar's newest fashion director, Patty Fox, won't be checking hemlines and necklines before actresses take the stage as Oscar's first fashion director Edith Head did years ago. But she does hope no one falls out of a dress on national TV.

(4 -- color) WHERE'S GEENA?: For fashion independents like Geena Davis, Cher and Demi Moore, Dolce & Gabbana presented this rose-print chiffon float with jeweled leggings at the Oscar Fashion Preview.

(5 -- color) FOR TOM AND RITA?: Star-struck ensembles for Hollywood's few remaining couples include Dolce & Gabbana's frock-coat tuxedo with silvery shirt and green halter gown modeled at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences event.

(6 -- color) AND FOR PRINCESS GWYNETH: Pamela Dennis' fairy tale gown with a beaded cage (instead of an old-fashioned hoop) provided the ultra-feminine finale at the pre-Oscar fashion show.

(7 -- color) It's a ``maybe'' - Vivica Fox put this beaded floral number with a one-shouldered goddess design and matching fox fur stole by Escada ``on hold.'' Kim Verbeck primps at the Escada open house in a platinum column designed to sparkle at the Oscar podium.

(8 -- color) CINDERELLA SLIPPER: Walking down Oscar's red carpet will be an array of dainty shoes, including this butterfly-accented mule by Jimmy Choo.

(9 -- color) BROOCHING THE SUBJECT: Brooches pinned in unexpected places are predicted to be an Oscar trend, according to Harry Winston Jewelers, who provided this ruby-and-diamond brooch worn on a Joanna Mastroianni gown.

(10 -- color) Kim Verbeck primps at the Escada open house in a platinum column designed to sparkle at the Oscar podium.

(11 -- color) no caption (Model wearing a red dress by Richard Tyler)

Photos by Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer