A commitment to old Hollywood elegance from Demi Moore, Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez at the Oscars may have repaired the red carpet’s reputation following the controversy at the Grammys.
Elle Fanning in Givenchy by Sarah Burton, Demi Moore in Armani and Lupita Nyong’o in Chanel.Credit: AP, Getty Images
With Bianca Censori’s nearly nude appearance alongside her husband Ye (Kanye West) at the Grammy’s last month fresh in stylists’ memories, copious cleavage and cut-outs took a back seat to voluminous gowns, intricate embellishment and welcome moments of Parisian whimsy.
Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning presents the award for best costume design at the Oscars.Credit: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
The likelihood of a new movie about Grace Kelly’s life seems unlikely following Nicole Kidman’s disastrous 2014 outing Grace of Monaco, but A Complete Unknown’s Elle Fanning is in audition mode.
Fanning’s lace gown from Givenchy is the first sighting of designer Sarah Burton’s work for the legendary label. Burton dressed Kate Middleton for her wedding to Prince William in 2011, when she worked at Alexander McQueen, which enhances this princess moment.
Demi Moore
Demi Moore in Giorgio Armani Prive.Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
The plunging custom Giorgio Armani Prive gown worn by Demi Moore needs to be highlighted so that the actress can relax, and find an In-n-Out Drive Thru after the ceremony.
Moore has been living up to The Substance’s promise of eternal youth throughout this awards season, and the crystal embroidery, plunging neckline and pleated hips of this dress carry her across the flawless finish line.
Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o in Chanel on the red carpet.Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
In a comeback worthy of Demi Moore, Chanel may finally be cool again, thanks to Lupita Nyong’o.
In a sparkling sequin corset worn over a white gown with pearl-lined straps, The Wild Robot actor added contemporary elegance to the label, which has struggled to find its red carpet footing since the death of Karl Lagerfeld in 2019.
Nyong’o’s dress features 22,410 embroidery elements and took 600 hours to complete.
Zoe Saldana in Saint Laurent, Timothee Chalamet in Givenchy by Sarah Burton, Cynthia Erivo in Louis Vuitton and Vivienne Westwood at the Oscars.Credit: AP, Getty Images
Zoe Saldana
Zoe Saldana in Saint Laurent at the Oscars.Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/A
The pouffe skirt has returned, and Emilia Perez actress Zoe Saldana delivered the news on the Oscars red carpet, with three versions layered on her Saint Laurent gown.
The divisive silhouette, rising to a narrow netted bust, challenged the fit-and-flare approach taken by most stylists. It was part medieval lady of the manor, part anemone, but wholly fabulous.
Timothee Chalamet
Timothee Chalamet in Givenchy.Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
At first glance the A Complete Unknown star’s butter yellow suit from Givenchy appears devoid of references to its subject Bob Dylan, but look closer.
Below the cropped double-breasted jacket and matching silk shirt, the jeans-cut trousers have been rendered in leather softer than a banana skin.
The black loafers only encourage the banana comparisons, but this considered choice is not a style slip-up.
Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo in Vivienne Westwood at the Oscars.Credit: Disney via Getty Images
Let’s be clear – this shout-out is not for the wide, deep green velvet Louis Vuitton dress that the red carpet held a lot of space for, enveloping Erivo on arrival at the Oscars.
The white Vivienne Westwood creation, strewn with flowers, worn while Erivo broke hearts singing Home from The Wiz on stage had all the magic of Carrie Bradshaw’s wedding dress from the Sex and the City movie, without the Big drama.
Tie: Emma Stone and Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez in Ralph Lauren (left) and Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton at the Oscars.Credit: AP, Getty Images
Embellishment was the order of the day with Selena Gomez in a Ralph Lauren dress and Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton reaching similar heights of polished perfection.
The sensual fit of Gomez’s gown, made by 12 artisans and featuring 16,000 glass droplets, was reminiscent of the Marilyn Monroe dress worn by Kim Kardashian to the Met Gala in 2022, except no preservationists were upset by the Emilia Perez producer.
The scaly surface of Stone’s dress was equally intriguing, employing a new fabrication technique from Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere.
Tie: Omar Apollo & Colman Domingo
Omar Apollo (left) and Colman Domingo in Valentino at the Oscars.Credit: AP, Getty Images
Singer and Queer actor Apollo delivered a cover version of co-star Drew Starkey’s SAG awards look by wearing a polka dot silk scarf as a tie at the Oscars. Adding drama worthy of Marlene Dietrich in Shanghai Express (1932), Apollo accessorised his Valentino suit with a suitably queer veil.
Colman Domingo, also in Valentino, didn’t need a scarf or veil for his red and black smoking jacket. The sharp result was a level of playboy swagger that even Hugh Hefner failed to attain in his lifetime.
The Celine Dion Award: Lisa
Lisa (left) at the Oscars in Mark Gong; Celine Dion at the 1999 Oscars in Christian Dior by John Galliano.Credit: AP
Women wearing suits on the Oscars red carpet must overcome the Celine Dion handicap.
In 1999, Dion attracted the unwanted attention of the fashion police at the Oscars in a white, back-to-front suit from Christian Dior. Following the initial criticism the outfit has become a classic, with Dion having the last laugh.
Lisa, a breakout star of The White Lotus, is an instant hit in a Mark Gong coat dress and shirt worn over trousers.
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