The 96th annual Oscars were held on Sunday night, recognizing the great achievements in cinema that have occurred over the last year, highlighting pictures like Poor Things and Oppenheimer, but another big talking point of the awards is always the attire. Celebrities show up in a variety of designers from Dolce & Gabbana to Maison Margiela, but there’s always a select few that stand out more than any other.
#10: Hailee Steinfeld
The actress who attended to support the nomination of Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse, in which she voices the character Gwen Stacy, for Best Animated Feature, stunned in an Ellie Saab Couture gown. The gown recently debuted in their spring/summer 2024 collection, and had very whimsical, ethereal accents such as the butterfly-like sleeves, a dusty, pastel blue color, and leaf appliqués.
#9: America Ferrera
Best Supporting Actress nominee for her role as Gloria in Barbie, American Ferrera showed out in a beautiful pink Versace gown. It was made of pink chainmail, a technique that includes little metal rings being looped together to create a mesh, often seen in armor. The ensemble was the perfect farewell to Barbie, and Ferrara looked incredible.
#8: Emma Stone
Winner of Best Actress in her movie Poor Things, Stone wore a peplumed Louis Vuitton gown, with a golden sapphire necklace. At first glance, the dress seems simple, yet beautifully crafted, but if you look closer, the fabric has a beautiful texture to it and the structure is tailored to perfection. However, Stone had a bit of a wardrobe mishap before accepting her award and the back of the dress broke open. She still looked gorgeous, broken dress or not.
#7: Anya Taylor-Joy
Joy, who attended in promotion of Dune: Part Two, was glowing in a silver, crystal-encrusted gown crafted by Dior Haute Couture. It was a nod to the iconic gown from the late 40s and similar to the one Natalie Portman wore to the Cannes Film Festival last year. She looked great as always and this look was a great fit for her.
#6: Colman Domingo
Best actor nominee for his performance in Rustin, Colman Domingo is the only adorner of menswear on this list. He opted for a full Louis Vuitton suit with flared pants and detailed buttons, paired with steel-toed cowboy boots for a western-chic look. He matched the buttons with a brooch bowtie and more jewelry on his wrists and fingers. Other actors should take notes for their future red carpet looks.
#5: Eva Longoria
Longoria, attending for the nomination for best original song in her directorial debut, Flamin’ Hot, wore a black Tamara Ralph gown with a super structured neckline and a dramatic train. The neckline came to a point around each shoulder, drawing the eye outward, while the rest of the gown was relatively slim, making an interesting contrast to look at.
#4: Zendaya
Another Dune: Part Two cast member has made the top ten, this one being actress and universal style inspiration, Zendaya. She graced the red carpet in a pink and black palm tree Armani gown. She went with bigger pink tourmaline earrings rather than a necklace, so as not compete with the one-shoulder strap nature of the dress. She always looks stunning, but this color is especially good on her.
#3: Margot Robbie
The Barbie star and producer showed up the Oscars in a sparkly strapless Versace dress, and due to the gown’s darker color, many suspected it to be Robbie’s final farewell to her character, dubbing it the “Barbie funeral dress.” While that may or may not be true, the gown is still gorgeous, and with an impeccably structured bodice and a draped waistline, it fit her like a glove.
#2: Jennifer Lawrence
After six years of not attending the awards, Jennifer Lawrence returned to present the winner of Best Actress, alongside other past winners, Michelle Yeoh, Sally Field, Jessica Lange, and Charlize Theron. She stepped onto the carpet and stage in a gorgeous polka-dotted Dior gown that took 1500 hours to craft due to the meticulousness of the fabric it’s made of. Even though print isn’t super common to see at the Oscars, this fit well. It’s classic and chic while still being playful and interesting to look at.
#1: Carey Mulligan
Best Actress nominee for her role in Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, Carey Mulligan looked absolutely stunning in a custom Balenciaga mermaid gown paired with long, black gloves, and diamond studs. The gown featured a sweetheart neckline and a cream-colored tulle skirt layered underneath the scalloped hem of the otherwise velvety black dress. Though she didn’t take home best actress, she definitely won best look from the night.
With award season wrapping up, red carpets with this number of A-listers will start to become sparse. The looks seen at this year’s ceremony were a great addition to the actual show, and it’s great to see some more timeless takes rather than feeding into trends.
