This week I spent a lot of time in bed—due to what I first thought might’ve been the flu but turned out to be a particularly irritating head cold—and so, I took the opportunity to watch the 96th Academy Awards, which I’d been far too congested to watch on Sunday evening.

Now, I hate to be one of those old(er) people who whine about how great things used to be, so instead I’m simply gonna ask this, “Hey Hollywood: What happened?”

I’m not talking about the broadcast, which has gotten progressively more and more boring and generic as the years have gone on, due to things like sponsorships—was there ever anything less likely to set aspirational hearts fluttering than hearing “Tonight’s broadcast of the Academy Awards is brought to you by J.C. Penney,” (as they were from 2002-2016)?—and the move away from network television; though, at this point, it’s simply the “biggest” of the myriad such award shows that surround the film industry.

No, rather, my issue is the red carpet.  It’s become a snooze-fest.  This is not to say that people didn’t dress nicely, because, for the most part, they did.  But who wants to see people dressed nicely?  That’s like watching a pageant filled with people who are pretty.  Yawn!   And while there will always be those who dress like the movie stars we want them to be (and we’ll get to my favorites of those, below), nobody actually dresses themselves, anymore.  What does this mean?  It means that we’re never again going to see an actress wear a dress she’s designed herself (à la Demi Moore in 1989, in that bike shorts-bustier-ballgown hybrid; or Kim Basinger in 1990, when she wore that asymmetrical ballgown-tuxedo mashup with a single opera glove). 

Nor are we likely to see anyone wearing something downright bizarre and/or borderline offensive, as with Edy Williams (who, in 1974, paired a leopard-print bikini with a leopard fur coat, while pulling a Great Dane on a leash; in 1986, wore a bunch of pearls with an ivory satin thong, a sheer pink scarf with sequins, and white lace gloves; and in 2000, featured a rather tragic-cum-trashy pink figure-skating costume).

And you can forget about seeing anything as disconcerting as Juliette Lewis in cornrows (1992); Celine Dion in an ill-fitting Dior tuxedo worn backwards, and with a fedora, no less (1999); Björk in Marjan Pejoski’s ‘Swan’ dress (2001),  Gwyneth Paltrow going goth (sans bra) in sheer Alexander McQueen (2002); Uma Thurman in Christian Lacroix’s tribute to Tyrolean shepherdesses (2004), or Pharrell Williams in a Lanvin tuxedo, the pants to which he’d had cropped into shorts (2014).

And while no one can (or has) accused the above-mentioned individuals of dressing “tastefully,” that night—though you’ve gotta think that they must’ve felt they were serving fabulous and fierce looks, at the time—each indubitably added an air of whimsy and individuality to the proceedings that is sadly lacking today.

So, who did I think were particularly well-styled—by which I mean the garment(s), the jewelry, the accessories, the hair, the makeup, the nails, etc.—at this year’s Oscars?  Six actresses really stood out, among the rest, to me; and here they are, listed alphabetically by first name.

Anna Taylor-Joy:  Styled by Ryan Hastings, in Dior Haute Couture by Maria Grazia Chiuri—based on the ‘Venus’ dress from the FW1949 Christian Dior Haute Couture collection—with jewelry by Tiffany & Co., including a Tiffany High Jewelry necklace featuring an 8ct marquise-cut diamond on a necklace of platinum and 18K gold; diamond earrings totaling over 10cts; and a Tiffany ring by Jean Schlumberger; as well as a Jaeger-LeCoultre ‘101 Reine’ timepiece in 18K white gold with diamonds and a mother-of-pearl dial.  Hair by Gregory Russell.  Makeup by Georgie Eisdell.  Nails by Kim Truong.

It takes a lot of character to pull off a dress that’s been iconic for three-quarters of a century, as Taylor-Joy so facilely demonstrated, never once making it appear as though the dress was wearing her (which is always the risk with such a storied garment).  As for that timekeeping wrist accessory by Jaeger-LeCoultre...  Is it a watch?  Is it jewelry?  Who cares?  It's sublime and is the cherry on top of this look. 

Carey Mulligan:  Styled by Andrew Mukamal, in archival Balenciaga Haute Couture—based on the ‘Flamenco’ dress, look #134 from the 1951 Balenciaga Haute Couture collection by Cristobal Balenciaga; this is the first time Balenciaga has recreated an archival piece for the red carpet (though, it likely won’t be the last)—with a pair of Fred Leighton old mine-cut diamond collet-set earrings in silver-topped gold, totaling 20cts.   Hair by Jenny Cho.  Makeup by Nina Park.  Nails by Quennie Nguyen.

Beyond the backstory that the dress is a spiritual nod to the character whose portrayal by Mulligan earned her this nomination (Felicia Montealegre and Leonard Bernstein were engaged in 1951), this dress has it all: a provenance involving one of the most revered couturiers of all time, drama, movement, cheek, and thanks to the addition of the opera gloves, required nothing more than a pair of studs to complete the look (10-carats in each ear, sure; but as the great Bevy Smith once said, "There are two kinds of people in this world: Size queens, and people who lie about it."). 

Greta Lee:  Styled by Danielle Goldberg, in Loewe—specifically look #26 from the Loewe Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear collection by Jonathan Anderson—with jewelry by Tiffany & Co., including a pair of Tiffany High Jewelry ‘paperclip’ earrings in platinum set with over 13cts of diamonds; a platinum ring set with a 6ct green tourmaline and diamonds; and an Art Deco platinum and 18k gold bracelet set with emeralds and diamonds, from the Tiffany Archives.  Hair by Takuya Yamaguchi.  Makeup by Naoko Sofia Patrizia Scintu.  Nails by Naomi Yasuda.  

Who doesn’t love a dress that delivers high drama while also appearing to be pretty comfortable?  (Hello, pockets!)  The flashes of green from the ring and bracelet add pops of color to the whole look, and those earrings are fantastic!  Of course, the most dazzling accessory in Lee's arsenal is that incredible smile.

Lily Gladstone:  Styled by Jason Rembert with assistance from Wilton White, in custom Gucci—a collaboration between Gucci creative director, Sabato de Sarno, and Ironhorse Quillwork’s Sunshine and Joe Big Mountain—with jewelry by Bulgari and Ironhorse Quillwork, including a Bulgari High Jewelry ‘Diva’s Dream’ necklace featuring diamonds, amethysts, sapphires, and turquoise, centered with a Tanzanite of more than 28cts; a Bulgari High Jewelry cocktail ring of 18k white gold set with a 9ct cushion-cut cornflower blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds and sapphires; a Bulgari High Jewelry bracelet of 18k white gold set with over 45cts of diamonds; and a pair of porcupine quill earrings by Ironhorse Quillwork.  Hair by Marc Mena.  Makeup by Fiona Stiles.  Nails by Yoko Sakakura.

Love the decision to go with midnight blue instead of black.  Adore the collaboration between de Sarno and the Big Mountains.  Wondering why nobody is commenting on the earrings being by Ironhorse Quillwork (they are quite literally the same motif as those on her dress), as well; but delighted to telegraph that along with my praise for pairing them with all of that dreamy Bulgari High Jewelry.  A Diva’s Dream, indeed!

Sandra Hüller:  Styled by Jordan Johnson Chung, in custom Schiaparelli—a look created especially for Hüller by Schiaparelli creative director, Daniel Roseberry—with Cartier’s ‘Reflection de Cartier’ necklace featuring nearly 30cts of baguette-cut, princess-cut, and troida-cut diamonds set in 18k white gold.  Hair by Danilo Dixon.  Makeup by Jo Baker.  Nails by Emi Kudo.

I didn’t think I’d ever be praising the styling of a woman over 19 making a conscious decision not to wear earrings to a black-tie affair (let alone to the Oscars), but here I am; and as much as I wanted to hate on the idea, the execution is stunning.  Danilo Dixon, whose forays into ‘big hair’ are the stuff of Wigstock legend, zagged by framing Huller with a slick and severe center-parted ‘do, which when paired with Jo Baker’s whimsical cat-eye lashes, and the intensity of that Schiaparelli dress (Those shoulders!  That padlocked décolletage!), makes this look at once timeless and very much of this moment.  

Zendaya:  Styled by Law Roach, in Armani Privé—while not a specific look from the Spring 2024 Armani Privé Couture collection, the antique rose silk asymmetrical gown with a bodice of gunmetal palettes and matching palm tree motifs is actually a brilliant amalgamation of looks 64-67 with hints of looks 81 and 86—with jewelry by Bulgari, comprised of a suite of Bulgari High Jewelry pieces in 18k rose gold, including pendant earrings featuring a pair of trilliant-cut morganites (pink beryl) totaling more than 42cts, surrounded by rubellites (pink tourmaline), mandarin garnets, and diamonds; a bracelet set with diamonds; and a ring set with more gems.  Hair by Tai Simon.  Makeup by Ernesto Casillas. 

At this point, there’s everyone on the red carpet, and then there’s Zendaya, whose ongoing collaboration with Law Roach (highlighted by the whirlwind worldwide fashion extravaganza known as the premieres of Dune 2) has cemented both of them in the annals of fashion history.  The dress’s gunmetal embellishment lends it an armor-like Wonder Woman vibe, while the pink and the palm trees are full-on Hollywood.  From the glowy pink manicure (who did those nails?) to Tai Simon’s Old Hollywood-inspired waves of hair framing the sunset hues of that rose gold Bulgari High Jewelry, this look only further demonstrates that Zendaya doesn’t merely walk on a red carpet, she owns it. 

Red Carpet Styling
Oscars 2024

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