The 96th Academy Awards premiered Sunday, March 10, with many fans and critics tuning in to watch who received an Oscar and what drama could potentially ensue. However, the Academy Awards wouldn’t be the Academy Awards without the fashion, here are some of the best (and worst) looks on the carpet.
Starting off strong, “Dune” star Zendaya looked absolutely gorgeous. The Gorigio Armani Prive column gown looked effortless and matched an old Hollywood glamour with the curl of her hair. The dress itself was an interesting choice, as the patterns of the red palm trees and embellished gunmetal paillettes were a little too busy for the eye, however she was able to tone it down by opting out of a necklace. The dress had a single strap, accentuating her collarbones, and instead chose for a set of Bulgari jewelry earrings in pink and gold, featuring various gems including pink tourmalines and mandarin garnets.
Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwayne Wade rocked the carpet as a couple, but Union-Wade stole the show in her Carolina Herrara mashup of a mini strapless dress and column skirt. It was her idea to put them together, flawlessly setting them together as one– using the pieces from the same collection, she managed to create a peplum effect, creating an illusion of smaller waist because of the flare at the hip, flattering her completely. Union-Wade was able to turn an idea that, in theory, should not have worked, but worked it in a magnificent way.
While there was a very tailored, structured look that sharpened the features of many celebrities throughout the night, the Oscar’s heralded a new theme: mermaid chic. Hailee Steinfeld flowed like water as she walked in her dreamy Elie Saab Couture gown, the seafoam chiffon dress featuring golden floral embellishments on the bust and wrists, complete with a trailing floor-length neck sash.
Emma Stone was able to wow the crowd in a shell-inspired custom Louis Vitton dress with a flared pelum waist. Bella Baxter would certainly approve of the sorbet shade, subtly acknowledging the pastel pallet costumes in “Poor Things,” Stone’s most recent film.
Anya Taylor Joy‘s Christian Dior Haute Couture gown, inspired by Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” was fabulous– the silver dress channeled scallops and shells without being too obvious, keeping it classy and mesmerizing. Carey Mulligan‘s custom Balenciaga look featured an elegant white and black mermaid skirt, set with long black gloves.
The evening’s menswear was relatively simple, though that didn’t stop Simu Li and Omar Rudberg from showing up shirtless. Cillian Murphy wore a custom Atelier Versace suit topped with a gem brooch designed by Hong Kong based designer Bertrand Mak‘s jewelry brand Sauvereign, while Ryan Gosling arrived in a black Gucci suit, the hems lined with sparkling silver. However, he did make the change into a hot-pink suit for his performance of the Best Original Song-nomination “I’m Just Ken,” during the ceremony.
Claiming his role as a male fashionista, Coleman Domingo opted for flared trousers and double breasted Louis Vitton blazer with crystal buttons, accessorized to the brim with Vitton cowboy boots, David Yurman jewelry, and a brilliant brooch pinned on his bowtie. Brooches and pins certainly seemed to be prevalent amongst celebrities; Ramy Youssef, Mark Ruffalo, Mahershala Ali and Finneas used their lapels to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. They were joined by a handful of other attendees, including Billie Eilish, Ava DuVernay and Quannah Chasinghorse, wearing red pins as part of the Artists4Ceasefire campaign.
Lily Gladstone paid tribute to Native American design in a blue velvet Gucci gown that was created in collaboration with Indigenous artist Joe Big Mountain of Iron Horse. Nominated as Best Actress for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Iron Horse’s quill work was stunning; Gladstone’s matching cape included floral motifs, coordinated with her earrings.
Florence Pugh turned heads in a silver Del Core gown with floating straps, pairing the dress with shimmering Bulgari jewelry. However, the red heels did not match the silver at all, but still managed to look quite beautiful.
Lupita Nyong’o took to the red carpet in a dazzling Armani Prive gown featuring feather-like embellishments at the waist and hem, accessorizing it with white gold De Beers jewelry. The cool blue dress was almost magical on her, effectively making her look simple but glamorous.
Winners of the Best Visual Effects award for “Godzilla Minus One,” Masaki Takahashi, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya and Tatsuji Nojima matched in all black ensembles. They all completed their looks with shoes featuring heels resembling Godzilla’s hands, adding a comedic yet interesting touch to their simple looks, elevating the outfits as a whole.
While many looked fabulous, others were… odd, to say the least.
Erica Alexander is much too beautiful and too talented to wear a dress that atrocious. The white dress underneath was beautiful enough, however the black skirt adorned with colorful pastel tulle created a strange and mismatched look. The dress was designed by Christian Siriano, and maybe should have stayed tucked away.
Ariana Grande was reminiscent of a pink parachute, but can be applauded for the dress’s nod to her role as the good witch in the forthcoming movie “Wicked”– the Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown featured pillowy waist attachments and a trailing train, but overall did not suit her very well.
Liza Koshy‘s dress was surprisingly pretty; the fabric around her shoulders draped like roses, accentuating her collarbones, clear of any necklace. However, she fell from Cloud 9 as her sky-high red heels knocked her down, but was able to recover with some grace.
Billie Eilish looked like a character in “Clueless”– while the Chanel bag and skirt was straining for the eye, her suit and pencil tweed skirt made an interesting combination, resembling a schoolgirl, especially with the scrunched up knee-high socks. Well enough for the Oscars? She certainly was not “made for this.”
Overall, the looks that were the most refined, elegant, and had a balance of passion and creativity with glamour were the best. Those that were not…well, they spoke for themselves.
Congratulations to all Oscar winners and nominees, and for everyone’s hard work. The looks of the red carpet 2024 were definitely striking.
