gravity-defying gowns, archival looks — and ‘heavage’

From the 1950s Hollywood blacklist to the 2017 #MeToo movement, the Oscars red carpet has long served as a social and political battleground. The 96th Academy Awards were no different. On Sunday, a few blocks from the event, about a thousand protesters turned up to demand a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, tying up traffic and delaying some arrivals. On the red carpet, brother-sister duo Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell (who scooped the award for best song), Poor Things actors Ramy Youssef and Mark Ruffalo and model and actor Quannah Chasinghorse were among the stars wearing round pins created by Artists4Ceasefire, which symbolised a call for peace. Meanwhile, Israeli-American producer Avi Arad wore a yellow ribbon to show solidarity with Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.

Other stars opted for fashion statements rather than political messaging, wearing gowns with dramatic silhouettes that quite literally took up space. The mint-green Louis Vuitton look worn by Emma Stone, who won Best Actress for her star turn in Poor Things, featured a perimeter-forming peplum on top of a column skirt. Sandra Hüller, who starred in Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest, made a similar statement in a black custom Schiaparelli gown, with a vertiginous neckline that jutted out to dramatic points on either side of the Best Actress nominee’s shoulders. 

Two stars from Oppenheimer, the big winner of the night, chose gravity-defying dresses with straps that seemed to levitate above their shoulders. Emily Blunt, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, donned a glittering cream Schiaparelli design, while Florence Pugh  — who was last year named the new face of Valentino — opted for a different Italian label: she wore a silvery number from up-and-coming Milan-based fashion brand Del Core, accessorised with a snake necklace. The strap styling trick, which divided fans online, heightened the effect of the gowns, making both women appear to stand a tad taller.

A stiffness was seen in the dresses worn by Barbie’s Margot Robbie and America Ferrera. Both designed by Versace, the gowns at first appeared to be the expected, fitted fare. However, in videos of the women walking the carpet, the dresses’ sculpted, moulded qualities became clear, the designs seeming more like armour. Ferrera’s was made of chainmail and, notably, in a vibrant hue of pink. It was the first time the Best Supporting Actress nominee had worn the colour in months of promoting Barbie. Robbie, who made headlines after being snubbed in the acting category, dropped the dress-like-the-doll approach from earlier in the awards season and instead wore black.

Volume was also used to dramatic effect, with frothy touches expanded exponentially, lending a kind of superhuman quality to some of the looks. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who won Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Holdovers, looked as though she could fly thanks to the oversized, feathery sleeves on her periwinkle Louis Vuitton gown. Ariana Grande showed impressive stamina in her custom Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown, its enormous, billowing fabric concealing her hands.

Grande’s choice of bubblegum pink was an unmistakable nod to her upcoming role as Glinda in Wicked, the movie based on the hit Broadway musical set to hit theatres later this year. Her co-star Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, got the memo too. Appearing on E! before the Oscars ceremony, Erivo told Laverne Cox that her deep green ruffled gown, which was equal parts stiff and shiny, was meant to have a “witchy texture”.

Some of the best-dressed stars of the evening offered subtler references. Nominee Carey Mulligan’s Balenciaga dress, a black fitted strapless gown with an ivory pleated tulle skirt that burst out of the hem, was a recreation from the fashion house’s collection in 1951 — the same year that Mulligan’s Maestro character, Felicia Montealegre, married the film’s subject, Leonard Bernstein. Meanwhile, Anya Taylor-Joy wore a strapless Dior Haute Couture gown decorated with silver appliqués that referenced the house’s Junon and Venus dresses from the AW1949 collection. These were among several vintage and custom-archival looks, which the FT predicted would be popular on the red carpet this year.

A sense of nostalgia was present, too — if for more recent times — in Lupita Nyong’o’s custom Giorgio Armani Privé gown. In a Cinderella-blue colour, with a deep V neckline, the look called back to the Prada gown Nyong’o wore when she took home the Best Actress award a decade ago. Also sparkling in Armani Privé was Dune: Part Two star Zendaya, who swapped her recent space-age looks for a shimmering pink-and-black gown with palm motifs.

One of the most meaningful fashion moments of the night was via Best Actress nominee Lily Gladstone, who has used this awards season to showcase Indigenous designers. For the Oscars, the Killers of the Flower Moon actress wore a gown that was a collaboration between Gucci and Joe Big Mountain of the label Ironhorse Quillwork. The train on the blue velvet piece featured handmade quillwork that “reflects the longest legacy of living craftsmanship in my corner of Indian Country”, Gladstone told Vogue.

Although men’s fashion has been a talking point on any number of red carpets in recent years, Oscar attendees played it a bit safer this year. Brooches became a defining accessory, with sparkly touches adorning nominees Jeffrey Wright of American Fiction and Mark Ruffalo of Poor Things, as well as last year’s Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan and this year’s Best Actor recipient Cillian Murphy of Oppenheimer. Not limited to lapels, the jewellery was found elsewhere, too: Rustin’s Colman Domingo pinned one to the middle of his bow tie, while Barbie’s Simu Liu fastened a brooch closer to his waist.

For others, the sartorial vibe was decidedly laid-back. Bradley Cooper, Best Actor nominee for Maestro, wore a double-breasted Louis Vuitton design without a tie, revealing that the top button of his shirt was (awkwardly, to my eye) undone. Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, and Barbie’s Ryan Gosling took it several steps — or buttons — further, displaying what is unfortunately known as “heavage”. Gosling later changed into a crystal-covered hot-pink Gucci suit for his performance of the movie’s hit song, “I’m Just Ken”.

One of the most viral moments of the night involved no clothes at all. Wrestler and actor John Cena took to the stage wearing nothing but a strategically placed envelope to present the award for Best Costume Design. Is men showing skin a sign of progress? I’ll hold my applause.