Oscars night comes at the end of a five-month marathon of fasting and training and dressing up as Dream Date Barbie (or Ken) again and again, each event bringing the stars a bit closer to summiting the Everest that is awards season. “The end is in sight,” said Elizabeth Saltzman, a celebrity stylist best known for her adventurous work with Saoirse Ronan, in an interview ahead of the show. “You’ve climbed the mountain and you can see the peak.”

First, though, there is the Death Zone (or, as E! calls it, the Glambot). A treacherous traverse in the days of Joan Rivers spilling out her meanie opinions, the red carpet has been unexpectedly transformed lately — vaguely in tandem with the entertainment industry itself — into a surprisingly diverse and welcoming place.