The award season red carpets have been largely played down this year - but not so at last night’s Oscars. The sombre black uniform was packed away and Hollywood’s biggest names (and their mega-stylists) came out to play in their finest custom couture.
Aladdin actress Naomi Scott donned a deep purple, embellished caped gown plucked off January’s Fendi Couture catwalk, while Lupita Nyong’o glittered in a gild gold sequin Prada dress with silver floral clusters and a metallic fringing touch.
Despite getting caught up in the most dramatic episode of the evening, Jada Pinkett Smith turned heads in an emerald green satin couture look from Jean Paul Gaultier’s recent show, which was guest-designed by Diesel’s It-creative director Glenn Martens. Its tight, ruched zip bodice exploded into drop waist and frothing huge train, successfully bagging her the most fashion forward look of the night.
As ever, Dune star Zendaya led the way for simple sophistication in a micro satin shirt and trailing silver sequin skirt by Valentino. It came with a vintage hint of Sharon Stone’s memorable shirt-and-skirt look from the 1998 ceremony.
Nicole Kidman stuck to the trusty column dress silhouette she has become synonymous with. This time she worked with Armani Privé to create a new blue-grey silk faille and added a bold peplum waist and two-piece train for spectacle’s sake.
In striking Schiaparelli couture, Maggie Gyllenhaal also subverted the classic straight line gown with abstract moulded, gold-toned chunks appliquéd down the front and across a sculptural, strapless rectangular neck.
Subtlety was far from the only flavour on offer though. Timothée Chalamet and Kristen Stewart instead bared their torsos for a staunchly sexy Black Tie take. Stewart, who wore Chanel, fastened just one button on her white shirt worn with black mini shorts, blazer and a drop pearl necklace. Chalamet did well to one-up her, ditching his shirt completely for a crystal encrusted and lace tux jacket by Louis Vuitton. Despite raising questions around the dress code, it certainly helped confirm his current heartthrob status.
The red carpet is also a platform for political messaging, which this year centred around the war in Ukraine. Jason Momoa wore a blue and yellow flag-inspired pocket square in his Henry Poole tuxedo, while Benedict Cumberbatch did the same with a circular badge. Others made nods with a blue ribbon which read #withrefugees, worn by Jamie Lee Curtis on her ring finger and Samuel L. Jackson on his lapel.
