Oscars 2021: Best dressed stars on the red carpet, from Carey Mulligan to Zendaya
Celebrities donned their glad rags for the annual celebration of cinema
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Finally, the potent dose of Hollywood glitz we’ve all been waiting for. Unlike the majority of award ceremonies that have taken place this year, the Oscars discouraged guests from attending virtually.
Instead, nominees and presenters at the 93rd Academy Awards were assured that safety measures would be in place to ensure they could physically attend the event, which took place at Union Station in Los Angeles instead of its usual venue, the Dolby Theatre.
For fashion fans, news that the Oscars would go ahead with real-life attendees meant one exciting thing: a proper red carpet.
You see, not only have we been starved of the sartorial splendour that usually graces our news feeds during awards season (Zoom appearances don’t really pack the same fashion punch when you can only see people from the waist up), but we’ve also spent the majority of the last year slugging around in loungewear and slippers.
Thank heavens, then, that the Oscars were here to remind us what real-life glamour actually looks like. It’s Zendaya in a bright yellow custom Valentino gown. It’s Vanessa Kirby making a sophisticated statement in a corseted Gucci dress. And it’s Lakeith Stanfield paying homage to Saint Laurent’s original womenswear designs in a custom jumpsuit.
These were the best-dressed guests at the 93rd Academy Awards.
Carey Mulligan
The British actor, who was nominated for Best Actress for her role in Promising Young Woman, chose a stellar gold sequin two-piece from Valentino’s spring/summer 2021 couture collection for the evening.
The ensemble featured a strapless bandeau and a full structural skirt. Mulligan also wore Cartier earrings for the occasion, choosing a ring that took 350 hours to make.
Riz Ahmed
The Sound of Metal star was up for Best Actor at the Oscars.
For the occasion, he chose a simple navy blue tailored suit by Prada with silk lapels that he paired with a black mock turtleneck top.
Zendaya
The Euphoria star made a statement in a strapless chiffon canary yellow gown by Valentino Couture. The dress featured a bandeau top and a midriff cut-out.
Zendaya accessorised the look with a diamond necklace by Bulgari.
Lakeith Stanfield
The Judas and the Black Messiah star channelled a 1970s look in a custom Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello black jumpsuit.
The jumpsuit was actually a nod to Yves Saint Laurent’s early use of black suits and white collars on his womenswear designs.
Laura Dern
The American actor chose a dramatic black and white gown by Oscar de la Renta.
The dress featured a tight-fitting long-sleeved bodice and a white skirt comprised of multiple layers of marabou feathers.
Vanessa Kirby
The British actor was nominated for her leading role in Pieces of a Woman.
For the evening, she chose a pale pink structured gown by Gucci that came complete with a corseted top, a midriff cut-out and a train.
Amanda Seyfried
The American actor chose a vivid scarlet gown by Armani for the evening.
The statement tulle frock featured a full skirt and a plunging neckline.
Andra Day
The singer and actor, who was up for Best Actress for her role in The United States vs Billie Holiday, wore a gold Vera Wang gown for the occasion.
The off-the-shoulder all-metal dress featured a hip-high slit and a cut-out in the middle.
H.E.R
H.E.R chose a custom Dundas look for the evening.
The deep blue sequin hooded ensemble featured a cape and sheer floor-length trousers. The musician accessorised the look with Chopard jewellery.
Reese Witherspoon
The Big Little Lies star chose a red chiffon gown by Christian Dior for the evening.
The dress featured a pleated two-tone skirt and a black belt with a gold buckle at the waist.
Halle Berry
The American actor chose a pink chiffon gown by Dolce & Gabbana for the occasion.
The design featured a pleated skirt and a strapless bodice.
Margot Robbie
Academy Award nominee Margot Robbie, who was also a producer on Promising Young Woman, chose an embellished silver gown from Chanel’s autumn/winter 2019 couture line.
The floor-length dress featured spaghetti straps. Robbie styled her hair in a low ponytail for the evening.
Emerald Fennell
Director and writer Emerald Fennell, who is pregnant with her second child, was up for several awards for her divisive revenge thriller, Promising Young Woman.
She chose a whimsical floral gown for the evening by Gucci. The pastel green and pink gown came complete with a billowing skirt covered in ruffles.
Olivia Colman
The beloved British actor, who was nominated for her role in The Father, chose a vivid red long-sleeved gown for the occasion.
The bright frock featured a high neck and a belted waist.
Glenn Close
The American actor was nominated for her role in Hillbilly Elegy. For the occasion, she chose an electric blue tunic covered in crystal beads by Armani Prive. It took three weeks to make.
Close wore the tunic with a pair of purple leather gloves (the actor thought they might be more sanitary) and some simple black cigarette trousers.
Yuh-jung Youn and Han Ye-ri
Minari stars Yuh-jung Youn and Han Ye-ri walked the red carpet together. Yuh-jung chose a dark blue smock-like dress by Marmar Halim fitted with a T-shirt top and a full skirt with two pockets.
Ye-ri, meanwhile, opted for something a little brighter: a scarlet fitted gown by Louis Vuitton with a high neck and large gold buttons on the bodice.
Alan S Kim and Vicky Kim
The nine-year-old star of Minari arrived at the Oscars in a short suit designed by Thom Browne.
His mother, Vicky, also chose a suit for the occasion, though hers was navy and silk.
Celeste Waite
The British singer chose a unique gown by Gucci that featured a black and red diamond patterned bodice and a floor-length black skirt.
Waite also carried an embellished handbag in the shape of a heart.
Daniel Kaluuya
The Judas and the Black Messiah star chose a double-breasted black suit by Bottega Veneta. Instead of a traditional shirt, Kaluuya opted for a simple round-necked top underneath, which he paired with a diamond chain necklace by Cartier.
The actor also wore a pinky ring by Cartier.
Regina King
The American actor wore a sky blue gown that was custom-made by Louis Vuitton for the evening.
The decadent design featured a deep-V neckline with winged shoulders and a full-length skirt the gently billowed out at the hemline.
The dress took 140 hours to make and featured 4,000 crystals.
Chloé Zhao and Charlene Swankie
The Nomadland director made an unlikely fashion choice by wearing trainers on the red carpet.
Zhao paired her simple white sneaks with a knitted beige poloneck gown. She walked the red carpet with actor and Nomadland star Charlene Swankie, who chose a loose-fitting navy-blue three-piece ensemble.
Viola Davis
The Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom star is renowned for her Oscars looks, with one of her most notable ones being a fuchsia Michael Kors gown in 2018.
This time around, Davis chose an applique white structural gown by Alexander McQueen that featured a chiffon skirt and an intricately woven corset.
The gown was custom-made and Davis accessorised it with a matching white clutch.
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