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Kerry Washington plays the ultimate fixer on ABC’s hit show Scandal. Her character Olivia Pope runs her own law firm, Pope and Associates, maintains a relationship with the President, and manages to keep Washington scandal free all while looking impeccable in an array of designer duds. “She’s very tailored and put together. I try to think about the way she dresses as she’s a powerhouse,” Washington told InStyle.com. And whether she’s on the job in a Max Mara coat, celebrating the President’s birthday in a vintage Fares gown, or attending a political function wearing a black and white Escada sheath, Washington’s Olivia Pope looks are the perfect complement to the ever-changing political landscape. Click through the gallery to get the inside scoop from costume designer Lyn Paolo about all of Washington’s outfits from this season of Scandal, and tune in for new episodes Thursdays at 10/9c.

— Angela Salazar

In addition to the couture offerings at last night’s Academy Awards, celebrities were lining the carpet in gorgeous, classic manicures. The intricate nail art trend was swapped for tried-and-true elegant shades, and the lacquers worn by Stacy Keibler, Kerry Washington, and Adele were among our favorites. Perhaps as a nod to the night’s festivities, Keibler accented her Naeem Khan gown with Deborah Lippmann’s Glamorous Life ($17; deborahlippmann.com), while Washington and Adele chose timeless nude hues. Washington, who plays Olivia Pope on Scandal, wears a buff-toned lacquer for the show, but appropriately decided to add a touch of shimmer before hitting the red carpet. Click through our gallery to take a closer look at their nails, and see more of the manicures we loved last night!

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Tonight’s the big night, and this year’s Oscar nominees (and those in support) were in all the Hollywood hot spots yesterday to celebrate! Django Unchained co-stars Kerry Washington and Jamie Foxx attended The Weinstein Company’s Academy Awards Party hosted by Chopard at Soho House West Hollywood. Jennifer Lawrence (in Lanvin) was the proud recipient of a Film Independent Spirit Award (often considered a prelude to the Oscars) for Best Female Lead for her role as Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook. Meanwhile, Once Upon A Time co-stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas attended Chanel’s exclusive pre-Oscars dinner held at Madeo Restaurant.

See more of the weekend’s biggest Oscar parties!

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— Meghan Blalock, with reporting by Lindzi Scharf

On tonight’s all-new episode of Scandal, expect to see a new wave in Olivia Pope’s (Kerry Washington) wardrobe. Mirroring the twisty plot—with Fitz realizing the truth behind his rigged presidential election campaign, and Olivia struggling to move on with her life—Pope’s attire takes a sudden, and decidedly more Dorothy Draper, turn.  “You will see [Olivia] as you have never seen her before in the opening scenes of the show,” costume designer Lyn Paolo revealed to InStyle.com. “Our choice of the Max Mara suit, which is in a light green, is one that reflects the role Olivia is playing in this episode. The color and the silhouette are both out of character for Olivia but when you see the scene you will know why we made this choice.”

Be sure to clue into Pope’s accessories on tonight’s episode as well: they’ll hint that “time has passed and Olivia has in some ways moved on in her style evolution,” according to Paolo. “The main fashion note for this episode is the introduction of the new purse choices for Olivia as well as our continued use of opera length gloves to accent her coats,” Paolo said. Those new bags include the cream Prada satchel (shown above with a camel Max Mara coat and Dorothy Gaspar gloves), and the black Prada Saffiano Tote Pope wears with her pale green Max Mara suit. We’ll take one of each, please! Tune in to Scandal tonight at 10 p.m. EST on ABC to see more of Olivia’s style transformation.

Plus, see Kerry Washington’s transformation!

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— Angela Salazar

On tonight’s all-new episode of Scandal, flashbacks to the Cytron case will reveal more about Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) and Verna’s involvement in the cover-up of Lindsay Dwyer’s identity (a.k.a. Quinn Perkins). It will also reveal the more feminine wardrobe Olivia had, pre-Pope & Assoc. “This particular outfit is a perfect example of how we change Olivia into a different look in the past,” costume designer Lyn Paolo told InStyle.com. “It is subtle, but notice the dress (not pants), the dangling earrings (not her usual close to the ear look), her shoes have pointed toes and are more of a princess heel, and, as always in her flashback looks, [she carries] the Goyard tote, not her usual Prada bag.” Past or present, we love Pope’s tan Burberry coat paired with a plaid Ralph Lauren dress, and her very of-the-moment bangs, thanks to Michelle Obama’s recently debuted fringe. “We think that these small changes, along with her different hair style, help to tell the audience that we are in a different time and place,” Paolo said. Tune in to Scandal tonight at 10 p.m. EST on ABC to see what happens—and to see Olivia’s full look!

Plus, see Kerry Washington’s best looks ever.

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— Angela Salazar