Last night, all the way across the Atlantic, Los Angeles held one of its biggest events of the year. While we were sleeping the most A-list of A-listers took to the champagne-carpet and partied the night away. And while we are very jealous of them, we were all winners last night because we got to wake up to some of the best red-carpet looks we have ever seen.
Hunter Schafer
Hunter Schafer is one of the most daring dressers in Hollywood right now, and it always pays off. Wearing a bandeau that was (quite literally) as light as a feather and a silk maxi skirt to The Vanity Fair Oscar Party, she held onto her crown as the queen of avant-garde dressing. The look came courtesy of Ann Demeulemeester’s Fall 2023 collection, and it honestly looks like it was made for Hunter.
Emily Ratajkowski
Emily Ratajkowski is no stranger to the ‘naked dress’, from the Met Gala to running errands, Emily has proved that she can rock this look no matter the occasion. Last night was no different, wearing a shimmering sheer gown from Feben the model and author put a whole new spin on the look. Our favourite aspect of this look was the push and pull between what was on display and what was not, the contrast of the sheer material with the length of the dress, its high neck and gloved sleeves played with the notions of conservative or modest dressing.
Malala Yousafzai
Nobel Prize Laureate, Malala Yousafzai took to The Oscars red-carpet as an executive producer for Stranger at the Gate which was nominated for Best Documentary Short Film, just when you thought she couldn’t be any more inspirational. She wore a silver sequinned gown from Ralph Lauren and paired the glamorous look with a bold red lip. The best part of this look were the intricately placed crystals on the sleeve of the gown, highlighting the attention to detail that went into its design.
Tems
Wearing a look from Ukrainian fashion house Lever Couture, Tems looked like the most high-fashion cloud you will ever see. The look defied gravity and looked so delicate yet structured. The way that the material flowed down through the skirt and up around Tems’ head gave an angelic feel to the look, as if the singer had just floated into the event on a cloud. Despite the ethereal nature of the look, it has caused some controversy. Fans took to Twitter to share their upset over the headpiece obstructing peoples view during the ceremony, but personally we would be honoured to have our view blocked by this look for a few hours.
Simone Ashley
Bridgerton star, Simone Ashley, took to the Vanity Fair afterparty in a vibrant Nina Ricci look. The blue sequin gown cam courtesy of Harris Reed as the newest Creative Director for Nina Ricci and was full of his usual red-carpet flair. The look featured a dramatic slit up the skirt that had an oversized bow at the top that asymmetrically matched the one at the top of the gown’s one shoulder. We may know her as the Viscountess Bridgerton, but this look was pure modern Cinderella.
Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner looked like an Oscar brought to life at last night’s afterparty. The model wore a gold archival look from Jean Paul Gaultier’s 2008 Spring/Summer collection. The look was paired with a casual up-do and minimal makeup to let the mermaid-inspired dress do the talking.
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe opted for a custom Vera Wang gown for this year’s Academy Awards, a look that featured a black velvet bustier and loosely draped orange skirt. This look stood out in a sea of more traditional gowns, which is one of the things that we love the most about Janelle Monáe’s red-carpet looks.
Florence Pugh
Florence Pugh continued her immaculate partnership with Valentino for this year’s Oscars wearing one of the most dramatic looks of the night. Maison Valentino took to Instagram to share the look, describing it as “a beige taffeta draped dress, black cotton faille bows and a black stretch cady culotte”. But one thing we have to talk about is the hair; at the BAFTAs last month Miss Flo perfectly matched her spiky bun to the tulle ruffles of her Nina Ricci gown, a styling decision that was pure genius, and let me tell you, she’s done it again. For the Oscar’s Florence’s sleek up-do mimicked the billowing sleeves of her gown, perfectly tying the beauty look in with the outfit.
Winnie Harlow
Winnie Harlow brought some fun to the Oscars last night with her neon yellow Giorigo Armani gown. While the silhouette was classic, the colour alone made the look standout. Featuring a crystal encrusted black flower on the left shoulder and a matching zip running just off-centre, the look capitalised on small details, making a look that was simple, yet intentional.
Halle Bailey
Halle Bailey proved that she is the people’s Ariel in a aqua-blue tulle gown at this year’s Oscars. The delicate ball-gown confirmed her status as a real-life Disney princess as the singer and actress was glowing down the red-carpet. This look just made us really excited for The Little Mermaid to come out in May.
Lady Gaga
2019 Oscar winner Lady Gaga took to the red-carpet last night and gave a surprise performance during the ceremony. While she may not have won Best Original Song this year, she definitely won on the red-carpet. Lady Gaga wore a Versace gown that was only presented on the runway last Thursday. The look featured a sheer bodice that connected to the dropped waistline of the A-line skirt in an exciting re-imagination of the classic ballgown.
Rihanna
Rihanna is out here defending her crown as our best dressed celebrity in a custom Alaïa dress designed by Pieter Mulier. The look was unlike anything else we saw that night and made us so grateful to have Rihanna back on our red-carpets. The look was composed of a brown turtleneck with a leather bra and skirt layered over the top, something that does not sound red-carpet worthy but proves you wrong the instant that you see it.
Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne’s look honestly left us speechless, which is ok because the red Elie Saab ballgown really does speak for itself. Everything about it was perfect, from the dramatic bow on the shoulder to the way that the look draped around the waist into the voluptuous skirt, and don’t even get us started on the leg slit. At this rate, Cara will be reclaiming her position as fashion’s favourite it-girl very quickly.
Jenny Slate
Actress Jenny Slate attended the 95th Academy Awards with co-star Marcel in a custom Thom Browne look. The strapless gown was perfectly accessorised with a micro-cropped blazer that really accentuated the hourglass silhouette that the dress’ bodice created. And while we’re on the topic, we have to say that for a shell Marcel was pretty well dressed too.
Words by: Amelia Gregory
Header Graphics: Magdalen Manning
