Think: retro glamour, pretty pinks and statement jewels …
Is there a grander moment in the spectator sport that is red carpet fashion than the Academy Awards? What was interesting about the fashion at this year’s 97th Oscars ceremony, however, was the sheer number of divine dresses that leaned into classic styles and silhouettes.
A sense of prom night dressing permeated many looks, with pastel colours and a genteel approach to styling dominating. This was boosted by the fact that many A-listers are now wearing archival looks, or at least custom revivals of archive looks, rather than dressing directly from a designer’s haute couture or ready-to-wear collection.
Why such a harking back to days of yore? An opting out of short-lived viral moments, perhaps …
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Firstly, all eyes were on Mikey Madison, who won in the Best Actress category for her performance in Anora. Mikey’s pink satin dress was a nod to prom dressing or “promcore” which is, of course, trending. Although, like many celebs wearing archival pieces on the red carpet – possibly the coolest take on red carpet dressing right now – the gown wasn’t just vintage in feeling. She wore a Dior Bal à Paris 1956 spring-summer haute couture dress in pink satin with black velvet edging; an original creation by Christian Dior reproduced by the Dior Couture Atelier and Maria Grazia Chiuri.
A sense of vintage femininity infused Elle Fanning’s gown, a custom haute couture dress made by Sarah Burton for Givenchy. The white lace dress was, according to Burton, inspired Hubert de Givenchy’s first collection in 1952. The addition of a classic updo and feline-like black eyeliner nodded neatly to 1960s glamour. Of course, Fanning isn’t the first celebrity to dip into designer archives in her choice of red carpet look. Recently, at the SAG Awards, Nicola Coughlan was a vision in a pale blue custom Dior gown strongly influenced by the designer’s iconic new look.
Nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role as Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked, Ariana Grande sparkled in a fit-and-flare dress that boasted over 190,000 crystals. The dress was fittingly fairytale in mood, designed by Daniel Roseberry at Schiaparelli. Interestingly, the shape of the gown was inspired by an Alberto Giacometti lamp!
Sweet but not saccharine: the pale pink theme continued with Monica Barbaro, who expertly played Joan Baez in Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, and wore a Dior silk dress with a beaded bodice and a voluminous skirt.
READ MORE: The Irish Actresses Redefining Red Carpet Style This Season
