Oscars 2026 Red Carpet: Best and Worst Style

All in all, it was a good night for style. There were no major faux pas on the Oscars red carpet and only a little bad taste popping up here and there. Obvious hits of the night would include Zendaya, casually gliding onto the stage out of nowhere to present in a minimal tan Louis Vuitton number and stealing the show; Emma Stone, channeling Elizabeth Bennett in a stunning LV beaded column; Elle Fanning in Givenchy by Sarah Burton, Rose Byrne in Dior and Demi Moore in a feathered Gucci, all three bringing some much-needed old school glamour to the ball. And how does Wunmi Mosaku continue to look so incredible at eight months pregnant? Kudos to her and her team.
Chanel was probably the big success of the night, dressing — and beautifully so — stars such as Nicole Kidman, Teyana Taylor, Gracie Abrams and best actress winner Jessie Buckley. Not to mention one of the best dressed men, Pedro Pascal. (Creative director Matthieu Blazy is really teasing us here, outfitting not just Pascal but Harry Styles, Jacob Elordi and A$AP Rocky recently … is a Chanel menswear line forthcoming?!)
Other gentlemen who nailed it … Shaboozey in Campillo; Joe Alwyn and Robert Downey, both in Valentino; and Paul Mescal going full Beatle in Celine. But I’m not loving this grey shirt trend, fellas. It doesn’t flatter you and looks sloppy on camera — looking at you Ethan Hawke, Milo Manheim and you, Callum Turner later at the Vanity Fair party. And to the couple of dudes who looked cool, but way too dressed down — ahem, Lewis Pullman, Manus Rios — this is the biggest night of the calendar, guys. If Damson Idris can go to all the effort of styling himself in a Prada blue satin frock coat with astrachan trim (even if he perhaps shouldn’t have), maybe you could try a little harder?
Timothée Chalamet is still on a losing streak … and I was actually talking about fashion, but hey. At least he’s moved on from the Starburst palette, but the all-white looks with Bridgerton hair, wraparound shades and boots that look too big for his britches? Boy, do I miss Timmy pre-2023.
Actresses that missed the their potential were Odessa A’zion, self-styling in overly boho Valentino that drowned; Kristen Wiig in a slovenly shaped Elie Saab; Anne Hathaway with too many garden flowers (Anna was right); and content creator Emma Chamberlain for some reason in Valentino dishwashing gloves at Vanity Fair — did they need her help with clean up afterwards?
My only desire would be to bring some of the loose, let’s-have-fun-it’s-all-over-now, afterparty energy forward to the Oscars red carpet. It’s plain to see that so many of the independent designer looks are compromised by the contracts held by the actors and therefore “saved for later.” I would have loved if Mikey Madison had worn the sexy Dilara Findikoglu gown to the Oscars and saved the blood-red Dior for the parties; Kate Hudson could easily have bared her enviable abs for her nomination (Gucci instead of Armani)? It would be so great not to be able to predict the designer gowns because of the transactions. But at least we have a new generation of creative directors in place now to offer up some stunning shocks and surprises, which is what the Oscars surely is all about.
Emma Stone, channeling Elizabeth Bennett in a stunning LV beaded column.
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How does Wunmi Mosaku continue to look so incredible at eight months pregnant?
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Pedro Pascal in Chanel.
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Ethan Hawke in Prada.
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Timothée Chalamet in Givenchy.
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Emma Chamberlain attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar party.
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Mikey Madison at the Vanity Fair party.
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