A far way from the underwhelming Oscars red carpet of 2025, the 2026 Oscars, held on March 15, gave us glamour and creativity.
I was pleasantly surprised with the fashion featured at the award show this year. Despite a few misses and some who decided to play it safe, attendees used their style to highlight individuality and make bold statements.
One highlight was Elle Fanning in a stunning, timeless, white and silver Givenchy gown. Fanning has a distinct style on red carpets. She and her stylist, Samantha McMillen, pick looks that are glamorous and ethereal. Her outfit was classically “Oscars” with a sweet personal — or “Sentimental” — nod to her childhood home. The silver hand-embroidered wisteria pearls were inspired by the wisteria that bloomed in the spring outside of the house. The dazzling Cartier diamond accessories added such a gorgeous touch, showing that jewelry on the red carpet is making a comeback.
Keeping with the Old Hollywood theme, McKenna Grace made a stunning Oscars debut in a bubblegum pink ballgown designed by Vera Wang. Grace matched the gown perfectly with glittery, silver jewels and soft, peachy makeup. Her look was classic, but still had a lively Gen-Z twist, utilizing makeup staples like bright inner-corner highlight and lots of blush. Grace kept more than her makeup youthful, showing off her pockets full of Pokémon cards.
Another impressive debut was Chase Infiniti’s lilac Louis Vuitton piece. The beautiful, intricate dress, which featured elegant draping and fun ruffles, took over 750 hours to construct. I loved her makeup for this look — soft lavender eyeshadow paired with dreamy blush and glossy lips, giving it a whimsical touch. De Beers London jewelry pieces expertly tied it all together.
Some celebrities opted for bolder, glitzier styles. A standout for me was Teyana Taylor in black and white Chanel, adorned with crystals, sheer paneling and beautiful cascading feathers that gave it a chic and exciting look. With so many elements and textures, the look risked looking messy, but the way it was layered made it perfectly cohesive. Taylor’s gown also had a sweet familial detail — the names of her daughters, Junie and Rue, were stitched into the dress with a heart.
Bright pops of red were big on the carpet this year, one standout being Best Actress-winner Jessie Buckley in cherry-red Chanel. She wore a pink chiffon gown and red stole, joining in the Old Hollywood motif by paying homage to Grace Kelly. It was classic and beautiful, though I wish Buckley’s hair was styled in a more dramatic, Golden Age-style to better match the makeup, outfit and glittery Chanel jewels. Renate Reinsve also went for a red look in Louis Vuitton, though I thought it fell a bit flat. Minimalism can be a classy option — like Emma Stone’s simple and shimmery Louis Vuitton look — but Reinsve’s was a little too shapeless and casual for the occasion. A great way to dress it up would have been exciting hair or heavier accessories, but I will say, I think her minimal base makeup with a red lip and black eyeliner matches the style flawlessly.
By far my favorite red look of the night was Li Jun Li in Gaurav Gupta. The shaping was experimental and stunning, making the dress look architectural in a way that genuinely took my breath away. Li and her stylist, Jessica Paster, knew exactly how and when to accessorize, opting for gorgeous satin red pumps and subtle bracelets and earrings — a necklace definitely would’ve overwhelmed and taken away from the striking corset.
Mikey Madison, 2025’s Best Actress winner, looked gorgeous in a draped, red velvet dress by Dior. With rich texture and vampy, dramatic styling, the look was high glamor and stood out. Floral appliqués, as well as Madison’s hair and makeup, gave this look more complexity, bringing it all in perfectly.
The men’s fashion this year was a nice surprise. Michael B. Jordan, this year’s Best Actor winner, wore a sharp and stylish Louis Vuitton suit. His stand-collar and luxe onyx buttons felt like nice additions to his sleek look, and the double silver chain on his tuxedo pants might be a fun nod to his “Sinners” characters and their 1930s fashion.
Pedro Pascal’s dapper Chanel look had rich, fun detail. The highlight was a large feathery brooch that gave the classic tuxedo a bright statement piece. The accessorizing was great here, with Pascal forgoing a jacket to let the brooch properly shine, as well as pearl cuffs, a Chanel watch and wire-rimmed glasses. It was the perfect mix of classic and modern. Delroy Lindo achieves this as well. Though what brand he wore is not publicly available, his look featured a tuxedo and royal blue polka-dot ascot, which matched his pocket square. Like the men above, he breathed new life to an old classic, proving that menswear never has to be dull.
With so many incredible looks, it was inevitable that some would fall behind. The worst looks of the night weren’t bad, per se, only a bit inferior. Alana Haim and Renate Reinsve in Louis Vuitton felt a bit too simplistic. Demi Moore in Gucci and Anne Hathaway in Valentino had the opposite problem — the styling for their gowns ended up being a bit overwhelming, with too many accessories or hairstyling that didn’t quite match.
Overall, this was a good, eclectic year for Oscars fashion. Some went for classic and understated, others glitzy and bold — still, no matter the style, creativity and fun had their moment. Old Hollywood glamour and attention-grabbing pops of red dominated, as well as more experimental menswear than I’ve seen in previous years. It was Hollywood’s most exciting night, and undoubtedly its most fashionable.