30 Of The Best Oscars Dresses Of All Time
You might struggle to remember which films were the big winners at the Oscars in 2006, but chances are you remember Michelle Williams’s mustard-yellow Vera Wang gown from that night. The Oscars red carpet is the most scrutinised of the year – and a chance for style-conscious stars to earn themselves a spot in fashion history. Some 70 years on, the demure white Givenchy dress Audrey Hepburn collected her Best Actress trophy in back in 1954 still stands out, while Lupita Nyong’o’s Oscar-winning moment in 2014 was made all the more special by her powder-blue Prada gown.
Read more: Oscars 2024 Red Carpet
More recently, in 2022, modern red-carpet queen Zendaya pulled off a subtle homage to another look listed here: Sharon Stone’s Vera Wang skirt and Gap shirt combo from the 1998 ceremony. The Dune star updated the approach to spectacular effect in her cropped shirt and shimmering column skirt, with a little help from Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino. While last year’s ceremony was an opportunity for a heavily pregnant Rihanna – nominated in the Best Original Song category for “Lift Me Up” – to bring her knockout maternity style to the Oscars red carpet.
Ahead of the 2024 Academy Awards, revisit some fashion highlights from ceremonies past, below.
KMazur1/30Cate Blanchett
In 2000, Cate wore a backless Jean Paul Gaultier dress that would doubtless appeal to modern JPG fans like Bella Hadid and the Jenner sisters.
KMazur2/30Penélope Cruz
Before she was in a committed relationship with Chanel, Penélope Cruz’s simple blue Ralph Lauren gown was a winner on the 2000 red carpet.
Mychal Watts3/30Sharon Stone
Stone famously styled her satin Vera Wang skirt with a Gap shirt for the 1998 Oscars. It raised eyebrows at the time, but went on to inspire a spectacular homage from Zendaya at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Ron Galella/Getty Images4/30Cher
Oft imitated, but never equalled: Cher in her Bob Mackie coords back in 1973.
Steve Granitz5/30Chloë Sevigny
Chloë went home without the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2000, but her Yves Saint Laurent dress was award-worthy.
Ron Galella/Getty Images6/30Cindy Crawford
The supermodel gave Hollywood a lesson in bombshell dressing when she attended the 1991 Oscars on the arm of Richard Gere, wearing a traffic-stopping red Versace dress.
KMazur7/30Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett, who was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category in 2023 for her performance as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was a regal presence on the red carpet back in 2000.
Ron Galella/Getty Images8/30Winona Ryder
The provenance of Winona’s fabulous flapper-style dress for the 1994 ceremony is unknown, but the actor has previously declared she has worn vintage dresses she picked up for $10 to the Oscars. Could this be one of them?
