Sunday’s 97th annual Academy Awards show at the Dolby Theatre in California delivered fantastical fashion moments as well as old-school Hollywood glamour.
It was the final major red carpet event of the season and, as such, it was an opportunity for celebrities to wear their most show-stopping looks. It was also a chance for luxury’s biggest labels to showcase alternative — and somewhat more wearable — versions of runway looks.
While some stars still stuck to tried-and-true styles, more actors took chances this year than they did at last year’s event, and those avant-garde elements and personal touches injected the evening’s overarching elegance with a little fun.
Here are some of the biggest fashion industry trends from the Oscars.
Stick with the classics
Many actors chose to play it safe by wearing basic — albeit elegant — looks that highlighted tailoring rather than trends.
Black tuxedos were ubiquitous, as seen on Mark Eydelshteyn in Balenciaga Couture, Edward Norton in Dior Men, Guy Pearce in velvet Brunello Cucinelli, Alessandro Nivola in Zegna and Kit Price in Dolce & Gabbana. Lena Waithe wore Louis Vuitton.
Several men wore nearly identical dressed-down black suits with white shirts and black ties, including Ethan Slater in Giorgio Armani, Ben Stiller in Dolce & Gabbana and Jesse Eisenberg in Dior Men.
Margaret Qualley wore a backless black velvet Chanel column gown and a long diamond Chanel tassel necklace, Amy Poehler wore a strapless black velvet Rachel Gilbert gown, and Scarlett Johansson wore a vintage 1999 blue velvet dress by Thierry Mugler
Other elegantly simple looks included Michelle Yeoh in royal blue Balenciaga Couture strapless gown complete with train and Gal Gadot in a red strapless Prada ballgown and vintage 1980 Tiffany & Co. necklace.
Star shine
Sequins, mirrors, crystals, beads and gemstones made for a glittering evening.
Men’s brooches were one of the biggest trends, with sizes varying from a lapel small pin worn by actor Joe Alwyn on his JW Anderson tuxedo to the gigantic bird lapel pin worn by actor Adrien Brody on the lapel of his Giorgio Armani tux. Sterling K. Brown wore a cream Giorgio Armani tuxedo and a David Yurman pin, and costume designer Paul Tazewell wore a Dolce & Gabbana suit, ascot, cummerbund and custom Fred Leighton diamond brooch.
Some actors wore sparkling crystal-covered dresses, including Rachel Sennott in a pink Balenciaga Haute Couture strapless column gown, Selena Gomez in a slim pale pink crystal-covered custom Ralph Lauren gown and Emma Stone in a silvery custom Louis Vuitton column gown. Demi Moore also wore silver by way of a custom Armani Privé gown with sculptured hip details, while Vic Carmen Sonne wore a glittering gold draped custom Louis Vuitton gown.
Actors Yvonne Orji and Halle Berry wore mirrored strapless gowns by Pamella Roland and Christian Siriano, respectively.
Suit alterations
Brooches weren’t the only way celebrities made menswear looks stand out.
Actor Jeff Goldblum wore a white jacket, lavender scarf and floral shirt by Prada with an orchid boutonniere, while actor Bowen Yang sported an embroidered Etro jacket and Colman Domingo wore a red belted Valentino tuxedo jacket with a vintage Boucheron lapel brooch.
Musician Brandi Carlile embraced her quirky side in a black-and-white polka-dot tuxedo jacket by Valentino. Musician Lisa of the band Blackpink wore a Markgong floor-length black-and-white tuxedo dress.
Some actors went with a monochrome look, such as Timothée Chalamet, who wore a custom canary yellow Givenchy ensemble with a cropped jacket, and Andrew Garfield, who wore a brown head-to-toe Gucci outfit.
Actor Jeremy Strong also went with a muted neutral shade in a champagne-bronze Loro Piana tuxedo, while Joe Locke mixed his suit look up in an outfit by Celine featuring a black tailcoat, gray pants, a white shirt and bowtie and a gold sequined vest.
On musician Omar Apollo, a Valentino tuxedo featured a Chopard brooch, a long ascot in place of a tie, and a birdcage veil in lieu of a hat.
Frill seekers
Ruffles, frills, bubbles and poufs on several actors made the red carpet feel positively effervescent.
Bows were big news, as seen on Charlotte Lawrence’s frilly pink Valentino gown and Elle Fanning’s white custom Givenchy gown with a black ribbon belt. Feathers also made an appearance, as seen on the black peplum Chanel Couture gown worn by Fernanda Torres.
Storm Reid wore a red ruffle-caped outfit by Alexadre Vauthier Haute Couture, while Zoe Saldaña wore a burgundy bubble-tiered custom Saint Laurent gown with a sparkled bodice and sheer opera gloves. Alba Rohrwacher wore a flouncy tiered black Valentino gown, and producer Lynette Howell Taylor’s black strapless Maticevski column gown featured wide ruffled accented with pearl-tipped pins.
Sculpted figures
Actors wore exaggerated shapes and extravagant details that brought Oscar eveningwear to new heights (and widths).
Cynthia Erivo wore a wide-shouldered dark green velvet custom Louis Vuitton gown with an exaggerated collar detail, and Ariana Grande wore a pink Schiaparelli gown with a satin scalloped bodice and peplum and a crystal-covered tulle skirt.
Actor Stacy Martin cut a wide swath down the red carpet in a Louis Vuitton gown with a wave-shaped skirt, while Raffey Cassidy embraced a touch of drama with a large, stiff shoulder bow on her cream satin Loewe gown. Ava DuVernay also sported sculpted shoulders in a custom Louis Vuitton gown.
Face-framing feathers adorned Yasmin Finney’s black Harris Reed column gown and a stiff, structured bodice added interest to writer Léna Mahfouf’s custom Ashi Studio gown.
Men also embraced the trend, as seen on actor Kit Connor, who wore a toned-down version in a Giuliva Heritage tuxedo with extra-wide lapels and a nipped waist.
