The elite of the movie industry did not hold back on glamour as they walked the red carpet before Sunday night’s Oscars at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, with elegant black dresses dominating the evening for women and deconstructed takes on the classic tuxedo favoured by many leading men.
Irish interest centred on Cillian Murphy, who took home the Best Actor gong. Murphy has been working with stylist Rose Forde on the awards season extravaganza, elevating dark suits into something much more interesting. Playing with riffs of the classic two-piece and adding quirky styling twists, Murphy opted for a cummerbund and t-shirt combo at the Baftas, added Victorian drama at the Golden Globes, and a floppy bow-tie and pinstripe suit at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. But opting for a no-risk red carpet, Murphy kept it traditional in a black tux by Atelier Versace with the addition of a bespoke brooch from Hong Kong luxury house Sauvereign.
During this awards season showcase, many actors have chosen to co-ordinate their clothing with the film’s aesthetic instead of distancing their style choices from their roles to highlight their acting abilities. Many thought Margot Robbie would Barbie-fy her gown and continue her method-dressing theme, where she encapsulated her Barbie character through her promotions tour wardrobe. But for the Oscars, Robbie went for a more subdued take on glamour with a slinky black dress by Versace.
Going sculptural in Schiaparelli, Sandra Hüller also opted for a black with a dramatic sharp-sleeved gown. Having just been announced as the face of Phoebe Philo’s second collection, rumours were rift that she would give Philo its red carpet debut but instead opted for couture-darling Schiaparelli. From early on, black was a popular hue, and the inky shade was the hue of choice for Issa Rae and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Jennifer Lawrence’s black dress came with polka dots, while Carey Mulligan’s Balenciaga gown was the most dramatic, with a floor-sweeping mermaid silhouette in contrasting cream. Colman Domingo, who has worn a flurry of head-turning statement suits, went back to black in a Louis Vuitton double-breasted suit. Shimmery buttons and western boots gave an off-kilter twist.
Greta Lee has proven to be among the most thrilling dressers for awards season; styled by Danielle Goldberg, Lee has a penchant for taking risks and choosing unexpected styles. Loewe, helmed by Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, has been a go-to for the Past Lives actor. For her Oscars debut, Lee wore a black velvet halterneck dress with a cream gauzy drop waist detail by Loewe. Keeping with the midnight theme, Lily Gladstone wore a deep, dark navy velvet gown by Gucci.
The Oscars are renowned for being an occasion for elegance over experimentation. Forget extreme risks; many A-listers opted for restrained, minimalist designs, including Kirsten Dunst in a white slip dress by Gucci. Old Hollywood glamour was another theme for dresses, with Ana Taylor-Joy choosing a sequin, scalloped gown by Dior that was inspired by a design from the 1950s.
Would it be the Oscars if there weren’t shimmering, sparkly numbers?
Lupita Nyong’o shone in a dusty powder blue sequin dress teamed with feather peplum, and Emily Blunt wore a champagne sequin Schiaparelli gown with elevated straps. Also opting for a raised strappy gown and frilled peplum was Florence Pugh in a silver embellished dress by Del Core.
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Ditching the shine but playing into pastels and peplums was Emma Stone in a foam green silk jacquard gown embossed with seashells by Louis Vuitton that gave a nod to her character Bella Baxter from Poor Things. Dune star and Oscar presenter Zendaya chose a sequin embellished pink and silver corset gown by Armani Prive.
In contrast to the dominant black gowns, pink was a standout colour from the start. Oscar ambassador and red carpet host Amelia Dimoldenberg started the pink parade with a pale pink Gucci gown. Barbie Star and best-supporting actress nominee, America Ferrera, got the pink memo in glittering metallic chain mail Versace, too. Ryan Gosling opted for a subtle Barbie-core moment with a flash of pink socks under a black, embellished Gucci suit. Ariana Grande arrived in a pouffe of pink, puffy fabric with a sweet-shaded dress and a dramatic train.
Dressed in Chanel, Billie Eilish led a political sartorial show by adding a red pin to her ensemble. The pin signifies the A-lister’s support of Artists for Ceasefire, which calls for a ceasefire in the Irsael-Hamas war. Another attendee choosing to wear the pin was Ramy Youssef.
With a record number of Best Picture nominations for women directors this year, the style spotlight has shone on Celine Song, Greta Gerwig, and Justine Triet on the awards circuit. Song opted for a Loewe blazer and layered skirt combo, while Triet also went for tailoring with a sequin pinstripe black suit. Gerwig went for a classic champagne-hued dress decked out in sequin chain mail with a square neckline.
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