A Monday night just weeks before Christmas could feel like the time to cozy up in Uggs, cable-knit sweaters, and steaming mugs of cocoa. But even the rom-com stars who hit the 2024 Gotham Awards red carpet on Dec. 2 styled themselves in gowns and suits that could double as going-out looks.
Zendaya didn't arrive in custom Louis Vuitton just for the cameras, after all. She was one of several Gotham Award recipients (and best-dressed attendees) who is officially starting her campaign for even bigger trophies this awards season. Last night's event, honoring notable performances in TV and film at Cipriani Wall Street, is considered a bellwether for winners at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards later in the season. Naturally, guests wanted to convey that they're worthy of an award in sweeping silhouettes and hints of sparkle—standard fare during awards season. But considering that the event isn't quite as formal as the Oscars or as under-the-radar as last month's Governors Awards, they also didn't want to go too over-the-top. The result? A best-dressed list that felt like an updated definition of "city chic," with a blend of silhouettes wearable beyond the carpet and styling that felt like holiday party outfit inspiration.
From Nicole Kidman in a Sex and the City-inspired Dolce & Gabbana dress and Demi Moore in Christian Dior, to Zendaya's latest Challengers-themed serve, read on for the best-dressed stars at the 2024 Gotham Awards.
Zendaya wearing custom Louis Vuitton
Zendaya is once again serving Tashi Duncan on the red carpet. Accepting the Spotlight Tribute award for her portrayal of the tennis player in Challengers, she and stylist Law Roach commissioned a custom, backless Louis Vuitton gown in Wimbledon white. Z had referenced her character's sport throughout the spring press run in tennis whites from Ralph Lauren, Loewe, Thom Browne, and Louis Vuitton, but this look was intentionally less court-inspired than those previous numbers.
"It’s a little carry-over—maybe it’s Tashi a few years later,” Law Roach told Vogue. "But it’s mostly Zendaya, and where she is right now."
Angelina Jolie wearing a layered black dress
Angelina Jolie hasn't had to stray from her usual red carpet style to channel opera legend Maria Callas this year. Her refined lineup of black dresses, archival gowns, and the occasional fur stole are just as regal as the woman she portrays. Jolie took an understated approach to her long-running theme at the 2024 Gotham Awards, wearing a sleeveless black dress with velvet trim along a geometric top layer, with open-toe black sandals and a gothic pedicure to match. It felt fit for a night out on Wall Street while also staying true to Jolie's style—if only the designer or vintage shop behind it had been identified to take credit.
Nicole Kidman wearing vintage Dolce & Gabbana
Nicole Kidman is an actress by day, AMC spokesperson by night, and a Sex and the City fan when she's off the clock. At least, that's what I gathered from this delightful archival pull for the 2024 Gotham Awards. The floral Dolce & Gabbana gown hails from the season 4 episode when Carrie Bradshaw trips on a runway—becoming "fashion roadkill" that model/Halloween costume scientist Heidi Klum primly steps over while wearing the dress above. It's a cheeky reference in a competitive awards season and it brought a refreshing burst of color to a relatively muted carpet. Here's hoping Sarah Jessica Parker saw it, and invited Kidman for a cameo on And Just Like That... season 3.
Danielle Deadwyler wearing Alexander McQueen
Styling duo Wayman + Micah chose the carpet's most intriguing look of the 2024 Gotham Awards with this Alexander McQueen Resort 2025 dress for The Piano Lesson star Danielle Deadwyler. It creates the illusion of two pieces styled into one: a sequin-coated red shirt dress with an untucked, asymmetric hem, placed over a below-the-knee white skirt coated in sprinkles of even more embellishments. Sparkle on a red carpet is to be expected, but this dress's construction wasn't. The result was the sort of dress I couldn't stop staring at—and wished I could pull off myself.
Demi Moore wearing Christian Dior
Promoting The Substance, Demi Moore has mostly hewed to a palette horror fans are familiar with: mainly, black and red with hints of royal navy. For the 2024 Gotham Awards, she and stylist Brad Goreski left method dressing aside to celebrate the moment. Moore looked stunning in a deep purple Christian Dior gown with one strap draped off her shoulder. There's a sense of romance in the intentionally asymmetric straps—what sort of encounter made it fall off her shoulder?—and in the megawatt Bulgari diamond collar around her neck. Here, Moore isn't dressing like the last girl or a body horror victim; she's dressing like red carpet royalty.
Zoë Kravitz wearing Saint Laurent
Zoë Kravitz dressed like a daydream for her first red carpet of awards season. She and stylist Andrew Mukamal went for Saint Laurent—one of her go-to labels for the step and repeat—in the form of a ruched lilac-pink dress with cut-outs at the waist. A scarf at Kravitz's neck in the same fabric as her dress added Old Hollywood energy to the look—though I could just as easily see this gown on a more casual red carpet without it.
Elle Fanning wearing Christian Dior
Can the naked dress trend ever be demure? It sounds like a style oxymoron, but Elle Fanning's semi-sheer Christian Dior skirt made it possible. Her gown, styled with a dainty Cartier necklace and a middle-parted bun, brought balletic refinement (and a chicly intricate woven bodice) to see-through dressing in a way that felt absolutely refreshing. I, for one, am even more excited for Fanning's A Complete Unknown press looks now.
Mikey Madison wearing Schiaparelli haute couture
Mikey Madison's Anora red carpet outfits have so far shied away from the lingerie and bandage dresses of her character. But for the 2024 Gotham Awards, she and stylist Jamie Mizrahi decided to tiptoe closer to "Ani's" personal style, with an upscale twist. The actress chose a Schiaparelli couture look consisting of a lacy, ribbon-tied bra top with a column skirt and semi-sheer opera gloves. The conservative shape and cut of her skirt felt true to awards season's formality, but her cropped top injected some going-out energy into the look. It's one of the rare red carpet moments that wouldn't seem stuffy or out of place at an after-party. It might just even inspire my next holiday party outfit.
