Every year, The Oscars present some of the best (and worst) fashion moments. Garments, frocks and frills that will undoubtedly be coveted, copied or ridiculed through the rest of the year. Leaving huge impressions, most people can probably comment more on the extravagant evening wear than the actual awards handed out after the celebrities have left the red carpet. Unsurprisingly, The Oscars was a designer-studded affair, with all the big stars having big labels to match. Armani Privé, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior were all well-represented.

The evening was absent of any political movements, such as the well-received black-dress code witnessed at the Golden Globes to demonstrate solidarity with victims of sexual harassment. However, there was clearly an outfit memo sent out, with many of the stars deciding on blushed pinks, ivories and whites. Saiorse Ronan looked modern but elegant in a Calvin Klein (By Appointment), cherry-blossom pink number, with a large, loose bow and train at the back. Elisabeth Moss, of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ fame, went for a beautiful Old Hollywood look in an ice-pink, off-the-shoulder Dior gown and matching pale pink clutch. On the lighter end of this scale, Margot Robbie wowed in a white, figure-hugging dress by Chanel that featured feathery embroidery across the chest and shoulders. It seems that the women of The Oscars wanted people to know that the traditionally ‘girly’ shades of pink and white no longer exemplify weakness, but strength, that the women of Hollywood will be taken seriously.

Another striking trend of the night was the use of metallic fabrics. The Oscars red carpet is no stranger to glitz and glam, being the biggest film event of the year, and the dresses of our favourite stars reflected that vibe, quite literally. The Oscar statue itself was given a run for its money, with stars such as Jennifer Lawrence, Gal Gadot, Lupita Nyong’o and Sandra Bullock all in shimmering frocks – Lawrence and Gadot both in stunning Dior numbers, Nyong’o in a golden Atelier Versace dress and Bullock in Louis Vuitton.

The men also undertook their own fashion direction by rejecting traditional (but often boring and predictable) black suits for coloured jackets and interesting fabrics. Armie Hammer went for a deep red velvet suit by Giorgio Armani and both Ansel Elgort and Daniel Kaluuya wore Tom Ford – black-black and brown velvet respectively.

The main theme of the night seemed to be refined, elegant and glamorous – a perfect representation of the evening celebrating the finest films and creators of the year.

Emily Durston

Image: InStyle